Natchez &8212; Mercy Cross may have left Natchez with the win, but Cathedral left with the promise of their coach returning for one more year.

After watching his team end an injury-plagued season with a 45-29 loss to the Crusaders, head coach Ken Beesley Sr. said he was pretty sure he would be back for one more season.

&8220;This year we never reached our potential because we had so many injury problems and I don&8217;t want to leave on that note,&8221; he said.

&8220;So I&8217;m probably going to try it one more year.&8221;

The Crusaders (8-2) used running game to build an early 14-0 lead. Blaine Lee scored from one-yard out and Sean Brauchle scored from 35 yards out in the first quarter.

That was the shortest of Brauchle&8217;s three touchdowns on the night. He sprinted in from 36 and 47 yards, part of his 234-yard performance.

The Green Way (3-7) regrouped in the second quarter, using a 17-yard pass from Patrick McDonough to Matthew Hall to cut the deficit in half.

They got the ball right back when defensive back Alex Johnson took the ball from Brauchle at the end of a run in Green Wave territory.

The play gave Cathedral the ball with 6:36 left before the half and a chance to tie the game, but the tide turned quickly.

McDonough was intercepted two plays later at the Crusader 39.

Two plays after they scored, Mercy Cross got the ball back on another interception.

They scored the next play and all of a sudden it was 28-7 at the 2:36 mark.

Brauchle, who intercepted the second pass, kicked a 36-yard field goal just before the break.

&8220;The difference in the ballgame was in the last three or four minutes of the first half. In a matter of four minutes, they score 17 points, other than that, we played them toe to toe,&8221; Beesley said.

The Green Wave went into halftime down 31-7.

It was the final game for the team&8217;s senior class &8212; Zack Calhoun, Charlie Lane, Daniel Hollowell, Hall, Murphy Hinson, Jerry Burkhardt and Lee Best &8212; and they went out in good fashion.

Daniel Hollowell rushed 17 times for 89 yards and caught two passes for 17 more. He scored a touchdown and ran in a two-point conversion to end his career on a high &8212; sort of &8212; note.

&8220;I had to leave everything on the field, I tried the best I could. We might not have won on the scoreboard, but we won on the field,&8221; Hollowell said.

&8220;We&8217;re disappointed because we couldn&8217;t give coach his 200th win.&8221;

Hall said he was sad about leaving football behind.

&8220;I can say we gave it everything we had, but I feel sad to walk away from it,&8221; Hall said. &8220;High school&8217;s the best thing I&8217;ll ever do in my life. I ain&8217;t lying.&8221;

Their coach appreciated their effort, 200th win or not.

&8220;I wish that they could have had a better year, but they gave us good leadership and they played hard,&8221; Beesley said.

Forrest White and Taylor Brantley made sure their more senior teammates had something to smile about late in the game.