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FLORENCE — While Natchez High School’s defense played better than it had in recent weeks, the offense still struggled to get across the end zone as the Bulldogs lost to the Florence High School Eagles 21-6 in a pivotal MHSAA Region 3-5A game for both teams Friday night.

“Same old, same old. Offensively, for some reason we still get in the red zone and we get a penalty or something. It’s the same thing every Friday,” Natchez High head coach Steve Davis said. “Defense played pretty good. Great week of practice. But for some reason, on Fridays we implode (offensively). We cannot finish what we started.”

Davis said he would have thought the Bulldogs’ offense would have had their red-zone struggles figured out this week, but they obviously did not and then he added, “Back to the drawing board.”

Rod Davis III scored on a four-yard run and the extra point gave Florence (5-4, 2-1) a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Natchez High got on the scoreboard later on in the quarter when Joshua Barnes ran in from 12 yards out, but the 2-point conversion attempt was no good and the Bulldogs trailed 7-6.

The Eagles made it 14-6 in their favor in the second quarter when Kayne Ashley scored on a two-yard run and the PAT was good once again.

Even though the Bulldogs’ defense held 16 WAPT’s Blitz 16 Player of the Week Bryan Davis in check, he busted out for a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give Florence a 14-point cushion.

“Like I told my kids, we are a couple of drives away from being 8-1. That’s the disheartening part,” coach Davis said.

Natchez High (5-4, 1-2) travels to Jackson to take on Region 3-5A foe Provine High School next Friday at 7 p.m.