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Warren Central running back Aden Greer fights for extra yardage against South Panola in Friday's MHSAA Class 6A football playoff game. Warren Central won, 21-3, to advance to the Class 6A semifinals. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's football team runs onto the field before the start of Friday's MHSAA Class 6A playoff game against South Panola. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central wide receiver Jaylon Winters tries to catch a pass as South Panola's Braylon Key defends. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Jadarius Miller runs with the football after catching a pass in the Vikings' 21-3 playoff win over South Panola on Friday. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Game officials talk to Warren Central football head coach Josh Morgan during Friday's MHSAA Class 6A playoff game against South Panola. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central running back Aden Greer crosses the goal line for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of Friday's MHSAA Class 6A playoff game against South Panola. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central cheerleaders run through the end zone with the school's flags during Friday's MHSAA Class 6A football playoff game against South Panola. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central quarterback Nash Morgan (10) tries to elude a South Panola tackler during Friday's MHSAA Class 6A playoff game. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central running back Eric Collins Jr. (20) signals a first down during Friday's MHSAA Class A playoff game against South Panola. Collins rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown to lead the Vikings to a 21-3 victory. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football players celebrate after beating South Panola in a second-round game in the MHSAA Class 6A playoffs on Friday. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central’s football program spent 30 years beating its head against the wall in the postseason.

It finally smashed through it.

The Vikings’ defense forced three turnovers and held South Panola to only 159 total yards, while the offense scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 21-3 victory in the second round of the MHSAA Class 6A playoffs on Friday.

Warren Central (9-3) advanced to the semifinal round for the first time since 1994.

“It feels amazing. We’ve never felt this before,” said senior defensive end Ronnie Blossom, who had a sack and a forced fumble. “I’m not trying to get too excited right now, but it’s an accomplishment. It’s one of them. You know what our next one is.”

Warren Central will host Grenada (12-1) — which beat Neshoba Central 31-7 in another second-round game Friday — for the Class 6A North State championship on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.

Warren Central has been to the second round five consecutive seasons, and 11 times overall in the past 30 years. Head coach Josh Morgan did not shy away from the big picture importance of finally being one of the final four in Class 6A.

“We’ve been close and we’ve been consistent. We needed that team to take us to another level,” Morgan said. “But this is all about program and school. We wanted to do it for so many people — for our team and teammates, but also for our community. This is one of those big program moments. As you’ve seen over the years, they’re hard.”

Although the final score wound up looking like a blowout, this one was far from easy. The Vikings and Tigers (9-3) were locked in a defensive war all night.

South Panola’s Robert Long kicked a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter, and Warren Central’s Nash Morgan threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Maddox Lynch in the second to put WC ahead 7-3 at halftime.

Warren Central had 75 yards of total offense in the first half and South Panola had 74.

“We had to understand that we had to be super stingy with points. Playoff defense is different,” Josh Morgan said. “When we went in at halftime and it was 7-3 I told them we have enough points to win the game. Let’s go play that way. We were able to get some turnovers. When we needed it they answered the call.”

Neither team scored in the third quarter, and then Warren Central finally broke loose in the fourth.

Blossom sacked quarterback Tristan Colenberg from behind and forced a fumble that the Vikings recovered at the South Panola 27-yard line with 10:50 to go.

It was the third turnover the Vikings got in the game, and the second that led to points. A fumble on a punt return led to the first touchdown, and this one set up Aden Greer’s 2-yard TD run with 6:11 left that finally provided some breathing room.

Roosevelt Harris also had an interception that stopped a drive deep in Warren Central territory in the third quarter.

“I knew it was coming,” Blossom said of his strip sack. “I was setting him up the whole first and second drive, and I knew it was a pass because it was third down and I knew the play. I came out with a good move and just ran him down, got the strip sack and made a big play for my team.”

Dekasei Crump dove to bat down a fourth down pass in the end zone on South Panola’s next possession, and the Vikings sealed it soon after.

Eric Collins Jr. gained 15 yards on first down, then went the rest of the way on the next play for a 55-yard touchdown that made it 21-3 with 3:31 remaining.

Collins finished with 105 rushing yards, and about a third of Warren Central’s total output of 213 yards came on those two plays.

“Our offense kept coming,” Josh Morgan said. “We kept being consistent, stayed away from negative plays, and eventually we started popping them and that’s our identity right now. That’s the best way for us to win.”

Now the Vikings will have a golden opportunity on Black Friday to win again. If they beat Grenada they’ll head to the Class 6A championship game on Dec. 7 against either Hattiesburg or Picayune

After breaking down this wall, they’re ready to do it again.

“It’s been over 30 years since we’ve been to North State, and 30 years since we’ve been to state-state,” senior linebacker Gavin Davenport said. “We’ve got the group to make it. I just feel good.”

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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