RAYVILLE, La. — Despite a first-round exit from the playoffs for the second straight year, Porters Chapel Academy appears set for another chance next season.

The Eagles finished the 2012 season 4-7 after last Friday’s 27-12 loss to Riverfield in a first round MAIS Class A playoff game. The good news for PCA is the improvement made over the last few weeks with its front seven on defense and the offensive line.

Senior running back Peter Harris had 427 rushing yards in his last two games. He had 139 against Riverfield to follow up a 288-yard, six-touchdown outing in a 40-14 win over Prentiss Christian. A sturdy offensive line, keyed by freshman guard Bryce Fleming, helped pave the way for Harris. Fleming will be one of four returning starters back next year and that brought a smile to PCA junior quarterback Jonah Masterson.

“We’ve got four back on the offensive line, me, and a lot of wide receivers,” Masterson said. “But we do lose one really good running back. You just can’t replace a guy like Pete. We’ll work with what we got.”

The 139 rushing yards at Riverfield pushed Harris over the 1,500-yard mark, giving him 1,537 yards.

Both of PCA’s touchdowns were scored by Masterson on a run and pass and that left Harris with 19 rushing touchdowns and six more returning kicks and catching passes. He will have a good opportunity to earn a college football scholarship next February.

“Pete is an amazing athlete,” Masterson said. “He’ll go far in life.”

For PCA coach Wade Patrick, a key for the Eagles next season will be to avoid injuries.

“The big reason why we did better later in the season is we got guys healthy,” Patrick said. “Then we moved some ninth-graders up and that really helped our depth. We were able to move people in and out.”

The injury bug, however, did bite the Eagles before and during the Riverfield game. Defensive back P.J. Lassiter did not make the trip because of a stomach illness. Fullback Logan Pickering went down early in the third quarter with an apparent knee injury. His loss was critical because the Eagles struggled to run the ball after he left. PCA was outrushed 190-45 in the second half as the Raiders turned a 12-6 deficit into a 15-point cushion.

PCA defensive coordinator Bill Fleming said Riverfield deserved credit for its second-half comeback.

“They are 9-3 for a reason,” Fleming said. “When Logan went down, we got gashed up there on defense. Still, I’m proud of the way the guys played. We have eight starters coming back, so that bodes well for us next year.”