ST. JOSEPH — Tensas Academy may not have a playoff to prepare for, but the Chiefs do have a big bowl game coming up.

The eight-man team will host Calvary Christian in the Tractor Bowl Friday., hosted by Goldman Equipment Co.

It will be the second meeting of the season between the MPSA District 1 Chiefs and Cougars. The first resulted in a 56-40 win for Tensas.

“We beat them the first game of the year, and Central Academy beat them the second game,” said coach Joe Coats. “Since then they’ve run off 8-straight wins, and we’re both 8-2.”

Tensas Academy’s only two losses on the season were both to Macon Central.

Coats said while he has not seen new film on the Cougars, he knows they have improved from the first game.

“They’re doing basically the same thing, although they maybe picked up one additional play,” he said. “I talked to a coach who played them two weeks ago and saw our film, and he said offensively they were doing pretty much the same thing, just a better job of it.”

Coats’s main concern is that Calvary has 32 players, while Tensas has 15.

He said he hopes they can sustain a matchup through four full quarters.

But the Chiefs do have additional players they can go to now that they have improved as well.

“We’re playing with a lot of eighth and ninth graders,” he said. “Your seniors were already good players. The improvement comes through the year with the young guys getting some experience. They’ve played a whole season now so inexperience is not an excuse.”

The Chiefs will have to cover quarterback Kyle Koch and protect against strong play by receiver/running back Johnathan Bartlett if they want a chance to win.

“(Koch) does a good job of throwing the ball, but he’s just as dangerous pulling it down and running with it if you pressure him too much. (Bartlett) we didn’t have much luck tackling in the first game, and they’ve got a little quick guy that ran a kickoff back against us.”

The game starts at 6 p.m., and there will be food, attractions and live music for all fans.