NATCHEZ — It may be a big rivalry game for most Cathedral High School fans, but head coach Ron Rushing is trying not to let things get blown out of proportion.

The Green Wave will host rival St. Aloysius out of Vicksburg, and Rushing said he’s not trying to change anything up just because of who the opponent is.

“It’s a regular week,” Rushing said. “We’re just taking it like a divisional game.”

But Rushing admitted that his players are pretty amped up to play the Flashes.

“I do get the sense that they’re excited,” Rushing said. “They’re pretty level-headed, though. They know it’s just another divisional game more than anything.”

Planning for the Green Wave’s game against the Flashes is always a big deal, but given Cathedral’s daunting regional schedule, preparation is more important than ever.

“Every week is stressful, knowing that you can’t ease up any week,” Rushing said. “Every game is so important, especially early in the year, because you want to put yourself in the good position.”

The Flashes will bring a formidable running game to the table, and Rushing said St. Al isn’t going to make a lot of mistakes.

“They run the ball; they don’t do a lot offensively,” Rushing said. “They run up the middle from the spread, and they have a really good running back (in Carlton Campbell) that could give us some problems.

“They’re a very well-coached team. They’re always in the right places, and they’ll be schemed up really well against us.”

With all the hype coming into the game, Rushing said he’s depending on his seniors to be a calming force for the rest of the team.

“They’ve been through this week more than anyone else on the team,” Rushing said. “They know how important this week is for the fans and alumni, so they’re just trying to keep everyone level-headed.”

Kickoff at Cathedral is at 7:30 Friday night.