Warren Central wide receiver Ben Wau Caples stood on the 35 yard line, covered in sweat and grime, barely able to stand up straight, having just completed a 48-minute battle against the states best team.

Caples knew all about South Panolas record win streak, national ranking and all the hype that follows the Tigers wherever they go.

He also knew that the underdog Vikings were within a touchdown with three minutes to play against the greatest football dynasty in Mississippi history.

Its all heart, Caples said after Panola extended its state-best win streak to 61 games with a 31-18 victory in front of about 5,500 at Viking Stadium. We are out their practicing every day harder than anyone.

Should the Vikings and Tigers meet again, it would be in the Class 5A state playoffs.

To get there, Warren Central certainly needs to shore up its offense only 61 yards total on Thursday night. But the defense and special teams certainly did show up.

Caples returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown, Bennie Peoples tackled South Panolas phenomenal running back Darius Barksdale for a safety, and kicker Jared Thames booted a field goal. That kick brought the Vikings to within six at 24-18 with less than five minutes to play.

WCs onsides kick attempt went out of bounds giving the ball back to the Tigers and Panola drove the field to score with less than a minute to play to take a 13-point lead.

They have great tradition here and we used to play them back in 1997 when I was at Madison Central, said South Panola coach Lance Pogue, in his first game as Tigers head coach. We knew they would be excited, and who wouldnt with a team like ours coming in. We took their best shot and overcame it. I give them a lot of credit; they are going to have a great year.

Certainly opponents on Warren Centrals schedule will now take notice that the Vikings come to play. They intercepted David Renfroe once and forced a fumble that led to a touchdown.

What the Vikings did best, though, was made everyone in attendance believe. When the deficit got down to six points, the South Panola fans were eerily silent, while Warren Central players implored its fans to make a difference.

The game will go down in the record books as a loss, butit was closer than the 31-18 final score. It also will open eyes that the Vikings are back. They may have to rely heavily on the defense and special teams again until the offense finds rhythm, but nonetheless they took the No. 5 team in America and put a scare into them.

They are not like everyone says they are. They can be beat just like anyone else, Caples said of the Tigers.

Then he paused for a second.

Well see them again, Caples said.

In the state playoffs. Exactly where Warren Central belongs.