For three years, the Porters Chapel Eagles were living in a shadow.

While their older teammates won district championships, went deep into the playoffs and had some of the best seasons in school history, this year’s group played second fiddle. Some saw playing time on special teams, and a few were starters. But mostly they were just along for the ride.

That all changed on a chilly full-moon Friday night last week.

The group that had waited its turn finally took center stage. By beating Benton 20-6, these Eagles clinched a playoff spot of their own.

“It’s a big validation,” said junior receiver and defensive back Jeremy Roach, who had an interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal Friday’s win. “They always got the recognition when they were in high school and now it’s our turn. We’re sticking our heads up in the air and getting better every week.”

The win clinched second place in District 5-A for PCA, which will play Heidelberg in the first round Nov. 9. Heidelberg won the coin flip and will host the game.

It also helped the Eagles avoid a jumbled wild-card picture heading into the final week of the season. Four teams are mathematically alive for two spots. One of those is Benton, which is currently third in the power point ratings used to determine the wild-card teams. Had PCA lost, it probably would be in Benton’s shoes now.

“We can quit doing math. I don’t have to sit in my office trying to figure this stuff out,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. “Now we can focus on who we’re going to play.”

This season has been a validation not just for the current group of players, but for PCA’s entire football program. A lot of schools, especially in the Mississippi Private School Association, enjoy success as one talented class passes through, then falls apart when they leave. For a while, it seemed like PCA was following that pattern.

PCA went 30-7 from 2004-06, made the playoffs all three years and the Class A and Class AA semifinals once each, and even sent several players on to junior college ball.

Then nearly a dozen seniors — who accounted for 20 of 22 starting positions — graduated. Several up-and-coming juniors and seniors suffered season-ending injuries before the season, and the rest of the team stumbled to a 1-2 start.

Then PCA beat Veritas 51-6 on Sept. 14 for the first of five straight wins. The Eagles missed a chance to win another district title by losing to Central Hinds two weeks ago, but regrouped in time to beat Benton and finish second.

Now, familiar names like Michael Busby, Cole Smith and Chris Mixon are being joined in school lore by Austin Barber, Matt Cranfield and Brad Pennington.

“To do it with a completely different team is a great feeling of accomplishment for the program,” said Wright, who now has a career record of 37-11 that includes one loss as an interim coach in 2000.

Wright’s winning percentage of .771 ranks third all-time among Warren County coaches who have coached at least 45 games. Lum Wright, who went 125-27-2 for an .818 winning percentage at Warren Central from 1971-84, is first on the list. Houston Markham, who was 63-16-4 in eight seasons at Temple, North Vicksburg and Vicksburg High from 1967-74, for a winning percentage of .783, is second.