High School Team Preview: Natchez Bulldogs

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering AJ30 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> The Natchez Bulldogs are one of the top sleeper teams in 5A this season. This team returns a lot of talent, and looks to have one of the more explosive offenses in the state on paper. Let’s dive in and check it out! <strong>OVERVIEW</strong> Starting their 2020 season off hot, Natchez won 5 of their first 7 games before finishing on a three game losing slide at the end of the year. It should be noted that this was a young team last season with most of the key contributors being sophomores and juniors. While the result of last season may have not been in their favor, Natchez allowing their youth to play through will pay dividends this year. This young team isn’t young anymore. On offense, Natchez is lead by a three headed monster in senior quarterback <strong>Kyreek Murray</strong>, junior wideout/running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="107299" first="Traylon" last="Minor"]</strong>, and junior wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="108978" first="Mike" last="Williams"]</strong>. All three of these players led the Bulldogs in production for their respective position and are set to take over this year. Signal caller Kyreek Murray has a huge arm capable of making any throw asked, and also has the body type and athleticism to be a threat in the run game. [player_tooltip player_id="107299" first="Traylon" last="Minor"] is one of the most explosive athletes on the team, rushing for 749 yards and posting 194 yards as a receiver. Natchez does a great job at getting him the ball in space. Leading receiver [player_tooltip player_id="108978" first="Mike" last="Williams"] has been a big name to know this offseason, gaining interest from instate universities such as Ole Miss. This is as talented a trio as anywhere in 5A this year. On the defensive side of the ball, Natchez loses two key members of the secondary, but returns many of their key members up front. Senior linebacker <strong>Jerome Timmons </strong>will look to build on a big junior campaign, where he made over 5 tackles per game. Timmons is a force in the run game, but can also drop back and cover in space. Senior defensive back <strong>DK McGruder</strong> will look to take over the secondary and put opposing receivers on an island. On the defensive line, Rodrick Simpson and Tyler Lyles will look to step up and generate pressure. This unit will look to turn around a defense that allowed multiple 40+ point games last season. Overall, this is a team that is set to make a huge run at the region title this upcoming season. Natchez offense looks hard to stop, and if the defense improves, the wins in the win column ought to start adding up quickly. This young team has had plenty of time to continue developing in the offseason and will look to capitalize on the talent they have in the rising senior and junior classes. <strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="128047" first="Landen" last="Sewell"] | 2023 OL With any explosive offense, production hinges on the ability of the offensive line. Lucky for Natchez, [player_tooltip player_id="128047" first="Landen" last="Sewell"] is a pretty good one. Sewell plays center for the Bulldogs and started last year as a sophomore. He stands at 6’2" 310 and has great power in his upper body. Sewell is a force in the run game and can bulldoze any defender in his pathway. In pass protection, he shows the ability to set and anchor, making sure that no defensive lineman or linebacker touches his quarterback. This kid plays with a tough mindset and wants to dominate every snap. In addition, his snaps are good and he can move in space. Really good prospect set to led this offensive line unit. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="172603" first="Kenneth" last="Fitzgerald"]</strong> | 2023 OL Playing alongside Sewell, rising junior [player_tooltip player_id="172603" first="Kenneth" last="Fitzgerald"] started last season at guard and tackle for Natchez. The young lineman showed agile feet in pass protection and had a smooth pass set. Fitzgerald has a good initial punch on contact that drives defensive ends back. Similar to Sewell, this guy plays with an attitude and does not want to ever give up before the whistle is blown. In the run game, he shows good balance on his feet and plays with a solid base. Watching for him to continue growing and developing to have a big junior year. &nbsp; <strong>MORE NAMES</strong> <strong>Joshua Thomas</strong> | 2022 ATH Switched from wide receiver to safety last season. Switched back to receiver for his senior campaign and has been working extensively in the offseason. Looking for a big year. <strong>Kevontae Stewart</strong> | 2023 LB Linebacker who had a good season last year. Downhill and physical. &nbsp; <strong>GAMES TO WATCH</strong> <strong>9/3 Jefferson County (A)</strong> - Rivalry games are always good one. Natchez won last year and will look to continue building on their long series win streak. <strong>10/22 South Jones (A)</strong> - A close loss, Natchez lost by only 1 point last year. This season, the Bulldogs will look to bounce back in an important district game. <strong>10/29 Brookhaven (H)</strong> - This one came close last year with a final score of 41-38. The Bulldogs get Brookhaven at home this year and have the offense to shoot it out again.