[10/2/04]GREENVILLE Larry Warner had another breakout game, Warren Central’s defense stuffed Greenville in the second half and the Vikings left the Delta with their second Region 2-5A victory.

Warner rushed 15 times for 208 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead WC to a 50-20 victory over the winless Hornets (0-6).

Warner scored on runs of 41, 2 and 2 yards and the Vikings used a 21-point third quarter to put a close game out of reach.

“We kind of overlooked them for Madison next week and came out a little sluggish,” WC (5-1) linebacker Zach Balthrop said. “We turned it up a notch in the second half. We need to get started from the get-go.”

The Vikings appeared well on their way to a runaway from the opening kickoff. Joey Bonelli’s squib kick was muffed by Greenville and recovered by WC’s Monty Jackson. Four plays later, fullback Jesse Pedyfoot scored from 2 yards out for a 7-0 lead.

The Vikings recovered the next kick as well also a muffed squib kick and the Vikings needed only two plays for quarterback Christian Hales to connect on a 41-yard touchdown pass to Skylar Wilson for a 13-0 WC lead.

“We tried to squib it over there to keep them from running it back down our throat,” WC coach Curtis Brewer said. “Greenville has talent on the field. If they can ever get all that talent going one way down the field, they will be tough to hold.”

The Hornets recovered the next kick and drove 68 yards in nine plays, capped by an 8-yard TD run by Patrick Williams. Greenville scored another touchdown early in the second quarter to pull to within 16-13. Warner ripped off a 41-yard touchdown one minute later to give the Vikings a 10-point halftime cushion.

From there, the Vikings’ defense dominated.

With the exception of a 26-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the third quarter, WC held Greenville to 1 total yard on 21 plays.

Chico Hunter blasted Williams on a punt return, Trey Ettinger and the rest of the defense harassed quarterback Orlando Jackson and the Hornets began falling to the ground instead of taking hits.

“We were intimidated in the second half,” Greenville coach Willie Young said. “They came out and did a good job of picking up the intensity. We couldn’t get things rolling in the second half.”

Warren Central forced three second-half punts, had a Chico Hunter interception and only allowed four plays in the entire half for positive yardage.

“They stirred up a dogfight and we decided to put the hat on them a little bit,” Ettinger said. “We feed off that.”

Warner scored the first two touchdowns of the second half, then Fred Payne ripped off a 52-yard touchdown run as the Vikings extended the lead to 44-13.

Greenville scored late in the third quarter, and the Vikings added another touchdown inside the final minute as Marquel Sims hauled in a 49-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Williams to give the Vikings 50 points.

Payne rushed for 91 yards on four carries, and Warner ended the game with 15 carries. He left the field with his ankle bandaged with ice. He said he injured the ankle last week and had been nursing the injury all week.

The senior, who eclipsed the 1,100-yard plateau this season, said he and the Vikings will be ready to go next week against Madison Central.

“We have to be ready for every game,” he said. “We have to be ready to fight every day, every practice.”