Banged-up PCA hosts Claiborne

Last season seemed bizarre enough for Porters Chapel Academy.

The team jumped to Class AA for the first time in school history, possibly costing it a state championship. On one road trip, the team bus hit a couch. On another, there was no air conditioning for the duration of a three-hour trip to Baton Rouge, the team arrived 30 minutes before kickoff and had players leaving the dressing room while the National Anthem played.

As strange as all of that was, however, the sequel is shaping up to be a doozy too.

One starter blew out his knee while horsing around. Another had to have season-ending surgery to remove an intestinal blockage. Other injuries have included dehydration, a double hernia, foot blisters on both running backs and, in a normal twist, an offensive lineman who injured his knee during a jamboree game.

And all of this is before the Eagles open the season tonight by hosting perennial power Claiborne Academy.

&#8220There’s been more things to deal with with this team than any I’ve had before, and we haven’t even played a game yet,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. &#8220It’s been crazy. But everything being said, we’ve still got to line up and play this Friday night.”

That’s assuming a meteor doesn’t strike PCA’s practice field before then. And with the way the last few weeks have gone, it doesn’t seem like a far-fetched scenario: