photo by Hannah Reel

Adams County Christian’s Kent Yates gains yards for the Rebels during the game against Wilkinson County Christian Academy two weeks ago. Yates has provided the needed offensive boost ACCS was missing last year.

Yates opens gates

QB makes difference for 4-1 ACCS team

By Jeff Edwards (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Monday, September 21, 2009

NATCHEZ — The Adams County Christian Rebels have raced to a 4-1 start to the season, and may have played their best game of the year last Friday in a 28-6 trouncing of Prairie View on the road.

The Rebels’ success this year can be attributed to many reasons, but coach Paul Hayles said the emergence of quarterback Kent Yates is one of the biggest, especially in ACCS’ game last Friday.

“It all goes back to the summer and the time Kent has put in,” Hayles said of his quarterback, who threw one touchdown pass and ran for another against the Spartans. “He went to camps on his own and 7-on-7 (camps) and his execution and maturity is showing through. He hasn’t been playing quarterback that long and he’s handled it well. That’s a compliment to him and his maturity level.”

Yates’ emergence at quarterback allowed the Rebels to change up their offense from the normal power running attack to a hurry-up offense featuring more passes.

The new offense paid off as the Rebels scored the first 28 points of the game en route to the victory.

“We threw the ball more than normal,” Hayles said. “We hit Lee Swinney on a bubble screen that turned into a 48-yard touchdown, and we had another long pass to the goal line and Kent ran it in on the next play. We had a much more balanced offense. The passing opens up the run for us.”

Trinity Episcopal

While ACCS’ offense is starting to open up and put up more points, the Trinity Episcopal defense has decided it won’t give up any points at all.

The Saints defense pitched its second consecutive shutout last Friday, as Trinity blanked Porter’s Chapel 30-0. That came on the heels of a 48-0 win over Alpha Christian the previous week.

“The defense really came to play (against Porter’s Chapel),” Trinity coach David King said. “It was a really physical football game. We play most of our kids both ways so we have good athletes on both sides of the football. We’re very aggressive on defense with the way our players are flying to the football.”

One of the reasons for the solid defense the last two games is the improvement of the defensive secondary, King said.

“We seem to have gotten our defensive backfield miscues solved,” King said. “Earlier this season we were giving up some big plays that we don’t like to give up, but they seem to be getting on the same page now with trying to accomplish playing a physical brand of football.”

Trinity is 5-0 but its toughest games are ahead. The Saints play four Class AA teams that made the playoffs in their final six games, including an Oct. 15 date against two-time AA defending state champion Centreville.

The Saints play a homecoming game against Central Private this week.

“We’re 5-0, but we were hoping to start 5-0,” King said. “It gets real for us quick this week. We’ve got our hands full.”

Cathedral School

While Trinity has started off its season 5-0, the Cathedral Green Wave have sputtered to an 0-3 start, scoring just 12 total points in their three games.

Even though Cathedral lost to St. Frederick of Monroe, La., 14-6 last Friday, coach Craig Beesley was pleased with the effort and intensity his team showed in defeat.

“We played well,” Beesley said. “Our kids played with a good intensity level that showed they were mentally ready to play. We just couldn’t put points on the board.”

Cathedral trailed just 7-6 until St. Frederick scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

A major change from the Green Wave’s offense came at the quarterback position. Dylan White started the first two games at quarterback, but was moved to wideout and Caleb Upton took his place under center.

“We felt we could get Dylan out wide and throw him the ball and have him make some plays,” Beesley said. “But it rained all day and during the game and it didn’t turn out the way we wanted. We’re still going to use two quarterbacks in the future.”

Beesley said White has shown great leadership this season and took the move to wide receiver in stride.

“Dylan is taking charge of the team as a leader,” Beesley said. “He’ll do whatever is best for the team, and you don’t find many kids like that now. He’ll do whatever you need him to do.”

Ferriday High

While Cathedral is licking its wounds after a third straight loss, the Ferriday Trojans are coming off their second consecutive win, and a win over a rival at that.

Ferriday came back from an 18-8 halftime deficit against Vidalia to take a 34-24 victory on the road.

Ferriday coach Freddie Harrison said it took a half for his team to wake up and play to their full capabilities.

“The first half, every play, someone was taking a play off,” Harrison said. “In the second half we started making plays. It was a tale of two halves. In the second half, they realized that (Vidalia) was not going to give the game to us. We had to come out and play football.”

Harrison said the key to the Trojan comeback was the fact his team did not panic and stuck to their game plan.

“The fans may have panicked, but we didn’t,” Harrison said. “We know what we are capable of. We played within ourselves and handled adversity well.”