NATCHEZ &8212; Price Sessums had heard it all week, and he may have had to hear it a couple of times to get over everything.

Besides, who likes not playing for a playoff spot and have to just play for pride? Both Adams Christian and Brookhaven Academy were in that spot Friday night, and the Cougars knew they still had plenty to play for despite being assured of playing only two more games in the season.

And as soon as Sessums came up with a key interception in the fourth quarter and scooted into the end zone, it was all worth it. His score helped the Cougars take a 20-12 win over ACCS in the Rebels&8217; final game of 2005.

&8220;We played for pride,&8221; said Sesssums, who scored two of his team&8217;s three touchdowns. &8220;You go out there, and coach told us you&8217;re not in the playoffs but you have two games left. You play your heart out and play for pride. This guaranteed us to have a winning season, and it&8217;s all about having a winning season. Pride and fun &8212; that&8217;s what it is.&8221;

The Cougars have one game left at home next week against Bowling Green, but their efforts in the second half had just the opposite effect on the Rebels in their final game of the season.

The loss was an emotional one for the Rebels and their seniors, but it was hard on the players in the presence of Neet Marks, head coach Bobby Marks&8217; wife of 48 years who has been diagnosed with cancer.

The Rebels turned it over four times and ended the season with a 7-3 record &8212; believed to be their best overall mark since 1989 &8212; despite no playoff spot.

&8220;The kids played hard all year,&8221; Marks said. &8220;I hated it with Neet here because she hates to lose, and I hate it for the seniors because it was their last game. Sometimes the pros (have turnovers), and the college kids do it. We ask high school kids not to do it.&8221;

The biggest turnover came just inside the fourth quarter right the Cougars scored and the Rebels were called for 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Foster threw just to the left of the center of the field on second and long, but Sessums jumped in front of it for the interception.

But speedy little Sessums didn&8217;t stop until he got to the end zone and let the celebration begin. He returned it 27 yards for the score that gave the Cougars the 20-12 lead at the 10:31 mark.

&8220;It was second and long, and we had a good idea they were going to pass it,&8221; Sessums said. &8220;Coach made a good adjustment, and he put us in a zone. I broke on the ball in time, and I got it. The defense stepped up big the second half. They didn&8217;t score one point from then on.&8221;

The Rebels &8212; who out-gained Brookhaven 354-277 with 23 first downs to BA&8217;s 10 &8212; had a chance after that and drove the ball the length of the field before failing to convert on fourth down. The drive started at the AC 30, and the Rebels got down to the BA 9 before a holding penalty pushed them back.

Another penalty pushed them back to the 23, and Clay Floyd&8217;s run on a reverse on fourth down wasn&8217;t enough to move the chains. From there, Brookhaven got two first downs and ran out the clock.

&8220;We just made a few little adjustments defensively,&8221; Brookhaven head coach Ray Ishee said.

&8220;It gave them some problems, and we were able to get the ball back on offense. The interception was big. Those kinds of things turn ball games around, and we were able to win. We just put some more big guys in the box and matched up with them a little better.&8221;

Sessums&8217; pick was big enough, but the Cougars connected on a 57-yard pass from Corey Dickerson to T-Boy Lynch on second and 10 just inside the fourth quarter that set up Sessums&8217; 7-yard touchdown. That gave Brookhaven a 13-12 lead at the 11:04 mark.

From there, the wheels sort of fell off for an Adams team that had control for most of the game.

&8220;That didn&8217;t take the wind out of us as much as we kept turning the ball over,&8221; Marks said. &8220;It&8217;s hard to drive the ball 70 yards and fumble it away. We just drove the ball and got nothing out of it. You can&8217;t drive the length of the field and give it away on first down.&8221;

The Rebels lost the ball on fumbles on their first two drives of the game but got on the board in the second when David Alton New scored from 7 yards out to tie the game at 6-6. After Austin Williams came up with an interception, the Rebels drove 57 yards for a score when Lee Dellinger ran it in from 6 yards out for a 12-6 lead just before

half.

But their first drive of the second half ended at the BA 4 when the Cougars&8217; Wesley Taylor broke through the line on a handoff and recovered a fumble.