[04/26/01] Porters Chapel Academy’s reward for winning the Conference 7-A title was a bye in this week’s first round of the playoffs, but the Eagles have stayed busy.

The Eagles spent the week scouting the series between Glenbrook and Amite they’ll play the winner in the second-round starting Tuesday and hastily scheduled three games against Academy-AA and AAA playoff teams, which start next week.

PCA lost to Copiah, 4-3, on Monday, and will go to Benton Thursday at 6 p.m. before hosting Brookhaven Friday at 6 p.m.

“It’s teams that are as good as or better than we are,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. “We’re just getting them tuned up for the playoffs. They need it. My pitchers need the work.”

PCA needed the games to avoid a nearly two-week layoff. After losing to Hillcrest April 17, PCA’s last scheduled game, Saturday at University Christian, was canceled so UC could save its pitching for the playoffs.

Wright said it wasn’t hard to find a quick game or two.

“We sent out an e-mail to every Mississippi private school and got about six teams that wanted to play us,” Wright said.

Clayton Hensley is suffering from a case of shingles and may miss the first round of the playoffs. He sat out Monday’s game against Copiah.

“He went to the doctor and the doctor told him he could play if he wanted to, if he could suck it up,” Wright said. “But he was in a lot of pain just sitting the bench … .”