NATCHEZ — Coming off of a 33-27 loss to Wilkinson County, (0-1) Natchez High School looks to get back to .500 by beating Jefferson County at home this Friday.

The task will be much easier said than done, as Jefferson County is coming off of a 20-8 victory against South Pike, a game in which head coach James Herrington said the team played lights out on defense.

“The team is high, but surprisingly focused right now,” Herrington said. “We know that game is just one of many. The main thing is to go out and build on what we did last week. We played well, but not perfect.”

While Jefferson County is riding high off of a win, Natchez is trying to get the team back on track after a disappointing start to the season.

“I’m not saying it’s a must-win situation, but a win is important to keep the team’s morale positive,” Natchez head coach Henry Garner said.

Natchez is looking to correct some hiccups that helped lead to four turnovers in its loss to the Wildcats last Friday. One priority of practice this week has been correcting snap miscues, as the center-quarterback exchange disrupted the offensive flow and led to a fumble.

“I was actually surprised that was an issue,” Garner said. “We’ve been doing well in practice, and I expect us to do much better this Friday.”

Natchez has also prepared to defend Jefferson County’s offensive attack which features physical running backs running behind an offensive line that Garner said looks impressive firing off the ball. Meanwhile, Herrington is looking to defend the Bulldogs’ speed.

“They have shifty speed players that can do damage, and our secondary has to be prepared against them,” Herrington said. “They have a young man at quarterback (Chris Scott) who can really throw the football.”

As for who will start against Natchez, Herrington said it would be a game-time decision. Veteran athlete James Claiborne led the team to victory at quarterback against South Pike, but Herrington said sophomore Dykevis Ford could start against the Bulldogs Friday.

Kickoff between both local teams will be at 7 p.m. at Natchez High School.