NATCHEZ &045; Centreville Academy didn’t pass it as much as the coaching staff at Adams Christian had anticipated.

Actually, make that one pass too many.

Just when the Rebels started to play better on defense stopped that power running attack of the Tigers, they unloaded a pass. What started out as finally playing good defense turned into a two-touchdown lead midway through the fourth quarter.

The Tigers stopped an AC drive late and came away with a 27-14 win Thursday night in what was the first high school football game in the state for the 2004 season.

&uot;We finally got them in a third and long,&uot; AC head coach Keith Walters said. &uot;I told them this &045; until we learn to go out there to the practice field and practice defense the proper way, we’re never going to get where we want to get. We as coaches have to get them to do it, and the players have to get out there and do it. We played just like we practiced.&uot;

The Rebels moved the ball well at times and actually finished with just under 300 yards offense. They got a big play midway through the fourth quarter that cut the Centreville lead down to seven when Timmy Foster scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper.

The Tigers had been moving the ball well on the ground for most of the game, but on that following possession the Rebels finally stopped big running back Blake Devall. Two stops put the Tigers in a third-and-7 situation after Devall had already rolled up 134 yards rushing.

Instead of going to Devall again, Jennings Field hit Chase Tal Priest on a little slant, and the little receiver took it 81 yards to the house for a 27-14 lead with 5:42 left.

&uot;We caught them off guard, I believe,&uot; said Devall, who finished with 142 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns. &uot;They were expecting the run. We went with the pass and opened it up a little bit with a little play action.&uot;

The pass wasn’t what the Rebels were expecting, particularly since they hadn’t had much success stopping Devall and the Tigers’ sweeps to the right and left. The connection was one of just four Field made for the game on nine attempts.

The pass the turning point, although the Rebels drove the ball down to the 1 before coming up empty.

&uot;They were stopping the run,&uot; Centreville head coach Bill Hurst said. &uot;We had to throw the ball. We felt like that was the only chance we had. Coach made a great call, we hit him in the flat. Jennings made a great pass, and Tal made a great catch. It was just like you drew it up.&uot;

Give credit to the Rebels for finally picking up on the run. The Tigers had driven it right down their throats twice earlier in the game in the best way they know how &045; lots of short gains that move the chains and keep the clock running.

The biggest came on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that encompassed over eight minutes and ended with a Devall 5-yard touchdown run at the 2:38 mark in the third.

&uot;We knew it. It wasn’t a big surprise,&uot; Walters said. &uot;Devall is good. They didn’t throw it as much as I thought they might, but they had the one big play. Somebody missed an assignment. I don’t know who it was. I’ll have to watch the film.&uot;

The Rebels stuck with the pass after the score and drove it downfield thanks to some key plays on fourth down to make things interesting. Timmy Foster hit Dustin Case on a 15-yard pass on the first fourth down, and the Rebels converted another fourth down before getting down to the Centreville 1.

But they fumbled a handoff on second down, and the Tigers’ Rich Havard came up with the ball.

The Tigers found a rhythm early with their ground game and put together two long scoring drives in the first half. The first came on a 12-play, 84-yard drive that ended when Fields hit Chase Paulk on a 28-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter.

After they held AC to a punt, the Tigers drove 52 yards on 12 plays as Devall finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run at the 3:09 mark for a 14-0 lead.

The Rebels scored their first touchdown in the second half when Case broke a 53-yard run for a score on the third play of the second half to cut it to 14-7. After Centreville upped it to 21-7, Brock Vines recovered a fumble at the 1 to set up Foster’s 1-yard run for a score.