NATCHEZ — Natchez High School head coach Roy Rigsby had to be concerned about facing the wrong opponent in which his team would not be able come back and win after getting off to a slow start.
His worst fears came true Friday night as the defending MHSAA Class 3A state champion Jefferson Davis County High School Jaguars jumped out to a big lead and rolled to 40-12 win over the Bulldogs at Tom F. Williams Memorial Stadium.
“They’re a talented team,” Rigsby said. “We did the same things again that we did against Jefferson County and Port Gibson. We started off slow. Against the three-time state champs, you can’t do that.”
Offensively, Natchez High was not able to get anything going against a solid Jefferson Davis County defense for much of the first three quarters. By the time they finally found the end zone, the Bulldogs had already trailed 27-0.
“They’ve got the cover guys that can cover,” Rigsby said. “But it wasn’t the cover guys that hurt us. It was their pass rush. We didn’t have the pass protection.”
The Jaguars (3-2) used their bevy of running backs to wear down the Bulldogs and score one touchdown after another.

“They’ve got a trail. Multiple backs. They’re a run-heavy team. They have three or four good running backs,” Rigsby said. “The second half, we were able to adjust to what they were doing. But at the same time, all they needed was a crease. They stayed in the traditional wing-T set. Most teams like to spread you out.”
Jefferson Davis County scored two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter to go up 40-6 before the Bulldogs scored again at the 7:42 mark of the quarter.
Natchez High (2-1) begins MHSAA Region 3-5A play next Friday at 7 p.m. when it travels to Jackson to take on Wingfield High School.