VHS hosts Clinton with loser going 0-2 in Region 2-5A

Both Clinton and the Vicksburg Gators seek to rebound tonight after suffering tough losses in Region 2-5A openers last week. The I-20 West battle, for a chance to even up in the region standings, is slated for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Memorial Stadium.

Vicksburg (3-2, 0-1) is coming off a bitter 13-12 home loss to Provine. The Gators committed five turnovers, had two extra point kicks blocked, and had a crucial offsides penalty, allowing Provine a chance to re-kick a missed PAT. The Rams made it and that proved to be the winning margin.

&#8221You can’t lose the ball that many times, have two PAT kicks blocked and jump offsides when they miss a kick and expect to win,“ VHS coach Alonzo Stevens said. &#8221We’ve just got to get ready and play. We have a good football team, but we can’t afford to make those types of mistakes.“

Unlike Vicksburg, which has dropped both of its home games this season, Clinton (2-3, 0-1) has been good at home and poor on the road. They lost at Tupelo (17-7) and at Oak Grove (35-14). At Roy Burkett Field, they whipped Brandon (38-13) and defending 4A champion Brookhaven (34-25) before losing to Madison Central (17-7) last week in Clinton.

Clinton coach Scott Brown says a key for the Arrows is for the offense to get off to a good start.

&#8221We had miscues that helped Madison Central. We played hard but just couldn’t get into a rythmn on offense,“ Brown said.

The first-year Clinton coach also said the Arrows may have already played the best team on its schedule.

&#8221Oak Grove is the best team we’ve played so far. I look for them to come out of the south,“ Brown said.

As for the Gators, Brown says VHS has the talent to make this a difficult game.

&#8221They have great speed and great size in the spots where you want it. Their defense has played well, especially in the interior of their line,“ Brown said.

Stevens feels the same way.

&#8221We feel our defense can match up with anybody. We’ve just got to find a way to move the ball and not hurt ourselves with turnovers. It requires mental effort and we can’t have guys taking a play off,“ Stevens said.

A key for the Gators will be to give sophomore quarterback Stanton Price time to throw to a fleet of quick receivers. Price has completed 29-of-72 passes for 325 yards and three TDs, but was rushed heavily by Provine, getting sacked four times.

&#8221We’ve got some top flight receivers in Vernon Wolfe (12-for-143, 1 TD), Delmon Robinson (10-for-152, 2 TDs) and John Patterson,“ Stevens added. &#8221We just need to give Stanton time to get the ball to them.“

Clinton is led on offense by running back Amonte Harper (77 carries, 362 yards, 6 TDs), sophomore quarterback Wesley Mounger and senior receiver Cornelius Cavett. The Arrow defense is paced by a pair of active sophomore linebackers in Corey Ray and Shaun Wilson.

WC has not lost four in a row since end of ’90, start of ’91

In 40 years, Warren Central has put a lot of football accomplishments on its resume.

There were a pair of 27-game winning streaks in the 1970s, then two state championships in 1988 and ‘94. There have produced too many college products to count, and a number of district and region championships.

One thing the Vikings have never done much of, though, is lose. The current three-game losing streak the Vikings are on is the longest since 2002, and another loss would mark the school’s first four-game skid since 1990-91.

That span included a playoff loss to Meridian in 1990, followed by an 0-3 start to the 1991 season. Warren Central has not lost four in a row in a single season since the 1966 team went 0-10.

It’s an unusual situation for a program that has known nothing but success, but one that the Vikings are determined to deal with – and put a stop to – when they host Greenville tonight at 7:30.

&#8221It’s something that, just from the record books, we’re not accustomed to. But anytime you lose one, you don’t enjoy losing any of them,“ WC coach Curtis Brewer said. &#8221By the same token, when you’re winning you don’t have time to enjoy the wins. Now, you don’t have time to browbeat or whine when you go back and look at those games. The pressing issue is taking care of what’s in front of you.“

And what’s in front of the Vikings (2-3, 0-1 Region 2-5A) this week is a resurgent Greenville team. The Hornets went 1-10 last season, but have already surpassed that this year by winning two of their last three games after an 0-2 start.

Greenville is led by 245-pound senior defensive tackle Brandon McCoy and a strong passing game. Junior quarterback Lonnie Buchanan has already thrown seven touchdown passes, five of them to senior receiver Cordario Calvin.

&#8221They show you multiple looks. They’ve got skill people at the wideouts that are big, tall and fast, and the quarterback can throw it a country mile,“ Brewer said. &#8221Their offensive line blocks well, and with their team speed they’re liable to break a long run anytime.“

Warren Central’s defense looked much better last week, in an 11-6 loss to No. 6 Northwest Rankin, than it had the previous two weeks against South Pike (ranked No. 1 in Class 3A) and Meridian, the No. 9 team in Class 5A.

The Vikings had given up over 300 passing yards and six touchdowns to South Pike and Meridian, but held Northwest Rankin’s high-octane offense to only 73 yards through the air.

Given the recent struggles of the WC offense, the Vikings may need a similar defensive effort to stay in the game with Greenville. WC has scored only 12 points in its last three games, something Brewer chalked up to a combination of youth, inexperience, and facing three of the best teams in Mississippi.

&#8221The last time I checked, I can’t call (athletic director Lum) Wright and ask if there’s a free agent out there. This is high school football. Our kids are working hard, and you don’t want to put so much pressure on them that they get to pressing and make more mistakes,“ said Brewer, who had to replace nine offensive starters on a team that went 10-2 last season.

Brewer also pointed out that the offense did put a few things together against Northwest Rankin, even if it didn’t score a lot of points. The Vikings had a 17-play drive in the second half, moved the ball inside the red zone twice, and got a 100-yard rushing effort from Carleton Davis.

Brewer said those were signs that things were coming around on that side of the ball.

&#8221We had good drives. It’s like we’re waiting for one of them to make a big play and ignite them, and bring it all together,“ Brewer said. &#8221When the offense comes together and says we’re going to the promised land, and not freezing up at the 20- or 30-yard line, we’ll be over that hump.“