NATCHEZ — Gradual improvement is the name of the game for Natchez High School.

And head coach Lance Reed said he hopes those improvements show up during the game as the Bulldogs (3-0) host Warren Central at 7:30 tonight.

Warren Central has three losses to date, but Reed said they’re not a team to be overlooked.

“They haven’t even won a game yet, but they’re an extremely solid team,” Reed said. “They run the ball well, and they have an excellent playmaker in running back Kourey Davis.”

It’s also important to take into account the teams Warren Central has played, Reed said.

“They lost to some pretty good teams in Pearl, Hattiesburg and Callaway,” Reed said. “We definitely don’t want to be their first victory.”

Reed said his team has had a solid week of practice, and he’s looking forward to seeing the results tonight.

“We’re practicing a little better,” he said. “We’re showing more of a sense of urgency. We’re a high-tempo team, so we have to practice that way. We’re increasing the tempo in practice, and we hope that translates (tonight).”

Reed said part of that conference play begins in two weeks.

“There’s definitely an all-around sense of urgency to steadily get better for regional play,” Reed said. “We have a bye week next week, but we start regional play after that when we travel to Meridian.”

With the urgency has come some noticeable improvements as well.

“We’ve seen good improvements in a lot of areas,” Reed said. “We’re still waiting on some of our players to do what we expect. We have some positions that are unpleasing at the moment.”

Having a number of new starters has something to do with that, Reed added.

“It’s a combination of things,” Reed said. “Some guys can naturally step up to the challenge, and for others it takes a little longer.”

One player who’s seen noticeable improvement is running back Larry Chatman, who began fall camp behind in his workouts, Reed said.

“He’s getting better every week. He makes plays, and he’s a tremendously talented young man when he touches the ball,” Reed said. “We’re pleased with his performance.”