Warren Central falls to Provine, ending state-record playoff stretch.

Be it Joe DiMaggio hitting in 56 consecutive games, or UCLA’s basketball team’s 88 straight wins, all memorable streaks eventually come to an end.

On a damp, windy Friday night at Viking Stadium, one of the most impressive streaks in Mississippi high school football ended with a 14-3 loss to the Provine Rams.

Warren Central will not be making its 22nd straight playoff appearance.

&#8220Eventually they all come to an end. We’re coming home,” Warren Central coach Curtis Brewer said. &#8220We have to get ready for another week.”

The Vikings (4-6, 3-3 Region 2-5A) will conclude their season next Friday at archrival Vicksburg.

&#8220We play in a tough division and we knew it was going to be tough getting a win over here,” said Provine coach Willie Collins, whose team will play Clinton next week with playoff seedings on the line. &#8220We had some success playing them in the past and I thought our guys came out and really played hard.”

The Rams’ defense stacked the line of scrimmage all night, limiting the Vikings to 17 yards rushing on 28 carries. WC connected on five passes for 40 yards, but it turned the ball over three times, and punted five more.

Warren Central had two drives of more than six plays and had seven drives end in fewer than four plays. The lone points came on a 21-yard field goal by Mississippi State recruit Eric Richards in the third quarter.

Provine punted for minus-7 yards to set WC up at the Rams’ 33-yard line with 8 minutes, 24 seconds to play in the third quarter and the Vikings trailing 7-0. Keaton Sanders completed a 24-yard pass to Quinton Truly to put the ball at the Provine 9, but three straight runs only netted four yards and forced the field goal.

&#8220If you are going to win big games, you have to get first downs and put points on the board,” Brewer said. &#8220It just didn’t work out.”

Following the field goal, Warren Central stopped Provine on four plays and had the ball near midfield. The Vikings, though, fumbled on the drive’s second play and Provine’s Marco Ward returned the fumble 57 yards for a score to give Provine a 14-3 lead.

The Rams had scored in the second quarter on a 7-yard run by Anton Taylor. The senior, one of the top running backs in the state, ran for 185 yards on 35 carries. The rest of the Rams accounted for 22 yards of offense.

&#8220We knew they had a good defense and it would be tough to score points,” Collins said. &#8220But Anton came out and ran hard for us tonight.”

WC began its playoff streak in 1985, one year after the Mississippi High School Activities Association devised the current class structure. The Vikings won state championships in 1988 and 1994 and played for the state title in 1993.

&#8220We have to put this one behind us and get ready for Vicksburg. I know they will be ready for us so we have to be ready for them,” Brewer said. &#8220… It hurts the players a lot more than it hurts me, but it does hurt. It hurts the entire staff.”