NATCHEZ

&8212; The list of Natchez&8217;s accomplishments keeps growing by the week.

The Bulldogs (4-4 overall, 2-3 in District 3-5A) won their second straight district game with a 31-0 victory over Forest Hill on Friday night at Tom F. Williams Memorial Stadium.

The victory keeps Natchez in the playoff hunt &8212; something the program hasn&8217;t experience this late in the season in many years &8212; thanks to back-to-back district wins over Jim Hill and Forest Hill.

Faster than you can say playoff contention, Natchez High has a winning streak.

&8220;Last week was big for us because it&8217;s been a while since this program has won a district game,&8221; Natchez coach Lance Reed said. &8220;This program hasn&8217;t won two district games in a row in a while, either. That&8217;s another accomplishment. We just want a chance to be in contention (for a playoff berth.)

&8220;We worked hard in the offseason. We credit all of our success to the work we put in the off-season. It didn&8217;t happen overnight, and it&8217;s not a fluke. It&8217;s the result of hard work.&8221;

If the Bulldogs keep winning &8212; they have remaining games against district foes Wingfield and Hattiesburg &8212; they can secure a playoff spot.

&8220;When we had four games to go, we said we had to win all four,&8221; Reed said. &8220;Two down, two to go.&8221;

Natchez dominated Forest Hill from the opening whistle, as quarterback Jason Bruce threw a 46-yard touchdown to Edward Johnson and he added a 42-yard touchdown run in the second half.

Brandon Lewis added two short touchdown runs.

The Natchez defense held the Rebels to (0-8) to 51 yards on 34 carries, and the Bulldogs threw the Rebs for a loss on a six straight running plays in the second half.

Forest Hill finished with 148 yards, but 61 of them came on a second-half screen pass that got the ball to the Natchez 8. Four plays later, Natchez had the ball at their own 31.

The Natchez special teams even got into the act, as Johnny Williams blocked a second-half punt and Broderick Jackson returned it 7 yards for the game&8217;s final touchdown.

&8220;This feeling right here, winning two straight district games, is something I&8217;ve never experienced as part of the public school system in Natchez,&8221; Bruce said.

&8220;We know we&8217;ve got two more games to go. This will give us the incentive to work a little harder.&8221;

Natchez players rushed onto the field after the game, flashing grins and exchanging high-fives to celebrate their winning streak.

Even though it was a homecoming win, there were some setbacks.

The Bulldogs were flagged 11 times for 96 yards in penalties, and SeMel Washington had an electrifying 96-yard punt return in the first half nullified by an illegal block.

There was also the matter of the scoreboard not working, which delayed kickoff for about five minutes before officials decided to keep the time on the field.

Bruce said he had &8220;no idea&8221; why the Bulldogs commited so many penalties, and Reed said his team didn&8217;t overlook winless Forrest Hill.

&8220;I hope that&8217;s not the case,&8221; Reed siad. &8220;We&8217;re not the kind of team that can look past anybody.&8221;

With two straight district wins, though, the Bulldogs may be looking forward to a playoff berth.