The Amite School Center Rebels, ranked No. 2 in the state among MPSA&160;Class 1A teams, squeaked by the Trinity Saints 29-28 in an MPSA District 5-1A game Friday night at Trinity.

&uot;It was the best game in my six years I’ve been in at Trinity,&uot; said Trinity head coach David King. &uot;Our kids played their hearts out against a great team. It was a great overall effort.&uot;

Trailing 28-17 with 8:26 remaining in the third quarter, the Rebels scored less than a minute later on a 44-yard run by Mitch Newman. Max Lawson missed the extra point, but the lead was cut to five.

Trinity (3-4, 1-2) had an opportunity to extend the lead when Chad Ridley’s pass to Gregory Ketchings for nearly 50 yards was negated by a holding penalty with 10:45 left in the game. On the next play Trinity fumbled the ball and the Rebels recovered at the Saints 32-yard line.

With 8:10 left, quarterback Jim Hunter Walsh avoided being sacked twice and threw the ball toward the end zone.

The pass was tipped two or three times before falling into the arms of wide receiver Josh Cutrer, who was on his knees in the end zone when he caught the pass to give ASC the lead.

Trinity had one more chance to regain the lead when, on second and four from the ASC five-yard line, Gregory Ketchings ran for a first down and an apparent touchdown, but an official said the ball came loose before Ketchings was down by contact and awarded the ball to the Rebels.

&uot;The breaks just didn’t go our way,&uot; King said. &uot;I thought Gregory scored, but it was a tough call.&uot;

Trinity scored first when quarterback Chad Ridley ran 73 yards on third and five in the first quarter for a touchdown.

ASC (5-2, 2-0) then scored 17 straight points on a 35-yard field goal by Lawson, a 53-yard run by Newman and an eight-yard run by Bobby Lee Nelson.

Trinity then answered with 16 straight points of its own on a 34-yard run by Ketchings and 68-yard run by Ridley, who threw to Cole Brown for the one two-point conversion and ran in for another.

Trinity led 22-17 at halftime and increased its lead with 8:26 to go in the third quarter on Brown’s 10-yard run.

&uot;They (ASC) knew they were in for a dogfight,&uot; King said. &uot;Our focus this week was to fight to the bitter end.&uot;

Trinity plays at East Rankin next Friday at 7:30 p.m.