JACKSON &045; Those rough-and-tumble seasons playing the biggest schools in MPSA are over for Adams Christian.

At least for the next two years. The Mississippi Private Schools Association approved in its bi-ennial realignment Thursday that ACCS will drop from Class AAA to AA for the next two years. The move down is coupled with Trinity Episcopal’s move up from Class A to AA.

Trinity, however, will be in a separate district than ACCS, whose reported enrollment puts it the largest school in Class AA. The top 14 schools are placed in Class AAA, and ACCS’s enrollment was ranked 15th.

&uot;I guess I’ve been doing it so long I’ve been in all three classes over the years,&uot; AC athletic director and head football coach Keith Walters said. &uot;Double-A is a good league. The number of players involved &045; it gives us a chance to get some kids out. The thing about Triple-A is it’s great competition and a great challenge, but it’s a week-to-week thing. We were playing with 29 kids this year.&uot;

The move puts the Rebels and Lady Rebels competing on a more level playing field and out of the ultra-tough District 2-AAA as one of the smallest schools on that level. It also puts them playing schools closer to home with the current alignment stretching as far as Meridian.

The realigned District 3-AA includes AC, Central Hinds of Raymond, Chamberlain-Hunt Academy of Port Gibson, Copiah Academy of Gallman, Prairie View Academy of Bastrop, La., and Riverfield Academy of Rayville, La.

The district initially included Glenbrook School of Minden, La., but the school’s appeal to remain in Class A despite have a Class AA enrollment was approved.

The move allows ACCS to leave behind its district of bigger schools in Jackson Prep, Parklane, Lamar and Central Private.

&uot;It will help us build a program easier than being with the bigger schools,&uot; said AC headmaster John Gray, a member of the MPSA board approving the realignment. &uot;But income-wise, I think it’s going to hurt us. They don’t have the support from these smaller schools. Our basketball gates are pretty good, and it’s because of that competition level. In double-A, they don’t have the basketball support that they do in the bigger schools, in my opinion.

&uot;I think it’s good in a lot of ways, but I think it’s bad in a lot of ways.&uot;

Officials at Trinity Episcopal, meanwhile, filed a request to move into District 3 with ACCS but were turned down. The move would have been a better situation for the Saints and Lady Saints, who face more travel on average in District 4 than they would in District 3.

District 4 will include Bowling Green School of Franklinton, La., Brookhaven Academy, Centreville Academy, Columbia Academy, Oak Forest Academy of Amite, La., Silliman Institute of Clinton, La., and Trinity.

Had Trinity been placed in District 3, it would have been an 18-mile drop in average travel. The school will also be the smallest school in Class AA.

&uot;We support our association,&uot; said TE athletic director David King, whose school did not appear before the MPSA Thursday for the appeal. &uot;They made a decision, and we support that decision. We like to boast we’re the No. 1 single-A program in the state, and we’ll fight to be one of the best double-A schools in the state. We don’t want anybody feeling sorry for us. This is a very classy district, but we’re going to be fine.&uot;

As it turned out, the two Natchez school served as the border between the north-based District 3 and the South-based District 4 in the South. The committee assigned 28 teams to Class AA with seven in each district, and Glenbrook’s departure leaves six in District 3.

Had Trinity’s move been approved, it would have made things much easier on ACCS, Gray said. Now when MPSA officials compose football schedules for the next two years, the Rebels will likely face a Class AAA school instead of facing Glenbrook or another Class AA school.

It would have also limited travel even further for both schools.

&uot;I was 100 percent for it,&uot; Gray said. &uot;With us being the larger of the double-As, it doesn’t take an Einstein to know who we’re going to get (to play). It would have allowed us (and Trinity) to play in everything without question. It really hurt us not allowing AC and them to do that. I’m still going to do all I can, which is very little if anything. I’d love for them to be with us.&uot;

The two schools played a jamboree in football in the first meeting in that sport since 1998. Saturday the two teams will play the first of two scheduled doubleheaders in basketball, although the two met last month in girls in the Cellular South Miss-Lou Classic.

The two will also play in baseball in the spring.

The realignment, however, leaves the door open for a playoff battle between the two schools in football since the top two schools from each division in the first round.

&uot;Hopefully we can play regular season,&uot; Walters said. &uot;Now we can’t say we’re going to just throw out hat in the ring and win it (at this level). There’s always a chance you can play in the playoffs. I think if we were to play Trinity in a playoff game it’ll be real hard to find a seat.&uot;

Huntington, meanwhile, had its appeal approved to move out of District 6 and into District 7 in Class A. The move puts the Hounds and Lady Hounds in an all-Louisiana district with Tensas Academy of St. Joseph, Tallulah Academy, River Oaks School of Monroe, Franklin Academy of Winnsboro and Briarfield Academy of Lake Providence.

District 6 would have put Huntington as the western-most school in the district with Amite School Center of Liberty, Prentiss Christian, Union Academy of Georgetown, Wilkinson Christian, Ben’s Ford of Bogalusa, La., Coast Episcopal of Long Beach and Lamar Christian of Purvis.

Huntington athletic director Bo Swilley and members of the school’s board appeared before the MPSA panel Thursday morning to make the pitch for the change.

&uot;That’s why we appealed it &045; travel-wise,&uot; Huntington headmaster and head football coach Hugh Hathcock said. &uot;These schools are all in Louisiana. Nothing against Mississippi, but we thought that would be better. It’s 170 miles to Union. That’s a pretty good jump. It was too far-flung of a district.&uot;

Other appeals approved on Thursday were Benton Academy and Strider Academy traded spots in their respective districts. Benton asked to be moved from District 3 in what Gray declined to discuss but described as &uot;a real serious problem&uot; with Calhoun Academy, Central Holmes, East Holmes, Hebron Christian and Winona Christian.

Benton joins District 2 with Deer Creek, Delta Academy, Greenville Christian, Humphreys, North Sunflower and Central Delta.

Glenbrook’s appeal, Gray said, was approved after schools in that northwest Louisiana-based district asked for the Apaches and Lady Apaches to not be removed.