NATCHEZ &045; These decisions &045; all parties agree &045; will be final.

Adams Christian head baseball coach Gill Morris said Tuesday he’s stepping down from the position &045; a year after he walked away but returned later when the job became open again &045; to focus more on his duties as a classroom teacher.

Ron Rushing said he’ll take the job for good, too, this time. He held the position of head coach for about two months last summer before stepping down and later coming back on board.

When Rushing left the position, Morris agreed in August to take the job for one more year to coach his son, Jamie, during his senior season.

&uot;He came in and talked to me,&uot; AC headmaster John R. Gray said. &uot;To me, he just said he was tired. He’s done a great job for us. He loves teaching. That’s his first love &045; the classroom. He’s an excellent teacher. I really hate to see him quit, but we’re going to let Ron take it.&uot;

Morris declined to discuss the matter at length, but the longtime coach in Natchez said now he can devote more time to his responsibilities in the classroom. He teaches a Natchez antebellum history class and a guitar class while serving as sponsor for the school’s historical society.

Morris coached five years at the school, compiling an overall record of 92-47. The Rebels went to the playoffs three of those five years, and each playoff run ended in the state championship series.

The Rebels lost in the best-of-three Class AA series last month to Simpson Academy.

&uot;I’m proud of the season we had,&uot; said Morris, who spent several years at Natchez High. &uot;We got to the dance three times in five years. We didn’t win it, but getting there is a credit to them. I’m proud of the accomplishments and proud of the kids who have gone on to play at the next level. I can look back on this and be proud.&uot;

Morris guided the Rebels to the state championship series in each of the last two years, including a 2004 run where they entered the postseason as the No. 4 team out of the district. A former pitcher at Belhaven, Morris was respected for developing talent on the mound and turning out pitchers at the next level.

Three signed with junior colleges prior to this season, and David Trisler is expected to play at the next level. Current Rebel Timmy Foster is expected to draw some Division I offers between now and the end of the 2006 season.

&uot;He told me (last year) he’d do it for a year,&uot; Gray said. &uot;I supported him coming back and helping us. He always had them well-prepared. We’ve been pleased with the job he’s been doing. He just felt it was time to take a break.&uot;

The job now turns over to Rushing, who was welcomed back to the school’s staff after leaving the profession entirely last summer to enter private business. Yet the former Adams Christian four-sport standout found his way back to the school and his former coaching duties after two months and realized he truly missed the job.

And this time, he said, it’s for good.

&uot;It’s mine &045; I’m not giving it up,&uot; Rushing said. &uot;I was happy when I left. (My job) was good, but coaching is in my blood. (I missed) just being around the kids. I’ve always been on some field &045; whether a football field or baseball field. I really enjoy being around all the kids.&uot;

Rushing gets to take over a program that’s still stocked with talent despite some key losses this past spring due to graduation. The former Co-Lin and Delta State standout said he’ll keep Clark Jackson on as an assistant coach and carry out the same principles he learned under Morris and in his four years as head coach at Brookhaven Academy.

Foster is drawing interest from a number of junior colleges and Southern Miss, Rushing said.

&uot;You can always learn something about the game,&uot; Rushing said. &uot;Gill is a good disciplinarian and good with fundamentals. He’s really good with pitchers. Just to learn that has helped out tremendously.

&uot;We lost some good seniors, but I really believe defensively we can be just as good as we were last year. If some of the guys come around, I think we can be just as good. I think we’ve got a few guys who can play at the next level. This year’s sophomore class is going to be tough.&uot;

Gray, who was Rushing’s supervisor at Brookhaven Academy, said he’d still like to fill a vacancy on the school’s coaching staff with girls’ basketball. The longtime coach at BA coached the Lady Rebels to a district championship last season after he couldn’t find anyone to fill the position.

&uot;I’m going to talk to someone in July,&uot; Gray said. &uot;I’ve got a man who has six to eight years of college experience who is going to come in. We’re not looking, but if it works out, it’ll certainly be better for them.&uot;