NATCHEZ — For high school football players, homecoming is an exciting week.

But for high school football coaches, it’s one of the most dreaded in the season.

Trinity coach David King said in his younger days as football coach, he used to try to police his players and make sure they stayed absolutely focused on the game.

Now, however, he knows boys will be boys.

“We just make it as regular a week as we can,” he said. “There are certain distractions, but we’ve got a pretty disciplined group. They’ve been focused as much as you can expect 16-year-olds to be during homecoming.”

The Saints need to be focused, King said, against an MPSA District 6-A Tallulah Academy team that has won three games this year.

After this past Friday, when the 3-AA Saints were tied with 2-A Briarfield Academy, 21-21, at halftime, King knows they cannot just cruise past anymore teams.

King said although Tallulah has not been its usual powerhouse self the past four or five years, the Trojans have been coached back into their old form.

“ I told our players that this is just the type of team that’s well-coached enough that if we come out tonight thinking homecoming, they’re going to make it tough for us,” King said.

Though the Saints came out unfocused in the first half of their game against Briarfield this past Friday, they scored 40 second-half points, mostly on the legs of R.J. Fleming and Kent King.

But the defense, according to King, was the catalyst in the win, allowing just seven points after the half.

“The key to this team is (linebacker) Wells Middleton and (lineman) Larry Calcote. We feed off of those guys so much,” he said. “R.J. is R.J. — he’s going to do his thing — but the bottom line is these young kids, they really feed off Wells and Larry. When those guys are in, we can really be a tough team to play.”

They will need those two against Tallulah (3-2), a team King said has a gritty defense and will try to keep the ball as much as possible.

He said most teams’ game plan against the Saints is to control the ball, get first downs and allow the Trinity offense as few touches as possible.

But the Trojans may be the first team to be successful with that plan.

“They’re a good little trapping offense, and they don’t make mistakes,” King said. “Tallulah is always known for having tough kids. Their schemes are going to be set up to run some quick little traps against us and keep moving the chains. If we don’t stay focused, we’re going to be in a dogfight.”