Winner will face either Winston, Kirk for Academy-AA state championship.

From their uniforms to their football philosophies, Copiah Academy and Porters Chapel Academy are eerily similar.

Each team has blue and white in its color scheme. Both ended 2005 with a playoff disappointment – Copiah lost to Simpson in the MPSA Class AA championship game and PCA lost in the Class A semifinals. Both started 2006 slowly, then got on a roll, finished second in their district and won two road playoff games.

The Colonels and Eagles even like to use the same shotgun offense.

With so many similarities, then, it’s only natural that they’d meet with a common goal in mind. Copiah (8-4) comes to Vicksburg tonight for the Class AA South State championship game against PCA (9-3). The winner advances to next week’s state title game in Clinton against either Kirk or Winston.

&#8220We’ve been here before, but so have they,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. &#8220It’s going to be a battle between two experienced football teams.”

If there is a difference, it may lean a little toward style. While PCA is explosive on offense, averaging 41 points per game during its current six-game winning streak, the Colonels have relied more on defense to carry them through.

Copiah has only allowed 28 points during its five-game winning streak, a total that includes a 21-7 win over Riverfield in the first round of the playoffs and a 3-0 victory at Bowling Green last week.

After having several starters injured in the first half of the season, Copiah coach Mitch Mitchell said his team found a groove upon their return.

&#8220Defense has been the key. We’re not real explosive on offense. We’ve gotten a couple of kids back off the injured list and that’s helped,” Mitchell said.

Wright credited a big, physical front seven for much of Copiah’s success on defense. He recalled a ninth-grade game several years ago in which the Colonels decimated PCA and sent two players to the hospital. Most of those Copiah players would be juniors now, and not much has changed in their approach, Wright said.

&#8220They beat us about as bad as we could be beat,” Wright said. &#8220They’ve definitely had some really good defenses the last three or four years, and we’re definitely going to have a challenge moving the ball against such a stout defense.”

If ever there was an offense designed to test a stout defense, however, PCA’s is it.

In addition to putting up 33 points per game this season, PCA has averaged 411 yards an outing. The Eagles have split their yardage almost evenly between rushing and passing, have two receivers in Cole Smith and Michael Busby who have combined for nearly 2,000 yards, and a quarterback in Hayden Hales who has thrown for 2,259 yards and rushed for 938 more.

PCA has only punted once in two playoff games and has been as close to unstoppable as you can get. Of 21 postseason possessions, 16 have ended in either touchdowns or missed field goals. Another resulted in two kneeldowns in the closing seconds of a 34-6 win over Central Private.

&#8220I don’t know. That’s a good question,” Mitchell laughed when asked how to slow the Eagles down. &#8220They put up some unbelievable numbers on offense.

&#8220It’s tough because you have to really defend the passing game or the running game, and with them it’s hard to do both. It puts you in a tough spot because you put the defensive backs on an island and they’re real good at taking advantage of that.”

Continuing the offensive surge, especially early, would help the Eagles immensely, fullback Cody Ferguson said. He said getting a couple of quick scores might make the Colonels feel vulnerable.

&#8220We have to come out early and get maybe 14 points on them,” Ferguson said. &#8220Get ahead early and get them doubting.”

7 p.m. 1420 AM – Copiah Academy (8-4) at Porters Chapel (9-3).

Copiah vs. Porters chapel.

Quarter-by-quarter updates tonight at:.

www.vicksburgpost.com.

By the numbers.

Quarterback Att.-Com.-Yds. TD.

Daniel Sims (C) 79–149–961 11.

Hayden Hales (P) 99-183-2,259 26.

Rushing No.-Yds.-TD.

Daniel Sims (C) 133–621–NA.

Jake Guess (C) 93–536–NA.

Hayden Hales (P) 126–938–9.

Moose Carney (P) 119–695–6.

Receiving No.-Yds.-TD.

Hunter Green (C) 35–384–NA.

Bennett Wilson (C) 30–418–NA.

Cole Smith (P) 39–1,155–14.

Michael Busby (P) 39–778–9