Each week of the season brings a different message for most teams, and for the Porters Chapel Eagles this one is simple — learn to finish, or else they’re finished.

The Eagles hit the road Friday to face Wilkinson County Christian in their final District 4-A game of the season. After losing last week’s district opener to Trinity, a victory might be PCA’s last shot at securing a playoff berth.

A loss Friday would keep the Eagles from having any chance at one of the two automatic bids in District 4-A. And, with a 1-3 overall record, another loss could also force them to run the table against a tough schedule to earn one of the eight wild card berths to the MAIS Class A playoffs.

“It’s pretty much the last game of the season, is how we’re approaching it. It’s our last chance to have that security of knowing we’re in the playoffs,” said PCA quarterback Zac Morgan, who has thrown for 458 yards and five touchdowns this season, and rushed for a team-high three touchdowns.

Although it’s riding a three-game losing streak, PCA has had plenty of chances to break into the win column since beating Union Christian in the season opener.

The Eagles lost to Hartfield Academy after heading into the fourth quarter tied, then last week blew a 12-point lead to Trinity with 7 1/2 minutes left.

A steady stream of mistakes, from missed tackles to special teams lapses, to dropped passes, have come in a seemingly never-ending stream. The fact that they’ve managed to still be competitive while battling through the sloppy play, however, has been encouraging.

“It’s frustrating, because we know we’ve worked hard. It’s just a matter of getting it done,” PCA coach Wayne Lynch said. “We’ve just got to finish. We’ve been right there, other than against Newton (a 40-0 loss). We’ve been tied in the fourth quarter or in the lead. It’s just finishing, figuring out a way to play with the lead, and closing a game out.”

Lynch added that the Eagles have played well in spurts, just not for four consecutive quarters. More often than not, it’s been a handful of plays that’s led to their downfall.

They allowed six special teams touchdowns in the first three games, and gave up a long return last week that sparked Trinity’s comeback.

Also last week, the Eagles forced five turnovers and held Trinity to less than 200 yards of offense in the first 3 1/2 quarters. The Saints had 116 yards and three touchdowns on their last three possessions.

“It’s just a matter of everything coming together in a game,” Lynch said. “We have spurts of weakness, and spurts of greatness. It’s a matter of it all meshing and coming together at the same time.”

Wilkinson Christian will be playing its first district game, but is also looking to snap a losing streak. The Rams are 0-4, with all four losses coming to Class AA or AAA schools. They were shut out 33-0 by Oak Forest last week.

While PCA will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss, WCCA can clinch a berth with a win. A victory would set up a district championship game against Trinity on Oct. 3.

“They’re about comparable to us. They haven’t won a game, but they’ve played tough teams,” Lynch said. “They’re strong defensively. They gave up a lot of points the first couple of games, but they were probably outmanned.”