PICAYUNE &045; If it’s not one thing, it’s the other.

Natchez High’s defense had its finest performance of the year, but the Bulldogs still couldn’t pull out a win against Picayune. Natchez fell 28-6 to the Maroon Tide in a game that was closer than the score might indicate.

&uot;If you take away two big runs (for Picayune), it’s a 14-6 game,&uot; Natchez co-offensive coordinator Trey Woodard said. &uot;The rest of the night they just ran the ball for three or four yards at a time.&uot;

The Natchez offense had a chance to punch one in late in the first half that would have made the score 14-6 at the break but couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. The Bulldogs’ only score came on a pass from Jason Bruce to wide receiver DeKeedrian Jackson midway through the third quarter that was too little, too late.

But for the Bulldogs, it was a story of mistakes on offense that proved extremely costly.

&uot;We had one good drive killed by a turnover and one killed by penalties,&uot; Woodard said.

Picayune’s run-heavy offense was largely kept under control by the Natchez defense, though a few big plays hurt.

The Maroon Tide completed all three passes it attempted but kept the ball on the ground virtually the entire game.

The Natchez defense loaded up on the run, putting nine men in the box on many plays and blitzing frequently in an effort to catch runners in the backfield.

&uot;The defense was awesome, particularly considering how they’ve been,&uot; Woodard said. &uot;It’s the best game we’ve played all year on defense.&uot;

The Bulldogs may be able to build on that solid defensive performance as the Bulldogs move into the heart of their season.

The Bulldogs will continue region play next week when they host Meridian, one of top-ranked teams in the state.