[9/6/03]Sharkey-Issaquena Academy is in a place it hasn’t been in quite some time undefeated.

Brett Stevens rushed 17 times for 168 yards, and the Confederates erased a 12-0 deficit in a 26-21 win over the Eagles (1-2).

“This is the first time Sharkey’s been 3-0 in a long time,” said Zach McDaniel, who rushed for 77 yards on 16 carries and scored two fourth quarter touchdowns. “Porters Chapel beat us last year, but we got it tonight. Now we have to get ready for next week.”

Porters Chapel had a golden opportunity late in the fourth quarter after Humphrey Barlow scored on a 1-yard run with 47 seconds to play. The touchdown pulled PCA to within five points.

The Eagles had several chances to recover the ensuing onside kick, but SIA’s (3-0) Jordan Clark recovered the kick and the Confederates downed the next two plays to end the game.

“We had it,” Porters Chapel coach Bubba Mims said of the onside kick. “We had a chance, but it didn’t go our way.”

Ryan Hoben threw for a season-high 229 yards on 17-of-31 passing and tossed a pair of early touchdowns. The first came on the opening play of the game a 64-yarder to Kenny Simms for a 6-0 PCA lead.

Hoben found Josh Gain for a 9-yard touchdown 11 seconds into the second quarter as the Eagles went up 12-0.

SIA bounced right back with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jess Hodnett two minutes after PCA scored its second touchdown.

Stevens, who had 95 of his yards in the second half, scored on a 27-yard run to tie the game at 12.

Hoben’s field goal in the third quarter gave the Eagles a 15-12 lead.

“This is a real tough one,” said Mims, whose team is scheduled to play Tallulah Academy on Friday night. “We had a lot of penalties and a lot of big plays called back because of penalties.”

SIA held Porters Chapel to 49 yards on 17 carries for the game, and the Eagles ran only six times in the entire second half.

The Confederates, meanwhile, ground out 310 yards, most straight up the middle.

“They stopped us in the first half,” McDaniel said. “In the second half, we just started opening up the holes.”

The game-winning score was set up by Stevens’ 53-yard run to the 1-yard line.

“They controlled the line of scrimmage,” Mims said. “There’s no doubt about that.”