Coach Lance Reed and his Bulldogs are coming off a huge 48-45 win over Oak Grove last week. It was the first time Reed has beaten the Warriors since he arrived as head coach at Natchez. This week his team will travel to Brandon to take on another set of Bulldogs in Region 3-6A play. CoachesAid.com sat down with Coach Reed to talk about the season so far and what lies ahead for his squad.
Q: Coach, you got off to a great start with three wins to open the season ... tell us about that.
Natchez defeated Oak Grove 48-45 last week.
A: We got off to a great start, 3-0. We usually start our season with local teams. We like to play those teams from a money standpoint, and it really excites our crowd and community. We opened with Jefferson County and won 59-24. In Week 2, we traveled to Wilkinson County and won 44-14. And in Week 3, we beat Ferriday out of Louisiana.
Q: In Week 4, your team lost a heartbreaker to Warren Central. Talk about the game.
A: It was our first opportunity to a bigger school. Warren Central is a 6A team, and we wanted to see how our guys could match up. They beat us. We had a lot of turnovers, and it was a little disappointing to see.
Q: We have to talk about the game against Oak Grove -- what a win for your program.
A: Well, first we played Meridian, who is an outstanding team. After that game, we really started to prepare for the Warriors. All week we kept saying that we wanted to give ourselves a chance to win. We had to focus on the little things, and our guys did just that. It is definitely a huge win for our program. It was the first time we have beat those guys since I have been here. It really showed that our program is headed in the right direction.
Javon Washington looking for a receiver down field.
Q: Talk about having a quarterback like Javon Washington.
A: Javon is quality player. He has started since his freshman year. He is a competitor and an outstanding athlete. He can make plays with his arms and legs.
Q: When you have a guy like Washington or a player who you can sort of tell will play at the next level, what do you do as a coach to prepare that player?
A: That is what our entire program is about. We talk about the guys’ future all the time. You know, you have to be a good student. It is not all about football. When you are a high school athlete it is easy to lose focus. It is a challenge, but we really stress to our guys to do the right things to prepare for the next level.
Q: This week you face a 4-2 Brandon team that has played well this season.
A: Brandon is a very disciplined team. They play good old-fashioned football. It is very seldom that they make a mistake, and they always play a tough game. It will be a very physical matchup for our guys. I expect it to be a barn-burner.
Q: What is one thing that you always tell your guys before you hit the field on Friday nights?
A: We have something to prove as a program. We are an up-and-coming team that wants to be known around the state. We also tell our guys that they cannot be comfortable or complacent where they are at. They have to strive to become better.
Q: What is something maybe a former coach of yours did or maybe told you that you use with your players today?
A: Well, I played under Tom Williams, and one thing that he always stressed to us was toughness. We had to be tough in all aspects of the game. He always wanted us to be a tough team. Also, he wanted to let people know that if you were playing Natchez football, you would be facing a tough challenge.
CoachesAid.com will be at the Natchez-Brandon game, so look for live updates and postgame coverage.
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