By TREY HICKMAN/For the Reporter

BESSEMER — Kingwood Christian received a rude reception from Bessemer Academy on Thursday night in a battle of AISA unbeatens.

Mixing yard-chewing, ball-control offense with pressure-packed defense, the host Rebels downed the Lions 28-7.

Bessemer Academy (3-0, 2-0 in Class AAA Region 1) grabbed momentum early with an 11-play, 82-yard drive to open the game that ate 5:23 off the clock and culminated with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Cody Hamilton. On Kingwood Christian’s first play from scrimmage, Brodie Medders intercepted a pass that gave the ball back to Bessemer Academy, only to see the Rebels’ offense toss an interception of its own when Kingwood Christian’s C’Yontai Lewis picked off a Hamilton delivery.

However, two plays later Noah Napier recovered a Lions fumble that set up Bessemer Academy’s second scoring drive, this one capped by Napier’s 35-yard scoring run.

The Rebels’ 14 first-quarter points proved all they needed.

Kingwood Christian (2-1, 0-1 in Class AAA Region 1) got on the board with 2:58 remaining in the half when quarterback Gavin Sumrall hit Gage Sumrall for a 13-yard score.

The Lions didn’t find the going any easier after intermission as Bessemer Academy held Kingwood Christian scoreless for the latter two periods while running back Cody Brown added a 9-yard touchdown run — his second rushing score of the night — en route to the victory.

“We knew Bessemer (Academy). They always come hard, and we knew they’d be very physical,” said Kingwood Christian head coach Steve Birmingham. “We hurt ourselves. (But) you have to give Bessemer (Academy) credit. But we did make a lot of mistakes. We have to go back to regroup and get better every week.”

Offensively for Kingwood Christian, Gavin Sumrall was 17-of-28 passing for 135 yards with one touchdown and one interceptions. C’Yontai Lewis and Montez Haynes led the Lions receivers with 47 and 37 yards, respectively, while Lewis added his interception and Haynes tallied a sack and recovered a fumble.

Defensively for the Lions, Gage Sumrall logged 14 tackles while Charles White contributed nine tackles.