As soon as coach Josh Morgan was done addressing his team Friday, the sea of red at midfield flew past their coach and into the bleachers behind the end zone. There, Warren Central’s players jumped into the stands to sing the fight song with the band and enjoy the beatdown they’d just laid on Columbus.

There was a lot to celebrate.

For starters, Warren Central wrapped up a No. 3 seed in the Class 6A playoffs, clinching a road date with Southaven (9-2, 5-2) instead of undefeated South Panola (11-0). The Vikings also soared back into the win column after two straight losses. None of that, however, was more important to Morgan and his team than putting together its best game of the season heading into a wide-open playoff race.

“The best has yet to come for this football team,” Morgan said. “It was good to see us bounce back after two heartbreaking losses and really put together our best game of the year. That’s what it’s going to take moving forward.”

It was vintage Warren Central. The Vikings built a quick lead, forced turnovers at key times and ran the ball effectively in a 37-14 win. After letting the Region 2-6A championship slip through its fingers due to close defeats to Clinton and Starkville, the all-encompassing performance couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

The game also showcased how dangerous WC is capable of being in the postseason when it’s playing at full strength. D.J. Knight rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown for an average of 6.6 yards per carry. The defense never let Columbus get going until the result was decided late in the second half. And perhaps most significant of all, the Vikings didn’t commit any of the costly turnovers that plagued them in the two previous losses. It was everything Morgan and his staff wanted to see.

“We challenged our guys. We challenged our offensive line and our running backs and I think that was the difference in the game,” Morgan said. “We were firing out of there and our backs ran really hard. We took care of the football. No turnovers. That was good to see because we’re going to need that to do what we need to do.”

Morgan added that his staff was harder on the team last week than it has been at any point in the year, and they responded in a way that gives him confidence heading into the playoffs this week.

“Our coaching staff has been relentless with this group, more so now than ever. They’ve responded well and we did exactly what we needed to do,” he said. “Our eyes are still on the prize and our focus is where it needs to be. We look forward to having a good week of practicing and making a good push.”

On the radio

Friday, 7 p.m., 105.5 FM

Warren Central at Southaven