It just comes down to pride. That’s what it’s all about now,&uot; said Natchez High head football coach Elbert &uot;Mo&uot; Lyles, who leads his 1-7 Bulldogs into a contest at Meridian today at 7:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs are 0-4 in Region 3-5A play.

Meridian is 5-3 overall and 3-1 in region play, one game behind Provine.

Natchez is coming off a 33-6 loss to Wayne County last week.

&uot;We said after last Friday’s game that it’s gut-check time,&uot; Lyles said. &uot;We have to play hard every game and every play until the last play of the season.&uot;

Meridian defeated Northwest Rankin 34-19 last week.

&uot;They are always known for scoring points,&uot; Lyles said. &uot;They beat Wayne County 21-0. They have a balanced offense. They pass the ball well and have a pretty good tailback who does a good job of getting through the seam and into the open field. They are not real large, but they do a lot of things right.&uot;

Lyles said he wants the seniors to go out on a winning note in these last two games.

Natchez will hosts the Brandon Bulldogs next Friday in its finale.

&uot;You want to continue to build, and there’s not a better way to build than off a win,&uot; Lyles said. &uot;We’ve got seniors who have laid it on the line and that means a lot to the coaches. We need to try and instill that into our underclassmen. If we put everything together, we could got out winners. It’s another challenge for our young kids. And I know the seniors want to go out with a win. We’re going to do everything we can to bring a win back from Meridian.&uot;

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