Porters Chapel seeks answer for miscues, injuries|[9/18/06]

Published 12:00 am Monday, September 18, 2006

In Randy Wright’s first two seasons as Porters Chapel Academy’s coach, the Eagles lost a total of three games.

A third of the way through his third campaign, PCA is fast approaching that mark and it doesn’t take long to figure out why.

PCA has committed 10 turnovers in its first four games, including four in a 27-22 loss to Huntington on Friday. The miscues have derailed an offense that has otherwise moved the ball well and sent the Eagles stumbling to a 2-2 start.

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&#8220That’s 10 turnovers in four games. That’s not very good,” Wright said. &#8220We’ve got to learn to take care of the football. We’ve got to step up and make plays, and be careful doing it.”

The turnovers were the deciding factor against Huntington. In the second quarter, PCA lost two fumbles in a span of five plays inside Huntington territory. The Hounds didn’t convert them into points, but they stopped a pair of drives that could have blown the game open if PCA was able to finish them.

In the third quarter, PCA managed to run just one play in the time it took Huntington to score three touchdowns. Quarterback Hayden Hales fumbled a snap after the Hounds had scored to go ahead 14-9, and Huntington’s Jody Cottongin scored on a 17-yard run two plays later for an 11-point lead.

Huntington then recovered an onside kick and scored again for a 27-9 advantage before Hales threw an interception in Huntington territory to snuff out yet another budding drive.

PCA finally got its act together and rallied for two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but the earlier missteps were too much to overcome.

&#8220We had some miscues there. If we don’t fumble the snap and then stop them, we win the ballgame,” PCA tailback Spencer Pell said.

While the turnovers were the most glaring errors the Eagles made on Friday, there were also a number of other, smaller factors that contributed to the defeat.

In addition to the two third-quarter turnovers, PCA had one player ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct and lost Moose Carney – the team’s leading rusher and tackler – to a knee injury.

Carney sat out the entire second half, while a number of his teammates shuttled in and out with minor ailments.

PCA’s offense was also unable to take advantage of great field position throughout the game. It started six of 12 drives at its 40-yard line or better, but scored on only one of them. It was reminiscent of their first two games, when they drove inside the 20-yard line a half-dozen times yet managed only 13 points.

The lack of punch left the Eagles frustrated at a game that got away, and knowing things have to improve soon.

&#8220We feel like we should have won the ballgame,” Wright said. &#8220Don’t take anything away from Huntington. They’re a great team. But we shot ourselves in the foot too many times.”