Editor’s Note: This story will appear in “Playmakers,” The Vicksburg Post’s annual football preview magazine. The special edition will be included with the Aug. 24-25 weekend edition of The Post and includes previews, features and more for all of Warren County’s high school teams.

If the last three seasons of Porter’s Chapel Academy football were plotted on a graph, there would be a clear line spiking upward.

The Eagles went from 12 seasons of finishing .500 or below to a winning record, and then snapped a 14-year winless streak in the playoffs. Last year, they went 12-1 and reached the MAIS Class 2A semifinals.

Examining the trend, head coach Blake Purvis said, there’s only one logical conclusion for what 2024 has in store.

“Three years in a row we’ve taken the next step. If we keep trending in that direction there’s only one place to go — and that’s to Jackson,” Purvis said.

The Eagles should, indeed, be championship contenders once again. Although they lost several key pieces, the players replacing them are coming along and there is still a lot of returning talent — enough to keep expectations sky high instead of looking at it as any sort of rebuilding year.

“We’ve got the guys that can be very successful, and that can play for a long time and make a run at this thing,” Purvis said. “But depth is an issue just like it always is with us. I think we’ve got some guys now that were eighth-graders and freshmen last year that are going to be a lot more ready to jump in there as freshmen and sophomores this year.”

The biggest piece of the puzzle, literally and figuratively, will be PCA’s offensive line. All three starters — center Jackson Blackmon and guards Conley Johnston and Hunter Simms — are returning.

Johnston and Simms are entering their fourth season as starters, and Blackmon his second. Their experience, chemistry and leadership will be invaluable.

Johnston and Simms are also key pieces of the defense as linebackers. Johnston had 75 tackles and 12 tackles for loss in 2023, while Simms had 76 tackles.

“It’s a huge asset. You win the line of scrimmage, you’ve got a chance to win the game. Having those guys back with all that experience under their belt is definitely a plus for us,” Purvis said.

The linemen will have a lot of responsibility thrust upon them as they protect junior quarterback Chad Fuson. Fuson is stepping in for John Wyatt Massey, who graduated after three seasons as a starter. Massey was the 2023 Vicksburg Post Offensive Player of the Year.

Fuson is still learning all of the intricacies of playing quarterback at the varsity level, but drew high praise from coaches and teammates for his progress during the offseason.

“Chad’s had a phenomenal summer. He’s probably made one of the biggest jumps of anybody since last year,” Purvis said. “He’s really stepped into that role. He’s commanding the huddle, he’s leading that offense, he’s learned it. He was pretty much starting all new this summer and he’s been up here five days a week all summer throwing.”

Purvis said Fuson also has shown he can be a dangerous threat in the running game.

“Chad’s one of the fastest we have on our team. He gives us a two-headed monster back there on the ground,” Purvis said. “He’s not just sitting back there to throw the ball. He can run it and make some big plays with his legs behind that offensive line. It makes us more dangerous having a dynamic guy back there beside (running back Jase Jung).”

Johnston also had high praise for his quarterback’s playmaking ability.

“What Chad lacks in knowledge like John Wyatt had, Chad makes up in athleticism,” Johnston said.

While Fuson gets comfortable, the Eagles are making no secret that they’ll rely on their running game to pile up yards and points. They averaged nearly 250 rushing yards per game last season and set a school record with 614 points — an average of 47.2 per game.

Besides the linemen who are paving the way, Jung is back for his senior season.

Jung rushed for 1,974 yards and a school-record 25 touchdowns in 2023. His first touchdown this season will be the 40th of his high school career and break a school record set by Earl Johnson in the mid-1970s. He could also threaten Johnson’s yardage record of 4,079. Jung enters the season with 2,710 yards.

“Those are my goals. My dad and I looked at that last year and this year. Hopefully I get to set the record. That would be a blessing to be able to do that,” Jung said. “I smile every time I hear it. It’s just made me happy.”

Like the linemen in front of him, Jung is part of an experienced senior class. He’s been a starter since he was a freshman and has 13 career interceptions as a defensive back in addition to his rushing totals.

“He’s special. He’s been playing high school football for five, six years now. He’s put his time in. He’s what you want your seniors to be,” Purvis said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him shatter records all year long.”

As great as they’ve been physically, Purvis said this year’s senior class has been just as good from a mental standpoint. It’s a big reason the Eagles have changed their fortunes following a lost decade in the 2010s.

“This group, for the last three or four years we’ve seen a difference in the summer preparations and leading up to the season,” Purvis said. “I think the reason we’ve taken that next step each year is because that preparation, that mental toughness, that discipline, all of those things have improved from year to year to year. We’ve built the program now. You can’t help but get excited coming off a year like that and returning the guys that we’re returning.”

As for where that excitement will lead, the Eagles are hoping — and believing — it’ll be Jackson Academy on Nov. 21. That’s the site and date of the MAIS Class 2A title game.

Porter’s Chapel has been to the semifinal round of the playoffs four times in its history, but never to a state championship game. Coming off of last season’s excellent run, Purvis said, it’s time to change that.

“You’re one game away from playing in something this school’s never done. You matched the best season in school history, and broke records, and all of that. This group is ready. They want to take advantage of the opportunity to be the first,” Purvis said. “We did a lot of firsts last year, but there’s still some firsts out there for this school and I think this group understands that. They’ve worked to put themselves in a position to at least have a shot to do that.”

2024 PORTER’S CHAPEL SCHEDULE
All games start at 7 p.m.
Aug. 16 — River Oaks
Aug. 23 — at Delta Academy
Aug. 30 — Preniss Christian
Sept. 6 — at Riverdale
Sept. 13 — Humphreys Academy
Sept. 20 — *at Park Place
Sept. 27 — at Tensas Academy
Oct. 4 — *Hillcrest Christian
Oct. 11 — Columbus Christian
Oct. 18 — at Wilkinson Christian
Oct. 25 — *Prairie View
*MAIS District 3-2A games