BAKER, La. — Friday night’s District 5-AA contest between Adams County Christian School and Central Private School featured two of the top three running backs in MAIS Class AA in Brandon Sanders and Bobby Muse.

Muse entered the game as the top running back in Class AA with just under 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns. Sanders came into this key district battle as the No. 3 running back in Class AA with 945 yards.

That’s where the similarities ended as Central Private defeated ACCS 33-21.

While Sanders was held to just 55 yards rushing on 11 carries, Muse scored all five touchdowns for Central Private (7-1, 2-0).

“In the backfield, we made a lot of contact (with Muse), but we didn’t bring him down. Bad tackling is what got us,” ACCS head coach Paul Hayles said. “Three fumbles in the first half all led to touchdowns for them.”

More specifically, touchdown runs of 17 and 13 yards in the first quarter and 18 yards in the second quarter by Muse that helped the host Rebels jump out to a 20-0 lead.

“We gave up four or five sacks. We didn’t overcome the hole we got into,” Hayles said. “Both sides of the ball, we left lots of room for improvement. We had three goal-line stands.”

After two more touchdown runs by Muse in the second half, ACCS (5-3, 1-1) had no choice but to throw the ball. And Kent Yates did a good job of that even though the visiting Rebels were trying to rally from a 33-7 deficit.

Yates threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Lee Swinney and a 23-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Murray that made the score 33-21. ACCS tried an onside kick, but Central Private recovered it and was able to run the clock out.

“We took a simple approach. We went to the passing game,” Hayles said.

Yates completed 21 of 34 passes for 270 yards with no interceptions. Hayles said the 34 attempts were the most by an ACCS quarterback in several years. Murray had eight catches for 102 yards while Daniel Guedon had three receptions for 88 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.