[08/26/02]As Aaron Curry lined up for his first field goal try of the season Friday night against Tensas, images of past misses floated through his head.

Then, suddenly, they were gone, erased as much by a new sense of confidence as the 43-yard kick he booted through the uprights with distance to spare.

PCA’s defense provided most of the highlights Friday night, holding Tensas to just 21 yards in the second half while recording five sacks, but it was Curry’s fourth-quarter field goal that everyone was talking about after the Eagles’ 18-8 win.

The kick gave PCA a 10-point lead with 10:58 to play, and provided the team with an emotional boost that it rode the rest of the way.

“That was awesome. That got us pumped up,” PCA linebacker Josh Rush said.

For Curry, it also put a cap on a solid performance in the Eagles’ season-opener and erased some of the pain from his struggles as a kicker and quarterback last season.

He has consistently made 40-45-yard field goals in practice this summer, and said that helped when he lined up for this try.

“I usually am (nervous), but this time I had more confidence in my kicks. I’ve been making those in practice,” said Curry, who also intercepted a pass in the second quarter.

Curry also kept his cool when the snap came in low. Holder Gerald Mims scooped it up and got it down, and Curry calmly knocked it through.

“I had to wait a few seconds,” Curry said. “I’m glad he got it up.”

So was PCA coach Bubba Mims, who said he never doubted Curry could make the kick.

“I knew Curry could kick that field goal or I wouldn’t have let him try,” coach Mims said.

The field goal was the only special teams’ highlight of the night for PCA, however. The Eagles took a safety in the second quarter when a punt snap sailed over Curry’s head and out of the end zone, and they were plagued by problems on kickoff coverage all night.

Tensas averaged 32 yards on five kickoff returns, including a 36-yarder in the first quarter and a 58-yard return in the fourth. The long returns as well as several short punts put pressure on PCA’s defense, which had to deal with great field position for the Chiefs’ offense.

“Our kickoff teams weren’t staying in their lanes. But I’m going to give credit to (Tensas’) speed, too. They’ve got some fast people,” Bubba Mims said.

Mims said part of the problem on kick coverage was due to a lack of practice in that phase of the game. He said it would change this week as the Eagles prepare for their home opener Friday against Central Hinds.

“We’re going to work hard. Curry was kicking the ball good, we just got out of our lanes. It was something we hadn’t worked on a whole lot,” Bubba Mims said.

“We’re going to work on it and get better there.”