NATCHEZ — Natchez High coach Lance Reed is looking for a turnaround from a Sept. 19, 21-19 loss to Franklin County in which the Bulldogs racked up 24 penalties for 191 yards.

But Friday’s match-up against No. 10 Meridian High might be a tough time to rebound. The 3-1 Wildcats’ only loss came against the top team in the state, Wayne County.

Region 3-5A Meridian reached the state semifinals last season and return many of their biggest players, including quarterback Tyler Russell, who threw for 2,481 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2007.

Wide receivers Chris Smith, Marcus McQuarley and Hamp Glover also return — the three combined for 123 catches for 2,261 yards and 23 scores this past season. And sophomore defensive lineman Jacoby Eason had five sacks and 58 tackles in his breakout freshman year.

“They’re a spread team, kind of like us. They run it quite well,” Reed said. “They have a committee to Mississippi State, their quarterback (Russell), and they also have a receiver who committed to Mississippi State — two of several weapons on their team.”

The two met up last year as well, and the Wildcats took a 28-14 victory.

But Reed said he is working more on his team than on the upcoming game.

“Speed is their biggest asset — they’re fast. They have a lot of athletes with speed, and they’re going to play tough at home,” he said. “But we’re focusing more on ourselves, making sure we come out and play a complete game and minimize mistakes like unwarranted penalties. We need to execute the things we want to do.”

For Reed, sophomore quarterback JavonWashington is stepping into his role as a young leader. He completed 19-of-28 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions against Franklin County in the Bulldogs loss.

And Rico Richardson, a senior wide receiver and running back, is Reed’s go-to guy.

Richardson caught seven passes for 111 yards and two scores while rushing for 31 yards on three carries against Franklin County last Friday.

Friday will be a challenge, Reed said, but so will every game from here until the end of the season.

“It’s really the beginning. We’ve broken our season down into two separate seasons,” he said.

“We’ve ended the first, non-district play, and we’re starting a new season, which is district play. We realize it’s a long road ahead.”

Kickoff for tonight’s game is at 7:30 p.m. at Meridian High School.