At the halfway point of its football season, Porter’s Chapel Academy is certainly not where it would like to be. The good news is that all of the roads to get where it wants to go are still wide open.

The Eagles (2-3) face Park Place Christian Academy Friday in Pearl in their MAIS District 3-2A opener. It’s the first step toward a district championship that would net them a top-four seed in the Class 2A playoffs, as well as a chance to get back to .500 overall and gain power points that determine postseason berths.

“We still control our own destiny,” PCA coach Blake Purvis said. “I don’t think there’s anything for our guys to be upset or disappointed about. We’ve got three losses to a combined 12-1 record between those three teams, so we’re still picking up points because they’re winning games. It’s not like we’ve lost to low-tier teams.”

PCA’s three losses have been to teams who have won and will continue to win a lot of games, which will help the strength of schedule component in the MAIS power points formula.

The best and surest path to the playoffs, though, remains the automatic bid that goes to the District 3-2A champion. PCA earned it last season and wants to again. It has not repeated as district champs since 2004-05.

Park Place is the first of three district opponents in the last six weeks of the season, with Hillcrest (Oct. 4) and Prairie View (Oct. 25) still ahead.

“If we can go 1-0 each week in the district and set ourselves up for a championship game, then that’s all you can ask for,” Purvis said.

Purvis said he’s confident the Eagles are built to do that. A young roster has shown improvement during the first five games, and some of them might need to take a bigger role against Park Place.

Senior Jase Jung, who has rushed for 1,385 yards and 18 touchdowns already this season, left last week’s 44-6 loss to Humphreys Academy with a calf injury. Purvis said he will be a game-time decision this Friday.

In Jung’s place, Auston Moore had 22 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Chad Fuson got a few more rushes than normal as well.

If Jung can’t go this week, they’ll be the focal point of the offense again. Purvis said he might try some different tactics to play to their strengths. By and large, though, he’ll lean on his veteran linemen — Hunter Simms, Jackson Blackmon, Conley Johnston and tight end Henry Slayton — to keep the running game churning no matter who they’re blocking for.

“I don’t know that we totally get away from who we are because our strength is our guys up front. I’ll be hard-pressed that there’s not a better offensive line in our league,” Purvis said. “Even the other night, they didn’t run the ball against us and we’re still moving the ball successfully on the ground. We’re not going to completely vacate that. It’s our identity and that’s the team we have this year.”

FRIDAY’S AREA GAMES
All games start at 7 p.m.
Terry at Vicksburg (Radio: 107.7 FM)
St. Aloysius at Clinton Christian (Radio: 101.3 FM)
Porter’s Chapel at Park Place (Radio: 104.5 FM)
Warren Central at Brandon (Radio: 105.5 FM)
Wilkinson County Christian at Tallulah Academy
Raymond at Port Gibson
General Trass at Madison Parish