WOODVILLE — Two doors seemed to be closed for Wilkinson County High School in their opener against Natchez High School Friday night.

But with two doors closed, another one was open, and running back La’Darian Peterson burst through that door to the tune of 162 yards and a touchdown en route to a 34-32 Wildcat win.

The Bulldogs made sure to key in on WCHS standout athletes Devin Voorhies and Allenzae Staggers, and that strategy seemed to work. Staggers was limited to three catches for 25 yards, while Voorhies was only 7 for 11 in passing for 56 yards. But NHS head coach Lance Reed said Peterson stepped up in a big way for the Wildcats.

“When you’re focused on two guys, another guy can step up and make plays,” Reed said. “He served his team’s purpose by picking up the slack with us focused on the other guys.”

NHS’s Sidney Davis, meanwhile, had a productive day at quarterback. He was 13-for-15 in passing for 181 yards and two touchdowns, and he also totaled 90 yards rushing on 13 carries.

“Sidney is who we thought he was — a competitor,” Reed said. “He made plays often and played with great effort. We’re proud of what he can do and expect him to get better at that position.”

Davis had an 8-yard touchdown carry in the first quarter for NHS and a 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Bulldogs’ John Ferguson scored on a 67 yard run in the third, and Lee Jackson caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Davis in the third.

NHS scored its final touchdown in the fourth quarter when Davis hit Malik Byrd for a 52-yard touchdown pass.

But the Wildcats were able to edge the Bulldogs, as Voorhies completed one touchdown pass to Staggers, and Peterson ran for another touchdown. WCHS had 373 yards on the ground compared to NHS’s 227, but the Bulldogs edged the Wildcats in passing yards, 181 to 56.

“It was a barn-burner to start off the season, and we knew it’d be that way,” Reed said. “We’re proud of both teams’ effort. They just made a few more plays than we did.”

NHS (0-1) will host Jefferson County High School next Friday, while WCHS (1-0) will travel to Louisville next Friday.