NATCHEZ — The battle between the top two 1A teams in the state last week proved to be no contest for top-ranked Cathedral. The Green Wave cruised past Bogue Chitto 61-28 for its eighth win of the season.

Rushing said he would like the Green Wave to go ahead and secure its postseason fate this week when it hosts Dexter.

“This is a big district game,” he said. “We are down to three games left, and mathematically we haven’t clinched a playoff berth yet. If we win this week it would.

“It would be huge this early in the year, with two games left, knowing that we already have a spot.”

Dexter had a lot of success against the 2010 Green Wave team, and Rushing said it is important that this year’s squad plays its best game Thursday.

“We lost three games last year, and Dexter beat us twice,” he said. “It’s not really a revenge (game), but they beat us twice last year, and I think it’s important our kids play well.”

Rushing said Dexter is a very athletic team that will try to play man coverage on Cathedral’s receivers and use a lot of stunts on the defensive line to attempt to put pressure on Cathedral quarterback Caleb Upton.

“We have to be good at our assignments and picking up the blitz,” he said.

Dexter runs a spread offense and uses 6-foot-6-inch quarterback Clifford Fernandez to pass the ball to an athletic receiving corps, Rushing said.

“Our defensive line will have to get pressure on the quarterback,” he said. “We will have to be able to contain him and not let him run around. The longer he runs around the longer the receivers have to get free.”

Rushing said last week’s dominant performance in a high-profile game would not affect his team’s preparation for Dexter this week.

“They know Dexter is a very good program, and I think they are focused and ready to play,” he said.

Cathedral (8-0, 6-0) will host Dexter (4-4, 4-2) in the Region 4-1A contest at 7 p.m. Thursday.