From staff reports

Porters Chapel’s new backfield made quite a debut.

Josh Perry and Clayton Holmes each ran for more than 100 yards and combined for five touchdowns Friday night as PCA crushed Claiborne Academy 42-14 in its season opener.

Perry ran for 110 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, while Holmes went for 117 yards and two scores on eight carries. The Eagles ran for 277 yards as a team – most of it by their new quarterback and tailback – while holding Claiborne to just over 100 yards of total offense. Perry transferred to PCA from Warren Central, while Holmes came from St. Aloysius.

“Definitely a good way to start the season. It’s a good, quality win on the road against a quality team,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. “The field was really muddy and there wasn’t a whole lot of passing we could do. The front seven did an outstanding job of opening holes. I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the big guys up front.”

The Eagles scored twice in the first quarter and never looked back. Perry and Holmes each scored on short runs to stake PCA to a 13-0 lead, and Perry added a 7-yard run in the second quarter. Colby Rushing picked off a pass in the end zone as Claiborne was driving just before halftime as PCA took a 21-7 lead into the locker room.

The Eagles then pulled away with 21 points in the third quarter. Perry added another 7-yard TD and Holmes scored on a 62-yard scamper before Austin Palmer put the finishing touches on the win with a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Palmer also had 13 tackles, as did Jeremy Roach for PCA. Jay Wiley added an interception.

“The defense played great. We held them when we had to,” Wright said.