Natchez works out the kinks in spring game

By Jeff Edwards (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Saturday, May 17, 2008

NATCHEZ — After a one-day delay, the Natchez High football team christened the end of spring practices with the annual Blue and Gold Spring Game Friday at Tom F. Williams Memorial Stadium.

Led by the play of offensive MVP Giovanni Dent, the Gold team defeated the Blue team 26-10.

Dent threw two first-quarter touchdown passes to Rico Richardson and then ran for a long touchdown to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter.

“He had a great day,” Natchez High coach Lance Reed said. “He did a lot of things well. A lot of the things he did in the game today he hadn’t been doing in practice. It’s good for us to see him do that.”

While Dent had a great day as the Gold team’s quarterback, Blue team quarterback and Natchez’s starting signal caller last year Javon Washington had a day he’d rather forget.

While he ran for a touchdown, the sophomore-to-be threw an interception at the goal line and then was knocked out of the game with a slight concussion.

“We had to put a guy out there who had never even played quarterback in practice because our other two quarterbacks were on the Gold team,” Reed said. “That threw us off a bit.”

Reed was also disappointed in the number of penalties in the game, which he said showed a lack of discipline.

“This was like an intense practice,” Reed said. “You’re going to get that in practice. We’ve got to make sure we’re doing things right in a game situation. We’ve got a lot to build on still.”

Natchez will now take two weeks off before beginning their summer conditioning program.