With a strong running game, a savvy knowledge of the rules, and a little controversy at the end, Central Hinds was able to hand Porters Chapel another setback on Friday night.

Jordan Townsend ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns, Jordan Currie ran for 91 yards and threw a touchdown pass — on the last play of the game, with a three-score lead — and Central Hinds beat PCA 29-2 at Eagles Field.

Hunter Farrior also ran for 69 yards and a touchdown as Central Hinds rolled up 331 rushing yards. That more than trebled PCA’s entire offensive output of 108 yards.

It was the second straight game in which PCA (3-7) has not scored an offensive point and the third time in four games it has been held to seven points or less. The Eagles’ only score on Friday came on the second play of the second half, when Currie was swarmed in the end zone and fumbled through the back of the end zone for a safety.

PCA’s best offensive drive ended on downs when Jay Wiley was stuffed on fourth-and-2 from the Central Hinds 11. After the safety, a personal foul penalty and a disastrous attempt at a double reverse lost a total of 30 yards, the Eagles ended up punting — despite having an initial first down at the CHA 44.

“We started out the year and did pretty good,” PCA coach Bill Fleming said. “Our big thing, and it’s always going to be a big thing, is mistakes. We can’t have any penalties whatsoever. I’m going to move some people around to where they can make plays. We have to.”

Two plays on Friday night livened up an otherwise decisive win for Central Hinds (5-5).

With less than 10 seconds left in the first half, PCA punted from inside its own 10-yard line. Currie called for a fair catch and caught the ball on one bounce at his own 44. Central Hinds coach Bobby Allen then invoked a little-used rule that allows a team making a fair catch to perform a free kick off a tee instead of running a play.

Kicker Pate Demuth set the ball down and bombed it through the uprights for a 54-yard field goal that put Central Hinds ahead 10-0 at halftime.

“I’d never practiced it. Coach told me about it at the beginning of the season that if you call a fair catch, you can kick it, and that we might do it,” Demuth said. “I couldn’t believe it. It was awesome.”

The other notable play was less awesome.

After Townsend’s 3-yard touchdown run put Central Hinds ahead 23-2 with 1:44 to play, the senior capped off his big night by intercepting a pass from Colby Rushing and returning it to the PCA 15. Two quick runs moved the ball inside the 5 for a first down, and with the clock ticking under 15 seconds, the Cougars hustled back to the line for another play. Currie rolled out to his right and threw a 3-yard TD pass to Austin Biggs as time expired.

Allen said he called a running play, but somewhere along the line there was a mix-up.

“We had a 43 dive called. All we were going to do was run it into the line. I don’t know if he fumbled the snap or what. We were not trying to score there,” Allen said.

Fleming wasn’t buying the explanation.

“Our kids gave it their all. I don’t think the score reflects the game that was played. Especially that bullcrap at the end,” Fleming said. “I didn’t shake hands with (Allen). I won’t shake hands with him.”

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com