WC’s All-Star duo spearheaded defense

Michael Ware and DeArius Christmas have been friends for most of their lives. They’ve grown up together, gone to school together, and played football together for more than a decade.

As high school teammates at Warren Central, they helped transform a struggling program into one of the best in Mississippi and developed into college prospects.

Now, it’s time for one last ride together.

Christmas, a linebacker, and the safety Ware will suit up Saturday in Gulfport for the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic. The two WC players will play for the North in the annual Mississippi all-star game.

“I’ve known Michael since childhood. He’s like a brother,” Christmas said. “I’m honored to play beside him at least one more time.”

Christmas and Ware, of course, could yet be teammates in college. Neither has settled on where they’ll play next year, but both have a number of scholarship offers from junior colleges to sift through.

The offers and all-star nods are the result of hard work and steady play throughout their high school careers. Christmas has had at least 100 tackles in each of his three varsity seasons. Ware had 96 tackles as a junior and slipped to 64 this season, but also blocked two punts on special teams and was still an integral part of the Vikings’ stout defense.

WC coach Josh Morgan said part of the reason for Ware’s lower total was that teams did a better job accounting for him this season, which opened things up for his teammates.

“It’s very satisfying for Mike. He’s very quiet, very humble, but a fine football player. He was so good at what he did,” Morgan said. “He was super smart. He knew where everybody was supposed to be and was a complete player. Blocking kicks, blocking punts, it’s not surprising at all that he got picked. The people we were playing always knew where he was.”

The same could be said of Christmas — not that it mattered. The two-time Vicksburg Post Defensive Player of the Year still found ways to wreak havoc on opposing offenses.

Christmas finished the season with 128 tackles and had double-digit totals in seven of his last eight games. Even more impressively, he had eight takeaways, led the team with five interceptions, and even tied for the team lead with seven rushing touchdowns as a part-time fullback on offense.

“Being smart in football takes you a long way, and he’s a pretty smart football player,” Ware said. “He was a lot better this year tackling and knowing the other team’s offensive plays. Also catching, intercepting, forcing fumbles … He made a lot of turnovers for us.”

Beyond their individual success, Christmas and Ware were proud of what they helped Warren Central achieve as a program.

The team won one game during their freshman year. When they, along with eight other seniors who started for at least two seasons, moved up to the varsity in 2012, things turned around in a hurry.

The Vikings finished 6-6 that first season. In 2013, when Ware joined Christmas in the starting lineup, the defense allowed the fewest points in Class 6A and Warren Central shared the Region 2-6A championship with Madison Central and Starkville.

The Vikings allowed 9.8 points per game this season and again ranked first in scoring defense in Class 6A. They finished 9-3 and spent most of the year ranked in the Associated Press Class 6A poll. Over the past two seasons, WC went 17-7 and allowed an average of 11 points per game.

Twenty-four seniors will graduate from this year’s roster. Ware said the chance to not only play in the all-star game, but to represent Warren Central and all of those teammates, was an honor.

“It’s a great feeling, me and him being able to play in that game. We’re going to go make that school proud,” Ware said. “I believe it’s a team honor.”

Christmas thanked WC’s coaching staff for the team’s success, and said he was a bit saddened to see such a tight-knit group preparing go their separate ways. No matter what they go on to do, he said, the past few years has formed a special bond between them that will never be broken.

“It was just a hungry group of freshman kids that wanted to win. All of it is a blessing. We got better each year,” Christmas said. “It’ll be nothing like playing at Warren Central. Nothing can compare to the family atmosphere and the love, and how we worked together to pull off wins. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. When it’s over, it breaks your heart.”

On TV

Dec. 20, Noon, WLBT

Bernard Blackwell Mississippi All-Star Football Classic