Bobby Marks may have a tough enough time already coaching his Adams Christian team against any worthy opponent.

But when the veteran coach looks across the sidelines in tonight’s crosstown showdown against Trinity Episcopal and sees two coaches who know everything about him, don’t blame Marks if he feels a little paranoid.

Both Trinity head coach David King and assistant Matt Mason played for Marks while they attended Adams Christian and know all about what plays he like to run in certain situations and general schemes.

So there’s your subplot on the third installment of the series between the two Natchez schools. That’s on top of everything associated with the non-district contest that everyone will be talking about perhaps until this time next year.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Adams Christian.

&uot;They know everything I’m going to do,&uot; Marks said. &uot;We’ve tried to turn everything around backwards a little bit and make them think. We’ll pretty much go out there and play football. We know what they’re going to do. I think we’ll see (Stevan) Ridley in several different formations.&uot;

Mason and King both talk of their days playing for the Rebels under Marks, and now they’re going up against their old school and coach with a little wisdom from then. Not that any of their systems bear any similarity &045; although both teams may break out the old Notre Dame box tonight &045; but the younger coaches know what it takes to get the job done.

It’s all about using your personnel to the best of their ability, and you’ve got to be a good coach to do that.

&uot;There are a lot of similarities Matt and I follow,&uot; Trinity head coach David King said. &uot;X’s and O’s are important, and plays are important. But getting kids to buy into the system is what’s most important at the high school level. Matt and I get that from Coach Marks. It doesn’t matter what you have. If the kids don’t believe in it, it’s not going to work.&uot;

The contest still has the hype and excitement as any other game of this nature would. The Rebels won last year’s contest 33-24 in the first regular season meeting of the series, and the Rebels also claimed the 15-12 win in a jamboree in the 2003 season.

Both games went down to the wire as you’d expect, as was the three meetings in basketball last season. Trinity won all three contests in boys’ basketball, including a buzzer-beater in the first round of the South State tournament at the Adams Christian gym.

&uot;It’s the biggest game on the schedule,&uot; receiver Kris Ford said.

&uot;Everybody out here wants to win. We’ll try to go out there and upset them like we’re supposed to do. It’s a lot of fun. Just to go in there and beat them &045; it would mean a whole lot. We’ll have something to talk about this year.&uot;

The Rebels may still be favored this time just for sheer numbers. They’ll suit up twice as many players as Trinity will, but this year’s Adams Christian team may be its biggest in quite a few years.

Only two starters on offense for AC hit the scales at less than 200 pounds. Six don’t hit 200 for Trinity.

&uot;Coach Mason and I stayed up all night wondering how in the world we’re going to be able to stop them,&uot; King said. &uot;They’re so big and physical up front. They’ve got three big ol’ strong backs and a physical line. It’s the biggest team I can remember. That team is very capable of winning their district.&uot;

It’s the old size-vs.-quickness argument tonight with the Saints and Ridley in the backfield. The talented junior is the team’s meal ticket on both sides of the ball, and Marks and his staff know it.

&uot;That kid is great,&uot; Marks said. &uot;He really is, and there’s no doubt about that. You’ve got to watch him from every angle. I’ve been watching that kid since he was in junior high. He’s just a junior, and he’s going to get bigger and stronger. We’ve done everything we can do &045; the hay is in the barn. They’re going to try to get Ridley one on one.&uot;

What you can take the bank, Marks noted, is the game will come down to the wire again no matter who’s bigger or who’s faster.

Even after turnovers haunted the Saints in the first half last year and put them back by three touchdowns, they managed to trim the lead to six late in the game.

It may come down to the kicking game in something like this. That, too, scares King because Timmy Foster can hit from way out &045; along with run the ball well and throw it a ways.

&uot;They lost five seniors, and we lost 15,&uot; Marks said. &uot;They lost five starters, and we lost nine. We told the kids don’t get over-confident, don’t run your mouth, be courteous and nice to people, be yourself and be confident. We’ll try to keep an even keel.&uot;

Both teams still have the rest of their schedule to play.

The Rebels don’t start District 3-AA play for two weeks, but the Saints need to come out healthy tonight with next week’s 4-AA opener at Oak Forest awaiting.

A district win, King noted, will help get you in the playoffs.

&uot;If somebody told me I could lose by 45 points and win next week at Oak Forest, I’d take it,&uot; King said. &uot;It’s our district opener. Win, lose or draw, Coach Mason and I will be in there the first thing Saturday morning watching film on Oak Forest.

&uot;This is good for the community. We look forward to playing them for years and years to come &045; the way it should be.&uot;