NATCHEZ — The Natchez Bulldogs came out with a sense of urgency in the team’s first district game of the season Friday night.

That urgency, Natchez head coach Henry Garner said, created turnovers and poised quarterback play, leading to a 35-7 Natchez victory against Provine High School.

In the win, sophomore quarterback Chris Scott threw two touchdown passes to Malik Byrd and had a 14-yard touchdown run. But more importantly, if you ask Garner, Scott did not allow his own mistakes to frustrate him.

“He made a few miscues with interceptions, but when he made mistakes, he was able to bounce back,” Garner said. “We told him, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ and this time, he didn’t.”

Scott completed 8 of 12 passes for 97 yards, while Tydarrius Terrell rushed for only 21 yards, prompting offensive coordinator Rod Holmes to praise the defense after the game.

“They made plays all night and gave us good field position for us to score touchdowns,” Holmes said.

The Natchez defense forced two fumbles and intercepted three Provine passes. Bulldog defensive backs Desmond Dawson, Tommie Wells and Shavoke Herrington all had an interception in the contest.

“We still let them gain a bunch of yards because we weren’t tackling very well, but overall, they played aggressively,” Garner said.

Terrell put the Bulldogs on the board with a 5-yard run before Scott found Byrd from 14 yards out in the first quarter. Natchez took a 19-0 lead after Terrell scampered in from a yard out.

In the fourth quarter, Scott connected with Byrd on a 25-yard strike before capping the game off with his touchdown run.

“Ultimately, we came out and played like I wanted us to play,” Garner said. “We played with much more intensity then we did at the start of the season.”

Natchez, now 1-0 in district, will travel to take on the reigning Mississippi High School Activities Association 5A champions, Laurel High School, Friday.