NATCHEZ — Cathedral and Franklin County’s boy’s soccer teams don’t really need any extra motivation when they play each other. Just wanting to defeat their rival is enough.

However, that extra motivation will be there tonight as the two teams face each other with the District 7-1A-3A championship on the line.

Franklin County comes into the game with a 4-1 district record while Cathedral is 3-1.

Franklin County can win the district with a victory over Cathedral while the Green Wave will win it with a victory tonight and then a win Friday against North Pike, which has won just one game this season.

But tonight’s game is just the latest twist in what has turned into a heated rivalry the past couple of years.

“This rivalry has really developed over the past few years,” Cathedral coach Rick Simons said. “Both teams are evenly matched and it should definitely be a good game.”

The rivalry has been marked by intense, physical play, which sometimes can go across the line, especially in last year’s season-finale, in which a playoff spot was on the line.

Cathedral won 2-0 in a game that featured three yellow cards and two red cards.

“That game got a little out of control for my taste,” Simons said. “(That game) was when the rivalry really took off. It has continued over into this year.”

Simons doesn’t want to see a repeat of last year’s game, so he has talked with his team about playing hard, but not crossing the line.

“That’s one of the things we’ve stressed to the kids,” Simons said. “They know hard, physical play and not to step over that line.”

But with the district championship on the line, Cathedral senior defender Harrison Burns knows both teams will come out fired up.

“It’s a big rivalry, plus you’re playing for a championship,” Burns said. “That means it’s going to be even more physical and more emotional. It’s always physical when we play Franklin County. They play us tough, but we play them right back.”

First-year Franklin County coach Jamie Madison said winning a district championship would be a great accomplishment for his team.

“This is huge for us,” Madison said. “All we wanted to do was have an opportunity to play for the championship this year.”

This will be the third time the teams have met this season.

Franklin County won 2-1 in the Brookhaven Preseason Tournament while Cathedral took a 1-0 victory in district play on Dec. 19.

However, Madison said the Bulldogs have changed up their offense since that game and have scored 21 goals in the past four games, including a 3-0 win over Loyd Star last Friday.

“We made some modifications (after that game) and it’s worked out for us,” Madison said. “We feel like we’re clicking right now.”