NATCHEZ &8212; The success of the Natchez High School football team this season, can be credited to many things.

Coach Lance Reed would be the first on that list, but first on his list is the talented group of five seniors, in whom he entrusted the task of leading the team.

&8220;I told the team early on that we were going to ride our senior leadership and depend on them to succeed,&8221; Reed said. &8220;When they&8217;ve been on, we&8217;ve been successful. How they&8217;ve responded to challenges, how they&8217;ve practiced and how they&8217;ve played on Friday has been the key to how we&8217;ve done as a team.&8221;

As quarterback, Jason Bruce has more responsibility than any other player on the team, but it is a role he relishes and takes a great sense of pride in.

&8220;Me being the quarterback, I just try to do everything I can to be a leader,&8221; Bruce said. &8220;I&8217;m competitive and always want to win. My speed and legs allow me to be a play-maker.&8221;

Nicknamed &8220;Da Kidd&8221; by his teammates and family, Bruce has played like a man this season, delivering the big play whenever the team needed it most.

&8220;He&8217;s definitely one of the best athletes we have on the team,&8221; Reed said. &8220;A lot of what he does is just God-given talent, but even with all of his athletic ability, a lot of how well he performs has to do with his excellent decision making.&8221;

Bruce&8217;s go-to receiver and best friend is the talented but often overlooked Edward Johnson.

&8220;I tell people he&8217;s our best kept secret,&8221; Reed said. &8220;I&8217;ve been to camps and seen a lot of kids, but you won&8217;t find many that can catch the ball as well as he can. He is that guy that we look to when we think we have a mismatch. Anytime we can get him in man-on-man coverage in a game, we feel like that&8217;s a battle we&8217;re going to win.&8221;

On Friday nights, Johnson often makes the impossible catch look routine and credits his success to the chemistry he shares with his best friend and quarterback Jason Bruce.

&8220;He and I have that connection. He knows I can make the play when it&8217;s crunch time,&8221; Johnson said. &8220;I always feel like if the ball is in the air, it&8217;s mine.&8221;

At tailback the Bulldogs utilize three different players, each bringing a different skill set to the position.

Latarus Frazier is one of the leading rushers in the area, and coaches credit his production to his speed.

&8220;The one thing he has is big-play potential,&8221; Reed said. &8220;His speed allows him the opportunity to take it the distance every time he touches the ball. We see him as being that back that makes something happen. He&8217;s fun to watch and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what he&8217;ll do.&8221;

Andre Hayward is the thunder to Frazier&8217;s lightning. While Hayward doesn&8217;t have the speed to run away from defenders, he has the power to run over them.

&8220;It hasn&8217;t been easy for him. He came here with Katrina, and I think he was used to getting the bulk of the carries,&8221; Reed said. &8220;I think he has some of the best feet of any of our backs. He&8217;s strong as a bull and really has the ability to play at the next level.&8221;

According to teammates, Hayward is also a bit of a comedian and provides them with a laugh when things get too serious.

&8220;I bring the character to loosen the guys up,&8221; Hayward said. &8220;I keep a positive attitude and when the team needs a spark I feel I provide that.&8221;

Derrick McGee gets more attention for his achievements on the field, but what he is most proud of are his achievements in the classroom, where he puts in the hard work that have made him an honor roll student this season.

&8220;The team is based in the foundation of being a good person and a good student, if you do that then the football takes care of itself &8212; Derrick is one of those guys that does all of that,&8221; Reed said.

While McGee is well rounded off the field, that part of his nature also carries over onto the field.

&8220;We look at Frazier as the speed back, Hayward as the power, but Derrick (McGee) has both,&8221; Reed said.

Reed said it&8217;s been a challenge working with all of the different personalities possessed this year&8217;s group of seniors, but when this season comes to an end it will have been one they can all take a sense of pride in.

&8220;There is talent in that group,&8221; Reed said. &8220;They&8217;re very deserving of all that the future holds for them &8212; so long as they keep their heads on straight.&8221;