The most dangerous weapon in Warren Central’s offensive arsenal doesn’t lead the team in rushing or receiving. He only touches the ball a few times a game and admits he still has a lot to learn about football.

What Marcus Ragan is, is the Vikings X-factor — a speedy, slippery big-play threat who can score from anywhere on the field at any time.

The sophomore wide receiver is averaging 11.9 yards per touch and has scored three touchdowns this season. Friday night against Jim Hill, he took a pitch on a hook-and-lateral play and sprinted 82 yards down the sideline for the winning touchdown in WC’s 16-9 victory.

“(Offensive coordinator) Rob (Morgan) has done a great job getting him the ball where he can make plays,” WC head coach Josh Morgan said. “Marcus has really matured, and as he’s matured we’ve asked him to do more and more.”

Ragan, who runs a 4.49-second 40-yard dash, is one of the fastest players on the team. Whether he’s the fastest can vary on any given day.

“It’s a debate whether it’s me or Kourey,” Ragan said with a smile, referring to senior Kourey Davis, the team’s leading receiver and a college prospect.

Ragan’s speed makes him most dangerous along the edges of the field. In fact, he rarely runs deep routes. Instead, most plays that go his way are designed specifically to get the ball in space, such as wide receiver screens and jet sweeps where he comes in motion and takes a handoff. That sets Ragan up for a one-on-one move against a defender, and that’s a matchup he often wins.

“You get the ball to Marcus, he can get to the sideline and score quick,” Davis said. “He’s very exciting. He doesn’t have to go deep every play. He can take a pop pass and go 50, 60 yards with it.”

Ragan is aware a chunk of his success is based on play design, and credited WC’s coaches with utilizing his talents.

“It feels great that they’re letting me use my speed in open space. I can change gears and go,” Ragan said. “As I get more experience, I’m getting better. Right now it’s about improving my instincts.”

Ragan scored a rushing touchdown in the season opener against Brandon, then caught three passes for 76 yards against Callaway — one of them a 50-yarder that set up a touchdown. He only touched the ball seven times in WC’s next three games, however.

Finally, one big play catapulted him to a prominent place in the Vikings’ game plan.

On the opening drive of the second half against Madison Central on Oct. 5, WC quarterback Carlisle Koestler threw a hitch pass to Davis. Ragan came streaking around the corner, a step behind the pass, and took a pitch from Davis. Ragan then hit the left sideline and ran 58 yards for a touchdown.

“That felt great, especially when it’s executed as planned. The way we practiced it was the way it went in the game,” Ragan said.

The well-designed and perfectly-executed hook-and-lateral play tied the game at 14. Madison Central went on to beat the Vikings 50-28, but Ragan showed he had a place in the offense.

The following week against Murrah, Ragan had a combined 103 yards rushing and receiving in a 35-31 win. He also drew a key pass interference penalty on a fake punt that kept a scoring drive alive.

In a double-overtime loss to Clinton, Ragan was the team’s second-leading rusher with 48 yards on seven carries. He gave the Vikings a viable second option in the running game after fullback Greg King left with an injury, and even attempted one pass on an end-around play.

Then, against Jim Hill, he caught a 23-yard pass on a second-quarter touchdown drive before repeating his hook-and-lateral heroics for the winning score late in the fourth quarter.

Ragan’s emergence has helped the Vikings break out of their offensive shell this season. After averaging just 16 points per game in 2011, they’re scoring 27 this year. Having another threat has opened things up for other players, Davis said. In turn, they’ve given Ragan a chance to break out.

“Teams worry about me from last year, or Aaron (Stamps) running up the middle, and it gives (Ragan) a chance to make a play,” Davis said. “You can’t double team one man because the other three receivers are going to take over the game.”

Ragan has noticed, too, that he’s starting to get noticed more by opposing defenses. It’s a sign of respect that not only shows how far he’s come in less than one season, but also reminds him how much he has to step up his game to maintain his spot in the lineup.

“After I started getting the ball, they said ‘There’s number 12 and there’s number 6,” Ragan said, referring to himself and Davis, respectively. “Now they see what I can do, and I just have to do it under pressure.”

Up next

Friday, 7 p.m.

WC at Olive Branch

Class 6A playoffs,

first round

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