Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NATCHEZ — The Adams County Christian School Rebels will face their biggest challenge of the 2021 season so far when they travel to Flora to take on the Tri-County Academy Rebels Friday night with first place in MAIS District 3-4A at stake.

Kickoff between ACCS (5-2, 2-0) and Tri-County (7-0, 1-0), the No. 1 team in Class 4A, is set for 7 p.m. The ACCS Rebels are coming off a 42-0 homecoming win over Silliman Institute while the Tri-County Academy Rebels defeated Carroll Academy 56-18 last week.

Even though Tri-County has played just one district game so far, that one was a 47-8 win over district foe and two-time defending Class 4A state champion Riverfield Academy. A win over ACCS will give TCA the district championship while ACCS will likely have to beat both TCA and Riverfield two weeks later to win the district title.

ACCS head coach David King said that practice over the first half of the week went well.

“We’ve got a good group that works hard and practices hard. We’ve had two good practices. The kids seem upbeat about it,” King said.

Unfortunately, the visiting Rebels may be without several key players and that could pose a problem against the host and undefeated Rebels.

“We’ve got injuries all over the place, but so does everyone else with this being Week 7, Week 8. We know it’s part of the game, so we just deal with it,” King said. “We’ve got several starters who could possibly miss this game due to injury. After watching Tri-County on film, we may have several coaches who may fake an injury for this game.”

King said it’s going to take a team effort for ACCS to pull off the upset over Tri-County Academy — and not just the players and coaches.

“Our two water boys and our three girl trainers. It’s going to take everybody’s effort. From the water boy on up is going to have to have their best game. They’re (Tri-County) the best I’ve seen in a while,” King said.

As for what to expect from the host Rebels this Friday night, King said, “They can do it all on offense. They can run it and throw it. On defense, they’ve got 11 physical guys that can inflict harm on the other team. They’re well-coached and well-balanced.”

Tri-County Academy has scored at least 40 points in each of its first seven games and is averaging 46.9 points a game. Its defense has recorded three shutouts and is giving up just 8.6 points a game.

King said that everything about TCA makes him nervous. But he added that his players will not be intimidated. 

“They’re well-coached. They’re well-balanced. They’re physical and fast. They’re just playing with a championship-type caliber. We’re going to have to match their intensity,” King said.

King said that ACCS will have to play its best game in a couple of years for the Rebels to have any chance of pulling out a huge victory on the road. 

“No doubt my assistants and my players are up for the challenge,” King said.