Fall weather has finally swept into the Miss-Lou, and it’s just in time for playoff football.

With the changing weather comes a changing mindset for Adams County Christian School football coach David King and his host of Rebels.

ACCS (8-1) is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday as it hosts Lee Academy (5-5) in the first round of the MAIS Class AAA State Playoffs.

“The football weather is here, and everybody is 0-0 right now,” King said. “Our kids got a little taste of this in the past few years, so they expect to be in the playoffs. Our coaching staff is well in-tune at how to play in October.”

King said as the Rebels — the No. 3 seed — head into this week with a clean slate, a high-alert approach must be taken.

“It’s do or die at this point,” he said. “It really sinks in when you get to the playoffs. You can tell them that as much as you want to Week 1-10, but they know now there is no margin for error.”

King said while any team in the playoff can create a threat, including Lee Academy — the No. 14 seed — he thinks it is important to remain calm.

“The older I get, the more I realize you have to show a calm demeanor. These kids need a sense of reasoning, when the pressure is there,” he said. “These are not professional athletes — they are going to make mistakes. It’s my job to pick them up when they do make mistakes.

“The team that can handle the pressure, is usually a team that can be successful in the playoffs.”

Cathedral (5-5) at Central Hinds Academy (7-3)

NATCHEZ — Cathedral High School will face a familiar opponent in the first round of the MAIS Class AAA State Playoffs when the Green Wave travels to Raymond to take

Cougars.

Kickoff between No. 10 seed Cathedral (5-5) and No. 7 seed Central Hinds Academy (7-3) is set for 7 p.m. The last time these two teams met, the Cougars routed the Green Wave 45-10 at Cathedral’s homecoming game back on Sept. 29.

“In a game like this, we can correct what we did wrong in the first game. There’s no guessing,” Green Wave coach Chuck Darbonne said. “They kept us from scoring points. The kids have watched this film and they’ve practiced their mistakes. We looked at it as a positive — we look for redemption.”

One thing Cathedral will have to do is slow down Central Hinds’ running game. In their first encounter, the Cougars had 331 of their 351 total yards on the ground. Darbonne said that was attributed to miscommunication on the Green Wave’s defense.

“We were misaligned a lot. They did a good job of formation with their players. It gave them some running lanes that they shouldn’t have had,” Darbonne said. “I think we can stop some things we couldn’t the last time. Central Hinds knew what they were doing and we didn’t. If we can execute better, I think we’ve got a good chance to beat them.”

The Green Wave enters the playoffs on a two-game losing streak after falling to Silliman Institute 33-0 to finish in third place in District 5-AAA. The Cougars, who finished second to Riverfield Academy in District 3-AAA, are on a four-game winning streak after defeating Class AAAA Washington School 25-20.

“We came into the season with the expectation of raising the bar,” Darbonne said. “Even though we haven’t got a home (playoff) game yet, it’s still a positive.”

Carroll Academy (4-6) at Centreville Academy (8-2)

CENTREVILLE — The Centreville Academy Tigers will take a seven-game winning streak into the first round of the MAIS Class AA State Playoffs when they host the Carroll Academy Rebels at 7 p.m. Friday.

Centreville Academy is the No. 2 seed after winning the District 4-AA championship with a perfect 3-0 mark. The Tigers took care of Clinton Christian Academy 50-12 last week.

Carroll Academy is the No. 15 seed despite going 0-4 in District 1-AA. The Rebels enter on a three-game losing streak after a tough 33-27 loss last week at Central Holmes Christian School.