Jefferson County head coach Johnny Dunbar Jr. said Thursday he was worried about the versatility of Natchez quarterback Donald Butler.

He should have been terrified.

Butler ran for three touchdowns and threw for two in a 34-0 mugging Friday in Natchez’s home opener against the Tigers.

&uot;He’s an athlete,&uot; said Natchez head coach Elbert &uot;Mo&uot; Lyles. &uot;He’s the type kid you want at quarterback. He’ll give you everything and more.&uot;

Passing, Butler went 5-12 with 123 yards and no interceptions. On the ground, he carried seven times for 97 yards.

Jefferson quarterback Londell Eanochs did not fair nearly as well, throwing 4-19 for only 30 yards.

Senior Bulldog defensive back Rodney Lewis intercepted one of Eanochs’ passes.

Senior Bulldog Roderick Conner had a solid game rushing, earning 56 yards on nine carries.

Edwin Skipper led Natchez in receiving with 102 yards and a touchdown on two catches.

Carl Butler made his only catch of the night count, hauling in a perfect 15-yard fade pass from Butler in the corner of the endzone for the last Bulldog touchdown of the night.

Penalties were Jefferson’s greatest foe Friday, as 17 rule infractions backed the Tigers up 104 yards.

Though pleased with the win, Lyles obviously had his sights set on next week, when Natchez hosts Gulfport, a team ranked 16th overall in the state.

&uot;We’ve got a test next week,&uot; Lyles said. &uot;We’ve got some mistakes to correct, and a hard week of practice ahead.&uot;

Butler said the Bulldogs are ready for Gulfport.

&uot;They put a whoopin’ on us last year,&uot; he said. &uot;We ain’t forgot about it. We’ve got something for them.&uot;