NATCHEZ — Ingredients for an upset: penalties, turnovers,mistakes, bad luck, and Friday the 13th. They all contributed tothe Brookhaven Academy 21-20 loss to the Adams County ChristianSchool Friday night. The previously unbeaten 7-0 District 6-AAchampions came into Bobby Marks Stadium looking to go 8-0.

Although the Cougars will host the first round of the 2006 SouthState Playoffs, they will not enter them undefeated.

Price Sessums received the opening kickoff and returned it forexcellent field position at the ACCS 46-yard line. Before the snapof the first drive BA saw the first of 16 penalty flags that weredropped, thrown, and tossed during the contest. Five plays and twopenalties later the Cougars punted to the Rebels. The BA defenseheld on three downs and forced the Rebels to punt.

This time the Cougars started their second drive with twoconsecutive penalties and a sack. However, the Cougars came rightback. On 2nd and 24 Sessums completed an 18-yard pass to DanielLofton. Price then kept the drive alive with runs of 11, 10, 10,and a final run for l9 yards to paydirt with 1:33 remaining in thefirst quarter. The usually perfect Corey Dickerson missed the extrapoint attempt and the score was BA 6 -0.

The upset-minded Rebels took the Cougar kickoff and returned itto their 35-yard line. From there they used four minutes,fifty-nine seconds and thirteen plays to score at the 8:29 mark ofthe second quarter. The PAT was good and ACCS lead 7-6.

For the first time in the 2006 football season BrookhavenAcademy fans saw their team’s side of the scoreboard with fewerpoints than their opponents. Before ACCS had a chance to kick off,BA’s kickoff return team was flagged for improper equipment.

Backed up deep in Cougar territory, the BA faithful saw Sessumstake the ensuing kickoff and race 85 yards for an apparent TD.Cheers swapped sides of the field when the officials waved off thetouchdown due to an “illegal block” penalty.

After the point of infraction penalty, the Cougars drove fromthe ACCS 49 to the ACCS 11 aided by a 14-yard Sessums to MattRushing pass reception, two 11-yard runs by Sessums, and a 15-yardscamper by Dickerson.

However, on 3rd and 10 from the 11, Sessums’s pass to Dickersonwas juggled and fell into the hands of an ACCS defender.

The Rebels took over at their own 20 with just over five minutesremaining in the first half. The Cougar defense held at midfieldand forced a Rebel punt.

Once again, the Cougars started on offense with a penalty. Withfirst and 20 from their own 20, Sessums went to the air and waspicked off at the Cougar 44 with 3:22 remaining. The Cougar defenseheld once again and forced an ACCS punt that was blocked by BradleyAllred. On the first offensive play, the Cougars fumbled at the 50and ACCS recovered with only :52 seconds remaining. ACCS went tothe end zone in an effort to increase its one point lead before thehalf.

The plan backfired as BA’s free safety, Sessums, stepped infront of the receiver, picked up some blockers, and traveled 102yards for the score as the horn sounded. The Sessums to Kolby Byrdtwo-point conversion pass was on target and the Cougars’ lead atthe half was 14-7.

BA started the third quarter with a procedure penalty, whichgave ACCS the ball to start the third quarter on their 35-yardline. The Rebels then put together a 17-play unsuccessful drivethat consumed all but four minutes of the third quarter. BA tookover on downs at its own 22-yard line and drove to the 43. Thedrive stalled early in the fourth quarter and the Cougars wereforced to punt. The snap from center sailed over Dickerson’s headcausing him to chase it down and hurry a punt of minus 8 yards.

ACCS took the ball at the Cougar 35 and drove to the one-yardline. From there the Rebels borrowed a lineman, Tel Faulkner, toplunge in with 6:45 remaining. The 2-point conversion was no goodand the score remained BA 14-12.

BA began its next drive from its own 25. On first and 15,Sessums gained 6 yards and was hit hard and had to come out for oneplay. The center to quarterback exchange was mishandled on the nextplay.

ACCS’s fumble recovery put the Rebels in business at the Cougar30-yard line. Three plays later Duncan Guedon ran in from the one.He also ran off the right end for the two-point conversion. TheRebels took the lead, 21-14, with only 4:27 remaining.

Sessums returned the ensuing kickoff to the Cougar 40 and wastedlittle time. He gained 48 yards on three consecutive plays andclimaxed the drive with a 29 yard TD pass to Dickerson making thescore ACCS 21- BA 20. BA head coach Bo Milton chose to go for thetie. Dickerson’s PAT sailed wide left.

Down 21 to 20 and 1:56 showing on the clock, the Cougars’ onlyhope was to recover an on-side kick. Matt Rushing did just that onthe ACCS 45-yard line. With renewed enthusiasm, the Cougars went tothe air. But after four unsuccessful pass plays the Cougars’ dreamsof an undefeated season faded into the Natchez night.

The BA defense was led by Kolby Byrd with 12 tackles, followedby Brandon Smith with 10. Aaron Douglas, Nathaniel Sbravati, andSawyer Smith chipped in with 6 each.

The Cougars will travel to Wayne County Friday to take on WayneCounty Academy.