Coming off a disheartening overtime loss to Natchez, it’d be nice for the Vicksburg Gators to play an also-ran, a team they can clobber and get their mojo back against.

Unfortunately, that’s not what they get.

Instead, the Gators will travel to defending Class 3A state champion Hazlehurst, a team that’s won 24 of its last 26 games, scored 56 points in its opener and has nearly everyone back from last year’s squad.

Oh, and Vicksburg will also be doing it without two of its top offensive threats.

&#8220I think it’s a good game for us, because it gets us focused. We’ve got to come out and play better than we did against Natchez,” Vicksburg offensive lineman Mark Cabatay said. &#8220They’re not one of those teams that can’t be beaten, because everybody can be beaten.”

Indeed they can, as the Gators already proved. Vicksburg held its own with Hazlehurst in a spring jamboree, but that was when it had wingback Delmon Robinson and running back Michael Dulaney. Robinson will miss tonight’s game with a bruised knee, and Dulaney is questionable with a high ankle sprain.

The injuries will take some punch out of a VHS offense that sparkled in a season-opening win against Indianola-Gentry, then stumbled in last week’s 12-6 overtime loss to Natchez.

Vicksburg managed just 18 yards of total offense in the first half against Natchez, and 177 yards for the game. That offset a solid effort by the defense, which held the Bulldogs to 227 yards.

&#8220The thing that hurt more than anything was, at the end, blowing assignments,” VHS coach Alonzo Stevens said. &#8220When you play a team as explosive as Natchez and do that kind of job on defense, you ought to win the ballgame.”

A similar offensive effort this week could lead to a blowout.

The Indians averaged 38 points per game and had three 1,000-yard rushers during last year’s state championship run – all of whom return this season. They crushed Wilkinson County 56-14 in last week’s season-opener. The top-ranked team in Class 3A defeated Vicksburg handily last season, 30-14.

Hazlehurst’s defense is also stout. Led by 265-pound lineman Jazzmen Guy, a Mississippi State commitment, the Indians posted six shutouts and didn’t allow more than 19 points to any team in 2005. Quarterback Damein Anderson also is an MSU commitment.

Cabatay was confident, though, that the Gators could hang with Hazlehurst. This will be their fourth meeting in two years, including jamborees, and he believed the familiarity will pay off.

&#8220We know everything they’re going to do,” Cabatay said. &#8220They’re fast. They’re going to loop and make you chase them. It’s just about stopping them.”