NATCHEZ — Melvin Pete enjoys seeing his Natchez Bulldogs play physically against opposing colors.

Before the Bulldogs’ 16-6 loss at Hazelhurst’s jamboree Friday, Pete worried if his Bulldogs’ would hit the opposing team as tenaciously as they instigated contact at practice. He found his answer early.

“I was most happy to see that,” Pete said. “We were upbeat because it was the first time we went into battle.”

The follow-up battle counts as far as Natchez’s record goes. Wilkinson County High School will visit the Bulldogs this Friday, and Wilkinson County head coach Kenneth Brown wants to do more than just compete against the 5A Natchez High.

“My thing is Natchez is Natchez,” said Brown, comparing his 3A Wilkinson County team to the Bulldogs. “We want to win, that’s our goal, but as long as we compete, I’m happy. We have to compete Friday night.”

Brown is missing a vital piece of his offensive and defensive production from last season in Devin Voorhies. Voorhies now plays at LSU, leaving the quarterback position wide open for Desmond Hunter.

“He’s looking good throwing the ball,” Brown said. “Last year, he was a backup, but we knew he could sling it.”

Though Pete might not have seen Hunter up close in action, his team did in the summer in 7-on-7 competitions.

“They were telling me all about him and some of the other players,” Pete said. “Of course, Wilkinson County relied heavily on Voorhies last year, but we’re not underestimating (Wilkinson County) without him.”

As of Monday, Brown said he could only get his hands on small portions of Natchez film. When asked about who he needed to scheme around defensively, he referenced Sidney Davis.

“We know we have to deal with that receiver,” Brown said. “We saw the freshman at quarterback (Chris Scott) over the summer, so we know a little bit about them. As far as knowing the others, we’re working on learning more about them.”

Natchez and Wilkinson County will kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday night at Natchez High.