Porter’s Chapel Academy propped up its playoff hopes and got a needed boost of confidence Friday night, by going on the road to beat Union Christian 34-0.

The Eagles (3-3) snapped a two-game losing streak and earned a win that will help them in their quest for a wild card berth in the MAIS Class AAA playoffs. They have been eliminated from the District 3-AAA championship picture, but can still earn enough power points to get into the postseason through the back door.

“This is how we needed to start the second half of our season in the position we’re in,” PCA coach Blake Purvis said. “It definitely feels good to get back in the win column and get some momentum going down the back stretch.”

The Eagles rode a dominant effort from their defense and their running game to the victory.

Glenn Alan Kittrell carried the ball 28 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns, while Brayden Ray finished with 114 yards and two more scores on 18 carries. PCA totaled 321 rushing yards while holding Union Christian (1-4) to only 63 total yards.

Jagger Weekly kicked a pair of 27-yard field goals and also went 4-for-4 on PAT attempts.
Kittrell scored on runs of 5 and 6 yards in the second half. The Eagles had four scoring drives in the last two quarters after taking a 10-0 lead into halftime.

The defensive effort, in particular, was a welcome sight for Purvis after the Eagles had been torched for 41 and 39 points in their two previous games. This was PCA’s second shutout of the season. McKinley Skipper led the defense with five tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. Blake Phillipson had a fumble recovery.

“We played much better,” Purvis said. “We didn’t give up big plays and kept the ball in front of us. Our defensive line was very dominant tonight.”