NATCHEZ &8212; As the shadows stretched across the Tom F. Williams Memorial Stadium turf, the sun also set on Natchez&8217;s record-setting season.

The Lady Bulldogs&8217; run ended in the first round of the MHSAA South State Playoffs as Gulfport earned a 7-0 victory.

Despite the loss, Natchez coach Lena Yarbrough remained upbeat as her team capped a season of firsts: first division title, first playoff berth and first home playoff game.

&8220;We&8217;re looking forward to doing this again next year,&8221; she said.

Playoff experience &8212; or rather Natchez&8217;s lack of playoff experience &8212; influenced the outcome of this game.

While Natchez made the first playoff appearance in school history, the Lady Admirals were playing in the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven years.

Gulfport won the South State title in 2004, but the Lady Admirals performed like a team on a mission after missing the postseason in 2005.

&8220;I think not making the playoffs last year gave us something to prove this year in the playoffs,&8221; Gulfport coach Christopher Pryor said. &8220;Also, finishing second in our division gave a little edge to the game. So many of the girls, as young players, were part of that South State run, and they kind of know what it&8217;s about. It&8217;s you lose and go home, and they know the meaning of that.&8221;

The difference in the two teams&8217; postseason experience was evident in pre-game warm-ups, as Gulfport worked through drills with precision while Natchez (7-8-1) posed for group photos.

Gulfport took the opening kickoff, made four quick passes and had a shot on goal less than 10 seconds into the contest.

Natchez&8217;s nervousness was apparent.

&8220;I think they were satisfied with what they accomplished because of the types of teams we play around here,&8221; Yarbrough said. &8220;The type of team we played today is not the type of team we&8217;re used to play, obviously.

&8220;They were thrown off with how tight their passing was. I wanted them to hustle more to try to deter a lot of that good, tight passing.&8221;

Pryor praised Natchez&8217;s grit and hustle and said he was impressed with the team&8217;s defense.

&8220;We didn&8217;t know much about Natchez, but the fact that they are one of the 16 teams left in the state and they won their district, they deserve respect,&8221; Pryor said. &8220;We were definitely going to step out and play hard in the first few minutes, and we established a tempo.

&8220;I will say this: Natchez never stopped. They never quit. I can see why they won their district.&8221;

Gulfport (12-4-1) jumped out to a 5-0 halftime lead before Pryor played his second- and third-string for the final five minutes of the second half and the opening 30 minutes of the second half.

Once the Gulfport starters re-entered the lineup, the Lady Admirals added two more goals in the game&8217;s final 10 minutes.

Three Gulfport players &8212; sophomores Katherine Sams and Kelsey Myrick and eighth-grader Molly Atherton &8212; scored two goals apiece. Myrick added two assists, while Rebecca Bernheim and Atherton had one assist apiece.

Yarbrough said she wasn&8217;t upset about Gulfport&8217;s decision to re-insert the starters late in the second half, and Pryor said he wanted his team to &8220;keep the edge&8221; entering the second round of the playoffs.

&8220;When I put starters back on, it definitely wasn&8217;t to score more goals or run up the score,&8221; he said. &8220;I just didn&8217;t want them to get too laid back.&8221;

For Natchez, the loss ended the season, but it also signaled the program&8217;s first step toward contending for a state championship.

Much like the football team&8217;s success in the fall, the soccer program took its first step toward a state title.

After all, you can&8217;t win a state championship without earning a playoff berth.

&8220;This is a great step, not just for Natchez High, but for soccer in this area,&8221; Yarbrough said. &8220;You&8217;ve got Cathedral doing well in girls and boys, and the Natchez High boys and girls are both winning. Hopefully, this will make more kids realize that soccer is an up-and-coming sport in this area.&8221;