When he’s asked about the various ways his Porters Chapel Academy team can reach the playoffs, coach Randy Wright pulls out a sheet of paper. On it are various notes, scribbles, tick marks and maybe even a physics equation or two.

The Eagles can get in as district champions. They can finish second. They could be a wild card. They might not make it at all. Wright’s sheet contains dozens of different scenarios, any of which can play out over the next three weeks. But they all boil down to one simple truth — win, and the Eagles are in. Lose, and they’re done.

The craziness starts tonight at 7, when PCA (5-2, 3-0 District 5-A) hosts district leader Central Hinds. It is one of 10 MPSA Class A games across Louisiana and Mississippi over the next two weeks that will determine the vast majority of all 16 playoff spots. Each will affect the others, as division champions, No. 2 seeds and wild cards all fall into line.

“One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to be undefeated in the district going into the Central Hinds game. We were hoping to give ourselves an opportunity, and we’ve done that,” Wright said. “It’s all up in the air. The only thing I know is, this is a must-win for us this week.”

Central Hinds (4-3, 3-0) also has a golden opportunity. The Cougars can clinch the district title with a win tonight. Their power point ranking is probably high enough to guarantee a playoff spot even with a loss, but there are scenarios where they could miss the postseason entirely. CHA still has one district game left after tonight, that against Veritas next week. If Central Hinds loses to PCA, then PCA beats Benton next week, it would create a three-way tie and scores of headaches.

Like Wright, CHA coach Todd Montgomery knows his team’s easiest path is to take care of business and make it simple on everyone.

“I have no idea. I think it goes to a three-way tiebreaker with some kind of points system,” Montgomery said of the playoffs. “It’s a big screwed up deal. That’s something I don’t think about.”

Indeed, both Montgomery and Wright have enough to think about already when it comes to football.

PCA vaulted into playoff contention by winning five straight after a 1-2 start, while Central Hinds has lost three of its last four after opening the season 3-0. All three losses, though, have come against Class AA schools and some have been very close. CHA played River Oaks, one of the better AA teams, to within a touchdown.

“We’ve played well,” Montgomery said. “Practice time doesn’t feel like we’ve lost three of the last four. They just accepted that we got beat by a better team.”