Trinity head coach David King said early this season that his Saints faced an incredibly tough schedule this year.

Therefore it comes as no surprise that Amite School Center, Trinity’s opponent tonight at 7:30 p.m., is ranked second in the state among 1A schools.

&uot;They definitely deserve the No. 2 ranking,&uot; King said. &uot;This team is as good a team as anyone I’ve seen in my six years at Trinity.&uot;

The Saints (3-3, 1-1) must unfortunately face Amite School Center (4-2, 1-0) on the heels of a 28-6 loss to last week Tensas Academy, which King described as &uot;a much better ball team.&uot;

&uot;We had six turnovers last week,&uot; he said. &uot;You can’t do that against anybody.&uot;

Maintaining possession of the ball will be a key to this game, King said.

&uot;Our offense seems to be geared toward the big play this year,&uot; he said. &uot;We need to hold on to the ball.&uot;

To do that, King said, the Saints offensive line needs to give quarterback Chad Ridley time to throw the ball. In addition, Trinity will try to add a spark to the running game by using the option and trying to run outside.

&uot;We’ll have to do a few things a little different,&uot; King said. &uot;We’ll try to establish a little bit more of a running game.&uot;

Amite runs a wishbone offense that uses the option and team speed, King said.

To make matters worse, Amite’s starting quarterback and a starting offensive lineman return to the lineup this week after missing most to the season due to injuries.

&uot;I look for them to throw more than they have been,&uot; King said.

Being a district match, this game has tremendous importance, King said.

&uot;If we upset them, we have a real shot at winning the district title,&uot; King said. &uot;But if we can compete on every play, I’ll be happy win, lose or draw against a team like this.

&uot;We just need to stay focused and keep playing hard,&uot; he said.