NATCHEZ — Friday marks the first time Adams County Christian School will play River Oaks High School under head coach David King.

But King has a long history going up against River Oaks, and he knows what needs to be done in order to compete against the Mustangs as the Rebels head up to Monroe, La., Friday for the second game of the season.

“I’ve played River Oaks many times in my career, and they’re a well-coached team,” King said. “They traditionally play well at home, and we want to see how we stack up against a good 2A football team.”

With a more experienced team, King said playing away games does not add any extra nervousness to his players.

King said the Rebels have been working on their defensive strategies this week to prepare for a fundamentally sound River Oaks team.

Though ACCS played sound defense against Wilkinson County Christian School last Friday allowing just 76 yards, King said they won’t be able to get away with the same mistakes against the Mustangs.

“We’ve been working on our assignments on defense,” he said. “River Oaks runs a great offense in which you have to be prepared mentally.”

Offensively, King said his team couldn’t limit themselves because the Mustangs will take advantage of every missed opportunity.

“Coach (Robert) Hannah does a great job defensively, they won’t hurt themselves (with penalties),” King said. “So we have to take care of the ball and eliminate our penalties.”

In their season opener against Wilkinson County Christian Academy last Friday, the Rebels committed 15 penalties for 125 yards.

The Rebels are looking to take advantage of their offensive depth against the Mustangs.

“I’ve got a large number of capable backs, and the ability to throw them in there and get fresh legs on the field is a plus,” he said.

Against WCCA, the Rebels had a total of 342 rushing yards on 32 carries.

Trey Fleming and Torrey Smith accounted for more than 100 yards as Chisum Martin and Lester Wells added respectable yardage of their own, including touchdowns.

Smith said the rebels have been tightening up their explosive offense this week.

“It’s been going good,” Smith said. “We’ve been running our offense a lot, making sure we got everything under control and that we’re more disciplined.

“We’ve been working really hard to make sure everything is down pat for the game Friday.”

Smith said a win against River Oaks could be a momentum builder for the Rebels, and that’s something they may need with a tough schedule.

“It’ll give us a lot of confidence, because they make it to the playoffs every year,” he said. “It’ll let us see what we’ve improved on from last week.”

Though King is pleased with his running back game, he said the roster wouldn’t be complete until two more players make their mark at the back position.

“We’re still trying to get Matt Rymer and Brandt Pugh healthy enough to get more carries,” he said.

The Rebels face off against River Oaks at 7 p.m. in Monroe, La.