Thanks to last week’s comeback win over Ben’s Ford, Porters Chapel took a big step toward a second straight playoff bid. The Eagles now have two straight games against non-district opponents to get ready for their final two league games, and the last push toward the postseason.

The first of the non-district contests comes tonight at home against Sylva-Bay (2-5). PCA coach Wade Patrick said that while the game won’t affect his team’s postseason aspirations, it’s important to continue the momentum gained from last week’s rally from a 10-point deficit that led to a 40-28 victory over Ben’s Ford.

“Things were not looking good when we started the fourth quarter last week, but we finished good and now we want to keep the momentum going,” Patrick said. “Just because it’s not a district game, our mindset is to get a win. We might work on different stuff that will help us down the line, but we’re focused on getting another win.”

Sylva-Bay returns its top athlete from last season, wide receiver Cole Armstrong. PCA defensive coordinator Bill Fleming said Armstrong gave the Eagles problems when the teams faced each other last year in Bay Springs, a game PCA won 37-28.

“He’s 6-foot-3 and a really good athlete,” Fleming said.

Porters Chapel, meanwhile, has a standout threat of its own with Peter Harris. The senior running back scored six touchdowns against Ben’s Ford, including a 75-yard kickoff return that put the Eagles ahead to stay. He later added a 35-yard TD run to seal the win.

Harris now has 635 rushing yards to go with 169 receiving, and 14 total touchdowns.

“We figured out a way to be effective on offense and that was to get the ball to Peter Harris,” Patrick said. “I would feel that Sylva Bay will have 11 sets of eyes on him this week. That’s why we need someone else to help take that pressure off.”

Two Eagles that stepped up on defense were Hunter Lyons and Sam Kirk. Lyons replaced middle linebacker Rich Murphy, who was lost for the season after the Benton Academy game. Kirk had 13 tackles and a sack against Ben’s Ford, and is second on the team with 61 total tackles this season.

“Hunter really stepped in and did a good job there,” Patrick said. “And Sam Kirk played great. He was always in the right place.”