PORT GIBSON &045; Natchez had the game under control before many of the Bulldogs’ fans got into their seats.

Part of that was the fact that the game kicked off at 7 p.m. &045; 30 minutes earlier than the Natchez coaching staff expected &045; but it had more to do with the Natchez offense.

Edward Johnson scored four touchdowns in the game’s first 19 minutes, and quarterback Jason Bruce threw three touchdowns and added a 31-yard touchdown run in a 47-22 victory Friday night.

Game over.

The blowout victory was especially sweet for a Natchez team that suffered through a 1-10 campaign last season.

&uot;It was a big win, because we’ve been working hard,&uot; Bruce said. &uot;We’ve been working all summer, five days a week at 8 o’clock in the morning and sometimes twice a day. This was a way to show that we’re getting better.&uot;

Natchez coach Lance Reed echoed the &uot;hard work&uot; theme.

&uot;We want our kids to see that hard work pays off, and they saw some signs of that tonight,&uot; Natchez coach Lance Reed said. &uot;We’re getting a little better &045; not a lot better. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.&uot;

Bruce finished 8-for-17 passing for 184 yards, and he directed an offense that rolled up 312 yards rushing, 496 total yards and scored on its first four possessions.

Johnson touched the ball only four times &045; all touchdowns &045; and finished with 146 total yards. Johnson caught touchdown passes of 34, 24 and 29 yards, and he also scored on a 69-yard run around right end.

Then, just as quickly, Johnson’s night was finished. He sat out the rest of the game, except for one play in the second half, with leg cramps.

&uot;We all did good and showed that hard work pays off,&uot; said Johnson, who also said he had never scored four touchdowns in a game before Friday night.

The Natchez defense also excelled, forcing five turnovers and constantly harassing Port Gibson quarterback Denzel Marbley. Samuel Washington and Desmond Smoot intercepted passes, and senior defensive end Markus Johnson recovered two fumbles.

Johnson also turned in what was perhaps the best individual play of the night when the took the ball away from Port Gibson tailback Maurice Crutison early in the second half.

&uot;He tried to cover it up, and I just got my hand in there,&uot; he said. &uot;It was a spur of the moment thing.&uot;

Crutison provided most of the few highlights for Port Gibson, scoring on a 67-yard run and returning a kickoff 82 yards for another touchdown. Fullback Jacques Odom also scored on an 8-yard run and scored two 2-point conversions.

After the Bulldogs jumped on top 27-0, they took a 33-8 lead into halftime.

Natchez’s Broderick Jackson scored on an 18-yard run in the third quarter, and Latarus Frazier added a 35-yard touchdown run.

Everything wasn’t good news for the Bulldogs, however, as Natchez lost three fumbles and were flagged eight times.

Bulldogs kicker Brandon Lewis also struggled, missing several extra points and having a field goal blocked in the first half.

Natchez got a break on the blocked kick when officials blew the play dead, negating what would have been a touchdown on the return by Port Gibson.

The positives outweighed the negatives, especially the Bulldogs’ quick-strike offense and the explosive Bruce-to-Johnson combination.

&uot;It was good to come out and put up a big number early,&uot; Bruce said.