BROOKHAVEN — The Natchez High Bulldogs let a halftime lead escape them Friday night on the road at Brookhaven, before eventually falling to their district foe 31-20.

Despite the loss, Natchez will be heading to the playoffs Friday as a No. 4 seed and will travel to face the No. 1 seeded Pearl River Central Blue Devils, a team that was in the Bulldogs’ district last season.

Natchez head coach Henry Garner said he was worried about the game after finding out the Bulldogs had already clinched a playoff berth last night with Provine defeating South Jones.

“When I first saw that I was worried,” Garner said. “I was bothered by that a little.”

Natchez scored all 20 of their points in the first half.

The Bulldogs scored on a 10-yard run from Earnest Woods and a 22-yard run from Tydarrius Terrell along with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Travez Lyles from Chris Scott.

Terrell was the leading rusher for the Bulldogs with 82 yards on 16 carries, while Scott led his team through the air completing 8-of-14 for 93 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

In the second half, the wheels fell off for Natchez, as they allowed 17 unanswered points, allowing the Panthers to run away with the game.

“We just got a bit sluggish and missed some assignments,” Garner said. “Brookhaven came ready to play. In spots we played well, but in other spots we had some miscues.”

Ultimately, though, Garner said he is glad his team’s season is continuing with a postseason game.

“Really as long as we get in, I’m good,” Garner said. “We should’ve earned the three seed with a win tonight and I have some mixed feelings about that.”

With a road game against one of the best 5A teams in the state coming up, Garner said it will take nothing short of the Bulldogs’ best game of the season to get a win.