NATCHEZ &045; A thriller of a game came down the final seconds, as the Natchez High defense stopped Port Gibson’s Preston Odom one yard short of the end zone.

Had Odom made good that two-point conversion, the Blue Waves would have taken a lead with 37 seconds remaining in the game.

As it happened, all Natchez had to do was stave off an onside kick attempt by Port Gibson and kneel the ball twice to secure season-opening 39-38 victory for the Bulldogs.

It shouldn’t have been that close. The Bulldogs took a 39-24 lead with 9:32 left to go in the game when linebacker Marcus Johnson scooped up a fumbled snap and ran it back 33 yards for a score.

But the Natchez defense faltered down the stretch, allowing Port Gibson to get two quick strikes behind the arm of Blue Wave quarterback Danuell Lucas, who threw for 88 yards and a touchdown on those two drives.

And then it happened. The Bulldog defense needed one stop and it got it, as several Natchez defenders dragged Odom down, all but ensuring the win.

&uot;I’m checking my heart to see if it’s still beating,&uot; Natchez head coach Lance Reed said. &uot;They had a chance to go for two for the win, and we stopped them. I’m just so proud of (my team). They deserve it.&uot;

Natchez led for most of the game but simply could not put the Blue Waves away. Both teams were hurt by costly fumble; Natchez lost three, Port Gibson lost four in the game. And both offenses moved with ease against their opponents.

&uot;It was a heck of a game,&uot; Reed said. &uot;The kids played hard. They brought out all the heart and determination we’ve been trying to instill in them.&uot;

Natchez running back Travis Washington ran for 158 yards on 20 carries and scored two touchdowns in the game, though he struggled in the second half, gaining just 26 yards on eight carries.

&uot;(The win) feels real good, especially after last year,&uot; Washington said. &uot;We have a lot more work to do, but after that, we’re going to take it all the way.&uot;

The Bulldogs employed a two-quarterback system with Riley Trask and Jason Bruce and both were effective.

Trask ran for 71 yards and passed for 55, and Bruce had 47 rushing yards and 30 passing yards.

Both quarterbacks also tricked the Blue Wave defense into jumping offside nine times, including once on consecutive plays, by altering their snap cadences.

Port Gibson was led by Lucas, who threw for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the game and a slew of running backs.

Darion Coleman, Odom and Jeremy Brandon all ran for more than 50 yards in the game. The Natchez defense missed a number of tackles and was beat deep by the Blue Waves receiving corps on several occasions.

&uot;Defensively, we have to be able to make better stops,&uot; Reed said. &uot;Honestly, we got better from last week &045; I know that’s hard to believe &045; but we still have some improvement to go. But I’m just so proud of them. Those kids could have easily given up, but they didn’t.&uot;