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NATCHEZ — A sell-out crowd is expected this Friday night at Bobby Marks Stadium when the Adams County Christian School Rebels play host to the MAIS District 3-5A and cross-town rival Cathedral High School Green Wave.

This is not only a rivalry game between the Cathedral Green Wave (3-7, 1-3) and the ACCS Rebels (7-3, 2-2), but it is also Senior Night at ACCS. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and as Rebels assistant coach Matthew Freeman said, “It’s a game you don’t want to miss.”

The Green Wave lost its Senior Night game last Friday night to Centreville Academy 35-21 while the Rebels overcame a slow start after a three-hour drive from Natchez to Greenville to defeat St. Joseph Catholic School of Greenville 30-16.

As for what the Rebels are doing in preparation for this huge district and cross-town showdown, Freeman said, “Just trying to get some kids healthy. It’s Week 11 for us and for Cathedral. Both teams have been through a lot. Everybody’s just trying to get healthy at this time of year. Cross-town rivalry, so I feel like everyone will want to play.”

Ten seniors on the ACCS football team, as well as senior cheerleaders and Rebelettes dance team members, will be honored before kickoff. Those seniors on the football team are Riley Roach, Coleman Carter, Adrian Walker, Kentrell Stampley, Caleb Daugherty, Cam Woodard, Aiden Roche’, Alex Pollard, Joseph Ellis, and Tate Walsworth.

“It’s going to be a big game. Big crowd. Fun atmosphere,” Freeman said. But the one thing the Rebels have to guard against is taking on a Green Wave team that is likely out of the playoff picture in Class 5A and will be trying to play the part of spoiler as far as the power points ratings are concerned. Cathedral will also seek to avenge last year’s 30-8 loss at home to ACCS.

“They have some weapons. They made a quarterback change to the Cusic kid (junior Tralyn Cusic). They’re throwing the ball well. They have the Fondren kid (fellow junior Tristan Fondren) playing receiver now. Their quarterback is making plays with his legs and his arm. That’s where we’ve had trouble this season. Defensively, we’re going to do what we do,” Freeman said. “I’m not concerned about what they’re going to do defensively. I feel like we’re going to be clicking on all cylinders offensively Friday night.”

And while the Rebels’ defense will have to deal with the Green Wave’s spread offense, ACCS’s offense may have to deal with a different defense from Cathedral than it usually runs.

“They run a traditional 4-3. But they’ve played different defenses against different teams. I look for them to run more of a 3-4 against us,” Freeman said.

Freeman said that the entire Rebels team will need to handle the environment and that the seniors will have to have a big game for them to emerge victorious Friday night.

“With it being Senior Night, the seniors are going to have to handle the pressure. Who’s going to handle that environment and that pressure? The seniors are going to have to have a big night to handle the emotional pressure of it being Senior Night and possibly their last home game Friday night” Freeman said.

Even with a win, ACCS cannot finish any higher than the No. 7 seed in the Class 5A power points ratings. But a loss to Cathedral would really hurt them.

“Right now, we can finish from the No. 7 seed or the No. 10 or 11 seed, possibly the 12 seed if we lose. Both (Silliman Institute and Oak Forest Academy) will finish ahead of us, no matter what happens. They will have more power points than we will,” Freeman said.