NATCHEZ — Natchez High head football coach Lance Reed has done many great things during his time at the helm of the Bulldogs program.

Under his watch, the Bulldogs rose from the ashes of two wins in three seasons earlier this decade to winning their first playoff game in over a decade last season.

But there is something that Reed had never done — beat Oak Grove.

Mission accomplished.

The Bulldogs got 392 passing yards and four touchdowns from quarterback Javon Washington to stun the No. 4 ranked Warriors 48-45 in a game that wasn’t decided until the final second.

“This is big for us,” Reed said. “We didn’t feel good about our performance last week (a 35-0 loss to Meridian) and we put a lot of effort into (Friday’s) game. We had to refocus and get back to basics and doing things the right way. I’m proud of the kids for the way they responded.”

Natchez trailed 45-42 when they got the ball back following an Oak Grove punt with 3:30 remaining.

It took the Bulldogs just over 90 seconds to score, with Washington finding Santorius Pollard from 10 yards out to give the Bulldogs a 48-45 lead with 1:55 left.

Pollard caught 13 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns on the night, but it was a defensive play he made a few minutes later that might have been the play of the game.

With Oak Grove backed up to its 16-yard line and 35 seconds left, the Warriors ran a halfback pass that worked to perfection.

The play looked like it might go for a touchdown, but Pollard chased down the receiver at the 23-yard line with 20 seconds remaining.

After two incomplete passes, the Warriors brought out Evan Sobiesk to try and tie the game with a 40-yard field goal with six seconds remaining.

However, the kick was wide and the Bulldogs had their upset.

“Santorius Pollard made a tackle that saved the game for us,” Reed said. “He had a big night for us offensively and defensively.”

In addition to Washington’s 392 passing yards, the junior quarterback also rushed for 96 more yards.

“Javon showed the type of player he is tonight,” Reed said. “He stepped up and made tremendous plays for us.”

With the win, Natchez improves its overall record to 4-2 and evens its Region 3-6A record at 1-1.

But more importantly, Friday’s win over a perennial state power showed just how far the Natchez program has come in a short time.

“There were a lot of people from previous years that were happy to see this finally happen,” Reed said. “It’s all about improving the program. Oak Grove is one of the top programs in the state, and for us to beat them says a lot about where we are.”