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Vicksburg High's Leah O'Bryant (5) and Warren Central's Addi Mullen (13) battle for the soccer ball during Tuesday's game. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg's Xaria Williams (2) chases after a loose ball against Warren Central. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Ashley Bowser (6) plays the ball during Tuesday's girls soccer game against Vicksburg High. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg's Kennedy Mullins (1) and Warren Central's Laney Bull (7) battle for possession of the ball. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Xaria Williams (2) and Warren Central's Sydney Hern (18) fight for possession of the ball druing Tuesday's game. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central's Allie Mason (12) fights for control of the ball against Vicksburg's Midori Allen. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Vicksburg High's Amari Johnson (10) dribbles the ball as Warren Central's Ashley Bowser (6) defends during Tuesday's girls soccer game. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central kept hammering away Tuesday night, and finally broke through in the end.

The Lady Vikes scored twice in the last 10 minutes to pull away from Vicksburg High, and secured a 4-1 victory in the MHSAA Region 2-6A girls soccer opener for both teams.

Warren Central coach Jeremy Lawrence said the Lady Vikes’ previous game, a 4-0 loss to Pearl on Nov. 19, prepared them well for this one.

“They had some opportunities. Going into it, I knew they were a good counterattacking team. We watched them play Pearl, and Pearl beat us 4-0 with basically the same mentality, same team balance and chemistry,” Lawrence said. “So it was one of those things where we just saw our mistakes and now we’re going to play a team where we know we can fix it.”

Warren Central (9-3, 1-0 Region 2-6A) scored two goals late in the first half, from Evella Fairley in the 28th minute and Rachel Opperman in the 39th, to take a 2-0 lead. Opperman had an assist on Fairley’s goal.

Kennedy Mullins scored on a free kick in 60th minute to get Vicksburg back (6-3, 0-1) in it, but Warren Central took control down the stretch.

The Lady Vikes peppered VHS keeper Ava Pritchard, who made five saves in a 10-minute span after Mullins’ goal — including two from point-blank range during a rapid fire sequence in the 70th minute.

Finally, however, they overwhelmed Pritchard. Allie Mason scored from 16 yards out in the 72nd minute, and then a minute later Jordan Polk iced the game on a frigid night with a breakaway goal that made it 4-1.

“On the last two they finally found one of their strong strikers and she was gone before we knew it and she was on top of our goal keeper,” Vicksburg coach Maurice Gilliam said. “They made some adjustments and got it to her feet, and from there it was in the goal.”

Lawrence said the two late goals were as important for momentum moving forward as they were to seal this victory. The Lady Vikes will play four consecutive region games before the Christmas break, including a rematch at Vicksburg on Dec. 17.

“It’s really a big deal, especially for tonight. I hate to say it, but my girls hung their head a little after that goal,” Lawrence said. “When we got that third goal I knew my girls were going to be fine and we were going to finish this out strong. Their spirits picked right back up and we started possessing better again.”

Gilliam, meanwhile, was more encouraged by the Missy Gators’ performance than he was discouraged by the loss. They’ll host Neshoba Central Friday at 5:30 p.m. in another region game.

“This loss doesn’t mean anything. We’ve still got a good shot at going to the playoffs and can win the district,” Gilliam said. “That was an eye-opener for us and we still have some work to do. But I’m proud of them. They’ve really worked hard.”

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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