NATCHEZ — “Woo! Benito! Benito!”

The vibe at Natchez High School’s practice Thursday afternoon was infectious.

As players ran walkthroughs, teammates observing on the sidelines hollered everything from Wayne County star player “Benito Jones” to humming Alcorn State’s fight song.

“I would rather them be like this than be quiet,” Natchez defensive coordinator Dan Smith said. “I would like to see them be like this tomorrow.”

The Bulldogs are on a roll, and their spirits at practice reflect it. With a 2-1 district record and a 3-3 record overall — the Bulldogs are coming off of a 27-14 win against (6-2) South Jones — Natchez High looks ahead to an encounter with Wayne County tonight, a game in which Wayne County is heavily favored.

Judging from the scene at practice Thursday, the Bulldogs aren’t preparing for their own funeral, despite the absence of starting quarterback Chris Scott in the game.

“We feel like we can win district,” senior Natchez High linebacker Dalvion Jackson said. “We feel like we can compete with Wayne County.”

Of course, in order to stop Wayne County, Natchez High will have to prepare to stop Jones, who is one of the best defensive lineman in the state and has committed to play for Ole Miss. Accepting the challenge of facing Jones, when Jones plays defensive end, will be senior lineman Gerald Wiley. Wiley feels like he can give Jones a challenge in the trenches.

“He just has more colleges looking at him, but both of us are human,” Wiley said. “I’m just going to go in, and it’ll be a one-on-one fight all night. Let the best man win.”

Should Natchez upset Wayne County tonight, the Bulldogs will continue to climb the power rankings, which according to Max Preps, has the Bulldogs already eligible to be in the playoffs.

Smith said the excitement around the program and hope for a postseason berth has created a buzz around the school.

“We’re actually smelling the playoffs,” Smith said. “I think that’s enough to get them excited.”

Before any talk of postseason play happens, though, Natchez will need to pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets of the year, as Wayne County is 5-2 with its only two losses coming against Archbishop Rummel, which was televised nationally, and a one-point loss against 6A Oak Grove.

“To be the best, you have to beat the best,” Smith said. “They’re playing high level ball, so this will be a great test for us.”