NATCHEZ &045; In recent years, Trinity Episcopal has had difficulties winning its homecoming game, and that includes a shocking loss to Tensas Academy during its MPSA Class A state championship season of 2001.

That would not be the case this year, however, as the Saints, thanks to three touchdowns by Stevan Ridley on offense and two by Scott Hanson on defense, defeated the Prairie View Spartans 33-14 Friday night at the Trinity football field.

Ridley, who finished with 144 yards rushing on 21 carries, scored Trinity’s first three touchdowns, two of them in the first quarter, on runs of 5, 31 and 2 yards to give the Saints a 19-0 lead with 3:39 left in the second.

Trinity outgained Prairie View on the ground 213 yards to 84 yards.

As time wound down in the second quarter, Hanson picked off a Spartan pass and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown to give Trinity (3-2) a commanding 25-0 halftime lead.

Prairie View (1-3) did not look nearly as impressive as it did a week ago when it gave the Adams Christian Rebels all they could handle in a 12-10 loss.

The Spartans finally scored on a 29-yard run by Josh Jones with 7:32 to go in the third quarter.

But the Saints responded as Hanson picked off a pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Zach Rogel’s 2-point conversion run gave the Saints a 33-7 lead.

The Spartans ended the scoring with a hook-and-ladder play as Cole Johnson threw to Jones, who pitched the ball to Wooten, who ran 80 yards for a touchdown.

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Patrick Jones