photo by Hannah Reel

Natchez’s head coach Lance Reed discusses plays with his team during the game against Oak Grove Oct. 2 at Natchez High School. The Bulldogs will host winless Wingfield High School at 7 tonight.

Natchez Bulldogs hope to have a strong showing on Senior Night

By Michael Kerekes (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Friday, October 30, 2009

NATCHEZ — As is the case with many area high schools hosting their final home games of the season, Natchez High School will honor its seniors tonight with Senior Night.

And the possibility of the Bulldogs coming out with a win seems high, as they’re set to host Wingfield High School, which is 0-9 on the season.

Despite the record, however, Natchez head coach Lance Reed said the Falcons should not be taken lightly.

“They’re usually a big, athletic team that always plays hard,” Reed said. “Their record is winless, but they’re always a dangerous team.

“You never want to be ‘that team’ that a winless team gets its first win against. We expect them to shoot for a victory, play hard and give us a big challenge (tonight).”

Reed had praises for his group of seniors that will be gone after this year, and said the team feels their final home game is a must-win for them.

“We have 10 seniors, and they’re a great group of young men,” Reed said. “They’ve contributed a lot to the team, and will truly be missed.

“We’ve talked about how important this night is for the seniors, how it’s important that their last memory at home is to come out on top. The guys are really feeling the meaning of this game.”

That feeling, Reed said, has been noticeable in practice this week for Natchez.

“The kids are really (buying into) the fact that this is the final stretch of the season. It’s coming to an end, and they want to soak in as much football as possible.”

The focal point in preparing for tonight has been “on ourselves,” Reed said, and the game plan is to keep things simple.

“We’re focusing on executing our game plan and limiting turnovers. When we play turnover-free, we’re usually a tough team to deal with.

“On defense, we’re just trying to stay with the basics, to play in our base defense. Things tend to fit together well when we do that. We’re trying to play hard and get after people.”

The Natchez players will not only be giving attention to the seniors tonight, but also to a worthy cause, Reed said.

“It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and our players have made it a big deal, as far as making donations,” Reed said.

“It was their idea, and the coaching staff has bought into it. Several guys have had loved ones they lost to breast cancer, so it’s important to them. We’ll all wear the color pink in some form, whether it’s with a wristband, shoe laces, eye strips or something else.”

Natchez (6-3, 3-2) is set to kick off at 7 tonight.