How Providence Christian can learn after first round loss in TSSAA football playoffs

The Providence Christian Academy football team made big strides in their second year as a TSSAA 11-man program.

Unfortunately for the Lions, those forward steps didn't translate to a first-round TSSAA playoff victory.

No. 2-seeded PCA trailed from the outset and dropped a 37-7 decision to Franklin's Grace Christian Academy in the DII-A playoffs at MTSU's Floyd Stadium Thursday to end its season at 6-5.

"We've got a ways to go ... that's obvious right now," PCA coach Lebron Ferguson said. "This (playoffs) is a different season. We tell them it's season two, and it's a lot different. These are growing pains for us."

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PCA reached the playoffs in its first season in 2023 as a No. 4 seed, finishing 5-6 after a first-round loss. This year's Lions' squad had a much more explosive offense, won six of its first nine games and were competitive against good programs.

That is, with the exception of Thursday's game.

"It teaches us that we can't take any games off," said PCA junior linebacker and running back Sean Birkofer, who had 7.5 tackles and a sack and added 53 yards receiving. "We just need to hold each other accountable, get in the weight room, work with the coaches and get better."

PCA had just three seniors on the roster this season, lending optimism that the team can continue making strides in 2025.

"All but three of these guys, if they choose, will be back, with some younger guys coming up," Ferguson said. "Our leadership is remarkable. To have three seniors and do what we did this year, there's good leadership (with underclassmen). They won't forget what this is like."

PCA football loses standout quarterback to injury

One of the team's three seniors, quarterback Tate Marks, was 16 of 24 for 165 yards and a pair of interceptions, while rushing for the team's lone touchdown. He also had 20 yards receiving.

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However, Marks went down with a severe ankle injury on the 20-yard catch, which was on a throwback play, late in the fourth quarter. He was carted off the field.

"It was just heartbreaking," Birkofer said. "He was a great leader to us this year and he did a great job at quarterback. It just (stinks) to see a game that we lost and then what happened at the end."

Marks finished the season passing for 1,805 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for another four TDs.

"That was gut-wrenching," Ferguson said. "He is such a great kid. All I could think was, 'That's not the way I wanted him to exit the field his senior year.' "

Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter,