CANTON — For the second straight week, the Trinity Episcopal Day School Saints struggled to stop the run, and for the second straight week, the end result was the same.

The No. 14 Saints gave up 492 rushing yards to No. 3 seed Canton Academy and bowed out in the first round of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools AA playoffs with a 49-25 loss.

“It is difficult,” Trinity head coach Zach Rogel said of the season ending. “But I’m proud of this team and the coaches. I’m looking forward to next year, but it is disappointing that we put so much time and effort and now realize that it is over and we fell short of our goals.”

Early on, Trinity stood toe-to-toe with Canton Academy, but the Panthers were able to wear down the Saints in the second half.

“We showed in the first half we could and deserved to be playing with them,” Rogel said.

David Jackson got the Saints on the board first with a 14-yard touchdown catch on a Kevontaye Caston pass.

However, Canton Academy answered with two first quarter touchdowns of their own, both runs by quarterback Gerrod Anderson.

“He was running some read option and some speed reads and that was basically it,” Rogel said of Anderson. “We prepared for it all week.”

Trinity cut the deficit early in the second on another touchdown pass from Caston, this time to Cade Wells from 14 yards out.

But it was Anderson again, answering for Canton Academy with his third touchdown run of the night, giving the Panthers a 21-12 halftime lead.

Ben Barr took over the rushing attack for Canton Academy in the second half, scoring three touchdowns, and Anderson added his fourth rushing touchdown to put the game away.

Caston had a rushing touchdown and Wells added a 37-yard rushing touchdown for Trinity.

Caston was the leading passer for Trinity with 183 yards, and he and Jackson also came up with interceptions on defense for the Saints.