A pair of teams looking to avoid beginning the 2015 season 0-2 play each other tonight as Ben’s Ford Christian School travels to Amite School Center to face the Rebels.
“This is a big game for both of us as far as power points go,” Ben’s Ford coach Cole Holden said. “It’s early, but this game was the difference in us getting in (the playoffs) last year and them being left out.”
The Eagles won last year’s meeting 20-15. They scored the winning touchdown with 4:14 remaining and then intercepted a pass with ASC driving for the winning score on the Eagles’ 2.
Ben’s Ford begins this week after falling to Pickens Academy in Carrollton, Ala., 42-12.
The Eagles trailed 19-12 late in the first half, but Pickens scored with less than a minute left to make it 25-12 at halftime and then outscored Ben’s Ford 17-0 in the second half.
Quarterback Daniel Pittman threw two touchdown passes last week — one each to Dionte Fernandez and Corey Caldwell.

Holden said the team has had a good week of practice.
We’re trying to get healthy,” Holden said. “We’re trying to prepare for them. They run the ball well. They’ve got a quarterback that runs hard and they’ve got a tailback who is a big kid that is hard to bring down. We’ve got to wrap him up.”
The Eagles have two injuries. Gunter Miller was lost for the season after breaking a bone in leg during the jamboree and offensive lineman/defensive lineman C.J. McClelland is questionable with a shoulder injury.
Holden said his team will have to play really good defense.
“We’re going to have to be physical with them. Offensively, we can’t turn the ball over,” Holden said.
Last week, the Eagles turned the ball over six times.
Amite School Center began 0-1 after a 51-14 setback to Centreville Academy.
“Obviously, we’re looking to rebound,” Amite School Center coach Mitch Mitchell said. “(Centreville) whipped us last week. We were competitive in the first half.”
Centreville trailed, 14-8, at halftime, but Mitchell said they turned the ball over twice in the second half and Centreville got going after that.
Mitchell said his team is kind of going from one extreme to the other in the offenses the Rebels are facing in the first two weeks of this season.
“Last week, Centreville lined up in tight formations with two tight ends and a double wing and in the second half they just wore us out,” he said. “But Ben’s Ford has people spread out all over the place.”
Amite School Center bases its defense out of a 4-4. The top players are end Jake Haygood, outside linebackers Calin Buckley and Brady Milton, tackle Blaine Milton and cornerback Devin Booty.
Offensively, the Rebels’ quarterback is Booty.
Mitchell said Booty runs the ball very well.
The running backs are David Leyendecker and Josh Jackson. Mitchell said that Jackson is a more physical inside player and that Leyendecker is faster and cuts better. The coach said they try to rotate them since the two play both ways. Defensively, Jackson is a defensive end and Leyendecker is a safety.
Tyler Johnston is the main wide receiver and Mitchell said they rotate the rest.
Ben’s Ford’s home opener is next Friday against Wilkinson County Christian Academy.