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Eight Warren Central football players signed with college programs on Wednesday, the NCAA's national signing day. Pictured, front row from left, are Trey Hall, Roy Qualls and Darius Carter. Back row, from left, are Jack Wright, Brandon Snowden, Da'Marcus Jones, Jerald Woods and Logan Myles. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central running back Darius Carter, front center, poses for a photo with family members after signing with Mississippi Delta Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central defensive lineman Roy Qualls, front center, poses for a photo with family members after signing with Coahoma Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central quarterback Jack Wright, front center, poses for a photo with family members after signing with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central defensive lineman Da'Marcus Jones, center, sits with his parents Damion Wordley and Danielle Myles after signing with East Central Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central offensive lineman Jerald Woods, front center, poses for a photo with family members after signing with Hinds Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central offensive lineman Brandon Snowden, center, sits with his parents after signing with Louisiana Christian University on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central linebacker Logan Myles, front center, poses for a photo with family members after signing with Coahoma Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central running back Trey Hall, front center, poses for a photo with family members after signing with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central quarterback Jack Wright looked around the room and smiled as he rattled off the long friendships he’s had with his football teammates.

“I’ve been playing with Roy since I was 10, J.J. since I was 10, Snowden since seventh grade, Logan since seventh grade, Deebo since seventh grade, and Trey Hall since seventh grade,” Wright said.

After sharing so many memories on the field, they made one more off it Wednesday morning. Seven seniors signed with Mississippi junior colleges on national signing day, including Wright and running back Trey Hall with Mississippi Gulf Coast, and another with a four-year school.

Linebacker Logan Myles and defensive lineman Roy Qualls both signed with Coahoma Community College. Offensive lineman Jerald Woods is headed to Hinds, defensive lineman Da’Marcus Jones to East Central and running back Darius Carter to Mississippi Delta.

Offensive lineman Brandon Snowden took a four-year scholarship offer from Louisiana Christian University.
The eight players formed the core of a senior class that went 27-9 and reached the second round of the MHSAA Class 6A playoffs three times over the past three seasons.

“I feel as if everybody that signed today was true leaders of the team and at their position. I know we all pushed each other. I love them,” Snowden said.

Snowden was the only four-year signee in Warren Central’s senior class, and the second offensive lineman out of Warren County to sign with NAIA member Louisiana Christian University — formerly known as Louisiana College — on Wednesday. Vicksburg’s Dareh Minor also signed with them.

Snowden was a second-team All-Region 3-6A selection last season, and said his decision to sign with Louisiana Christian had as much to do with matters outside of football as the opportunity to play the game itself.

“Me and (defensive backs coach Tyson Andrus) hit it off, and he wanted me to be a better person and a better man in life. Before touching a weight, touching a ball, touching the field, he wanted me to be a better student-athlete,” Snowden said. “Once I saw that, we bonded over chruch and God and football. That’s the order I want to have my life in, and that’s what led to my decision.”

For Snowden’s offensive linemate, Woods, signing day provided a chance to play with his older brother. Dontavious Bell is a former Warren Central star who started on Hinds’ offensive line last season and will return in 2023.

“I hope I get to start with him,” Woods said.

Woods had quit football for several years before returning to the team in 2021. He was a second-team All-Region 3-6A selection this season.

“It’s a wonderful feeling, especially when you’ve been out of football for as long as I have,” Woods said of getting the chance to play college football.

Wright’s chance to play quarterback at Mississippi Gulf Coast also appeared out of thin air. Despite throwing for 2,928 yards and 22 touchdowns over the past two seasons, he did not have any firm scholarship offers until four junior colleges contacted him last week.

“Every coach that contacted me, contacted me in the span of 48 hours. This is a week ago. I didn’t have much time to think about it, but I went to all the campuses and I think I made the right choice,” Wright said. “I couldn’t sleep for three days thinking about where I was going to go. I just prayed about it, and talked to my family, and this is what we decided to do.”

Like Woods, Wright will have a familiar face alongside him at the next level. Hall, the 2022 Vicksburg Post Offensive Player of the Year after racking up 1,610 total yards and 19 touchdowns, is also headed to Gulf Coast.

“Not too many people get to go down there with their QB. We already know each other, so it won’t be hard to connect,” Hall said.

Two Warren Central defenders, the linebacker Myles and defensive lineman Qualls, are headed north to Coahoma Community College.

Myles finished last season with 35 tackles, while Qualls had 40 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and four sacks.

“It feels crazy that I’m here now signing to go play ball at college. I’ve been dreaming about this for I don’t know how long,” Myles said. “All I wanted to do was play football in college, and now I’m here fixing to sign. I’m just happy for myself.”

Jones made it three members of Warren Central’s front seven to sign. The big lineman had 50 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and four sacks, and is the latest Viking to go to Decatur to play at East Central Community College.

Five former Warren Central players were on East Central’s roster in 2022. Jones said he was certain that East Central was the place for him.

“It’s been a dream for so long, but deciding what college I was going to go to wasn’t nothing. I already knew what one I was going to go to. It was the best one, the one that showed me the most love,” Jones said.

The Vikings’ last signee was Carter, a 6-foot, 220-pound running back who rushed for 365 yards and five touchdowns in 2022 and signed Wednesday with Mississippi Delta.

“There were other schools looking at me, but what made Delta the choice was it felt like at home talking to the coaches. You could tell they cared about you as a person and as a football player,” Carter said. “It feels great, and it’s a blessing because not everybody gets a chance to go to college.”

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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