Portland Survives Unity Christian Thriller, Improves to 9-0

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2025 Division 4 runner-up Unity Christian came to Portland looking for a signature win to secure the final points needed ahead of the playoff selection show, just two days away. On the other side, Portland entered the matchup at 8-0, chasing a perfect 9-0 regular season.

This was easily the biggest test of the season for the Raiders, who entered the game without the star of their offense, running back Carson Spenski. With a key piece of the running game missing, Portland needed to turn to its passing attack, and that is exactly what head coach John Novara and his Raiders did. Behind a strong performance through the air, Portland survived a late-season thriller, defeating Unity Christian 28-24 to finish the regular season undefeated.

Quarterback Carson Simon completed 13 of 15 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with his favorite target, Kehyan Page, for three receptions, 121 yards, and two touchdowns. Page's longest reception of the night went for 63 yards. Alex Atwell also contributed in the passing game, hauling in four receptions for 40 yards.

On the ground, Atwell, Crowley, and Simon shared the workload. Atwell led the way with 53 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown, while Crowley added 43 yards on 11 carries. Simon contributed 39 rushing yards on six carries, including a touchdown of his own.

Defensively, Portland struggled to contain Unity Christian's rushing attack, surrendering 351 yards on the ground. Despite the challenges, the Raiders made the plays necessary to secure a hard-fought 28-24 victory in what was easily their most thrilling game of the season.

Following the game, Portland Beacon owner Jim Townsend caught up with head coach John Novara to get his thoughts on the Raiders' performance.

“I just thought we played Portland Raider football. We played as a team. We had a lot of backups that stepped up and did a great job. We just battled for four quarters. That's what I expect of them,” Novara said. “There was just something different in the air tonight. The kids just played so much harder than they have been, and they just wanted this one really bad. Proud of our kids. They've played some really good, talented football teams this year. We're happy to get out of here with a win. We just gotta look forward to our first playoff game.”

I also had the opportunity to interview Portland quarterback Carson Simon following the win. I started by asking him whether he knew he would need to step up in the passing game with Spenski unavailable.

“Yeah, it for sure changed up our offensive plan a little bit. We had a great week of prep to get ready for Unity, and we went out and executed our game plan. I knew later in the season we were going to have to mix in the pass game, especially against Unity. In the end, it all comes down to the offensive lines getting their jobs done, allowing me to have the time to find open receivers,” Simon said.

I followed up by asking what he saw in Unity Christian's defense that allowed him to make big plays through the air.

“We could tell on film that this was a strong defense that could get into coverage quickly, which definitely made it difficult. Throughout the game, we took what they gave us on the short routes and eventually were able to open up to deeper passes late in the game,” Simon explained.

With the victory, Portland finished the regular season 9-0 and now turns its attention to the postseason. The Raiders face a tough draw against 8-1 Paw Paw in the Division 4 District Semifinals, setting up what could be one of the toughest matchups in the state, in what is arguably the most competitive region in Division 4.

Despite the challenge ahead, Simon and the Raiders are embracing the opportunity.

“We’re definitely going to be ready for another hard-fought, downhill battle. They’re similar to Unity, and our defense has been outstanding all year at giving the offense every chance to go out and do what we do. We are going to have a great week of prep and do whatever we can to win and set our sights on a district championship,” Simon said.

Portland will host Paw Paw this Friday at Portland High School, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The Raiders will look to carry their undefeated momentum into the postseason and take another step toward a district championship.