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photo by The Hattiesburg American
Natchez High’s Jeremy Davis attempts to make a play on the ball during Friday’s football game at D.I. Patrick Stadium in Hattiesburg.
Natchez beats Hattiesburg; headed back to playoffs
Published Saturday, November 7, 2009
HATTIESBURG — Natchez High’s football team made its way into Hattiesburg High’s D.I. Patrick Stadium on Friday night knowing a loss would’ve eliminated the Bulldogs from postseason play, while a win would have assured them of a playoff berth.
The Bulldogs had nothing to lose and everything to gain — and they played like it, too. Natchez High (8-3, 5-2 in Region 3-6A) capitalized on three Tiger turnovers and earned a spot in the playoffs by beating Hattiesburg 29-20.
“That’s how the ball bounces sometimes,” Natchez head coach Lance Reed said. “We got the good bounces tonight and that’s really kind of what it boils down to.”
With the win, Natchez will host Petal High next week in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. Meanwhile, Hattiesburg (6-5, 4-3) will travel to Ocean Springs to begin its trek toward a state championship.
Hattiesburg head coach Doug Hoehn said it was obvious what caused his team’s downfall on Friday.
“The game came down to penalties, turnovers and dropped balls,” he said. “Turnovers, penalties and dropped passes killed us. But (the loss) wasn’t for a lack of effort. The kids played hard, and I’m proud of them.”
In a game that featured plenty of momentum shifts, the Tigers delivered the first blow, when quarterback Tevin Chapman scored on a 3-yard run on the home team’s first possession of the game. But Natchez answered with 10:06 left in the second quarter, when quarterback Javon Washington connected with Kevin Bailey from 10 yards out for one of his four touchdown passes.
“That’s what he does,” Reed said. “He’s a third-year starter, and he’s a leader. He can throw and run and that’s what we expect him to do.”
Washington and Bailey hooked up again with 2:11 remaining in the second quarter to put the Bulldogs up 14-7. Natchez would score once more on a 67-yard touchdown pass from Washington to Santorius Pollard before the tide began to turn in favor of Hattiesburg.
With the score 22-7 in favor of Natchez, Hattiesburg’s Marcquise Hosey rumbled 33 yards to narrow the gap to 22-13 after the two-point conversion attempt failed. The Tigers forced Natchez to go three-and-out on its next possession, which set up Hattiesburg’s next score — a 44-yard touchdown run by Chapman that made it 22-20 in favor of the Bulldogs.
“We had the momentum,” Hoehn said. “We came out and played our guts out in the second half. But the penalties and turnovers got us.”
On Hattiesburg’s next possession, Natchez blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt and six plays later recovered a muffed punt. Five plays after that, Washington found Pollard from 13 yards out to put the nail in Hattiesburg’s proverbial coffin.
“(Washington) kind of took over,” Reed said. “He wanted the ball and wanted to make big plays and he did.”
Following the loss, Hoehn said his team needs to have a short memory.
“This one hurt, I can promise you that,” he said. “But we’ve just got to come in Monday ready to work.”
Washington led Natchez with 134 yards rushing on 14 carries, as well as throwing for 137 yards and four touchdowns. Pollard ended the night with 73 receiving yards to lead the Bulldogs.
Hosey led the Tigers with 166 yards on 22 carries, while Chapman tallied 115 on 21 rushes.
Comments
Posted by jaydogg07 (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 2:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Way too go bulldogs!!!A big 4th down play made by Raymond Williams#32.Keep it up bulldogs.
Posted by dawg09 (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 2:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
congrats to them nhs dawgs...last year we made it to the playoffs and beat petal and I hope yall do the same but go all da way dis year
Posted by Big_Red16 (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 6:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Way to go Dawgs!!! That is how you play when the chips are down and you are back is against the wall!Ride this all the way to the top.Great job.Coach you have gotten over the hump with Hattiesburg. Keep up the good work!WHO DAT TALKIN BOUT BEATIN DEM DAWGS? WHO DAT?WHO DAT? GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by troypage (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Went to Hattiesburg and beat them in their own hostile territory . Wow ! That's a great win guys . Stay laser focused on each game and this team will make a great run . Way to go coaches and players !
Posted by dog8 (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow! You guys should be proud. All of Natchez should be proud. Congrads!
#10 - you are special. Keep leading this team.
If you play with maximum effort everytime out, there is no telling how far you can go in the playoffs.
Natchez football is back!
Posted by kubiak (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
GOOD GAME DAWGS KEEP ON BANGIN.
Posted by kubiak (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
THIS REMINDS ME OF A PRETTY GOOD TEAM THAT I PLAYED ON BACK IN THE DAYS CALLED THE SOUTH NATCHEZ COLONELS. 1980-81 SEASON WE WENT 9-3 WON THE STATE CHAMPION 1981-82 SEASON WE WENT 14-0 WON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. SO YOU DAWGS HAVE A CHANCE TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING JUST STAY FOCUSED AND PLAY AS A TEAM. WE RAN THE NOTRE-DAME BOX OFFENSE AND A 44-STACK DEFENSE. JUS REMINISCING.
Posted by troytenacious (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Way to go BULL DOGS! Keep the FAITH and that TENACIOUS spirit and you will be a SUCCESS.
Posted by do_it (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 10:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Natchez High Bulldogs stepped up big time last night. We had a sweet ride home. Thanks Bulldogs it was a thriller. It got tight for a while, but when you are determine to be the winner, well you know the results. Nephew, I like that picture. Bulldogs stay focus,remember I told you work hard and you would see the fruits of your labor. I watched you guys hit the field everymorning this summer faithfully at 6:oo am. Now you see it was well worth it. When you make a committment to do something it will happen, just asked the committee for recreation in Natchez.
Petal was in the stands rooting for you last night. THEY WANT REVENGE IN BULLDOG COUNTRY, BUT IT WANT HAPPEN THIS TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! I HOPE THE NATCHEZ COMMUNITY WILL TURN OUT IN FULL FORCE TO SUPPORT YOU. COVER THE ENTIRE FRONT LAWN AT SCHOOL WITH YES WE CAN SIGNS (just a thought),but the School and the district need to do something spectacular. I teach at Morgantown can you bring some bulldog spirit to us?
SEE YOU FRIDAY. MS. J. Davis
Posted by NTVL4EVA (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
!!!!!!!!!!!!Go Natchez High Bulldogs!!!!!! Joe Perry #20 you is a bad boy, that's the way you run that ball.
Posted by arthurspooner (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 2:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kubiak: Your post is hard to understand. You say that South Natchez won the state championship during the 1980 season and the 1981 season. The 1981 season was the first year that there was a playoff system to crown state champions. Could you please clarify?
Posted by waytoreal (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
the 1982 southnatchez team went 14-0 and beat starkville for the state title the last natchez team to win a state title.
Posted by SIOUXLADY (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 3:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
THOSE DAWGS ARE PLAYING THE FIELD.
GOOD GAME..
VERY PROUD TO BE FROM NATCHEZ.
Posted by sexysigmalady (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 4:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gud job NHS Dawgs! Blue and Gold love from across the county of Franklin!
Posted by TRON601 (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow. Good times!!! I had a great feeling about this week and guessed it to be a close one. I thought about this game all this week. Last time Natchez beat Hattiesburg was in 1997. The way NHS is playing now, the Big House is not out the picture. Dont take Petal lightly this year. They wasn't expecting us to knock them off their high roller bike last year 25-21. Especially going into the game being 10-1 in the regular season.
Posted by kubiak (anonymous) on November 7, 2009 at 10:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ARTHURSPOONER THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGAN IN 1980 AND ENDED IN 1981 THEN BEGAN AGAIN IN 1981 AND ENDED IN 1982.
Posted by Big_Red16 (anonymous) on November 8, 2009 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Lets go DAWGS!!! Lets go Natchez!! Get behind YOUR team and show OUR support.I WISH that the stands are PACKED Friday night!!All of NHS should be in there. This Community has something to be PROUD of. I Challenge the Mayor,Board of Aldermen, the Board of Supervisor ,and School Board ALL of you, to show your support and be in the stands on Friday night.This is YOUR team too.Bulldogs listen to your coaches and execute. Stay focus, you guys are WINNERS.Petal wants you guys because they think last year was a Fluke. Go show them that it was the REAL DEAL.GO DAWGS!!! Hit them hard and often!!! Run it Pass it and leave NO DOUT that NHS DAWGS are THE REAL DEAL!!!
Posted by pbl1978 (anonymous) on November 11, 2009 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Congratulation NHS football and staff. I knew you guys can do it, just remember to first of all thank God, pray, keep the faith, stay focus, and play as a team. I will be hollering for you guys on Friday. TO ALL THE NHS FOOTBALL FANS, LET'S CHEER THE GUYS ON FROM THE TIME THEY GET ON THE FIELD UNTIL THE END. LET'S NOT SIT IN THE STADIUM LIKE A LUMP ON THE LOG, THESE GUYS NEED TO BE FIRED UP AND STAY FIRED UP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KEEP THE WINNING SPIRIT UP BULLDAWGS. WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU GUYS AND THE COACHES.
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