NATCHEZ — After its most successful season in more than a decade, the Natchez High football team is already preparing to one-up itself.

The Bulldogs started spring practice April 20, and the team’s main goal is simple — go farther than it did last season.

The Bulldogs defeated Petal 25-21 in the first round of the MHSAA Class 5A South State Playoffs, in their first postseason appearance since 1997, before falling to Oak Grove 35-15 in round two.

And for a team that went 2-31 from 2001 to 2003, things are really looking up.

“There’s a challenge ahead of us,” coach Lance Reed said. “That’s how programs work. New teams or classes attempt to do better than the previous teams. So that’s what we’re going to be looking at this year.”

Three weeks in to spring practice, with the team practicing in pads and shorts, Reed said he’s impressed with the number of new athletes who have turned out. Between 65 and 70 athletes are practicing this spring.

Those numbers, he said, could be due in part to last year’s success. But Reed said those new guys shouldn’t expect anything to come easily this year.

“We’re pleased with some new faces, and we hope they stay with it,” Reed said. “But it’s still going to boil down to them being committed to the program and being part of the team.”

The Bulldogs are graduating 20 seniors, including star players Rico Richardson, Willie Newman, Wesley Pendleton, Rolando Prater, Nick Brooks and Keith Dee.

With so many holes to fill, Reed said there will be plenty of opportunities for younger guys to step up.

And the person who has to show them the way is quarterback Javon Washington.

“The underclassmen are going to have to step in to make everything work,” Washington said. “I’ve got to get the underclassmen right and get them doing what they’re supposed to be doing. I’ve got to be louder, meaner — I just have to tell them what’s up.”

Washington will be a junior next season but has started at the quarterback position for two years.

And this year, Reed said there will be no excuses if he messes up.

“There’s no more young quarterback here,” Reed said. “He’s mature from the standpoint of experience. He has two years under his belt as a starter, so we expect a lot of things out of him.”

Washington said he’s still got a lot of work to do to fill in the leadership role, but it’s something he’s excited about.

He said he doesn’t think much at all about the pressure of leading the team.

“Everyone’s still got to learn all the plays, but it will go good in the fall,” Washington said. “Everything seems easier now because I’ve gotten used to it. And I’m going to take care of everything on the offensive side.”

Reed said his ultimate goal for the team is to reach the state championship game.

While there are other little goals under that umbrella, the team said it won’t be happy with anything less than the 5A state title.

And the Bulldogs are already getting started. They play a scrimmage with Port Gibson and Hazlehurst in Natchez at 6 p.m. Friday.

Running back Joel Davis, who will be a senior next year, said the community will have just as many expectations as the team does in 2009.

“We have to go farther in the playoffs,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll go all the way this time. It’s going to be on us, but we can do it.”