Behind the Viking Stadium end zone Friday night, Warren Central kicker Devon Bell sank one knee into the muddy turf and his head into his left hand. As his teammates continued amongst themselves a shouting match they had started with their opponents, Bell shuddered with sobs of disappointment.

About 30 yards away, Vicksburg High coach Alonzo Stevens was struggling to hold back tears of joy. The mud from his players’ uniforms, transferred onto him through numerous celebratory hugs, coated his rain slicker.

It’s a scene that has become familiar over the years in the Vicksburg-Warren Central rivalry. One side wins and celebrates. The other loses and weeps. This time, though, there was good reason for both sets of tears.

By beating WC 13-7 in double overtime, Vicksburg avoided a place in infamy. The Gators won their first game of the season and, although they’re a long way from a great season, salvaged something heading into next year.

“It’s a great win for the program and a great statement for next year. This win here is a good one because of the season. We could have easily folded or laid down, and they didn’t,” Stevens said. “We’ve just had so much adversity that it was good to see fate smile on us for a change. It was beautiful.”

Warren Central,

meanwhile, missed a chance to end a three-year playoff drought. A victory over an 0-9 VHS squad would have clinched a spot. Now, the Vikings (5-5, 3-3 Region 2-6A) must beat Grenada (4-5, 2-3) this Friday to reach the postseason for the first time since 2005. Win, and they finish third in Region 2-6A. Lose, and they could spend another November at home.

Grenada’s game against Murrah was postponed until tonight, but it will have no bearing on WC’s playoff situation.

“It’s a big deal for our team and our seniors. But we’ve got to get over it if we want to play on,” WC coach Curtis Brewer said. “We can’t change it.”

The Vikings had two chances to win against Vicksburg in overtime, but misfired on both. Bell missed a 25-yard field goal at the end of the first overtime, and tailback Tim Jones was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 3 in the second overtime.

The game, though, might have been lost well before that on a handful of mistakes.

Late in the second quarter defensive back Chilo Jones slipped down, allowing VHS receiver Alventray Tarleton to get wide open for a game-tying 16-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Cooksey. Moments later, on the final play of the first half, fullback Austin Roberts got loose on a screen pass and rumbled 33 yards inside the VHS 10 — only to be caught from behind by linebacker Cambridge Williams after the clock had gone to all zeroes.

Warren Central also allowed Vicksburg, which has struggled to run the ball all season, to gain 195 yards on the ground. Kawayne Gaston had 102 of those, including a 1-yard touchdown run for the game-winner. Cooksey only threw three passes.

Offensively, Jones ran for 84 yards and a touchdown. But the Vikings’ conservative gameplan — few passes and more running plays on a rainy night — only produced one scoring drive. Only two drives in regulation even reached the red zone, including the pass to Roberts.

Brewer added that Vicksburg seemed to have more fire than his team.

“They were emotionally involved in the game from the outset, and you have to match that tempo,” Brewer said. “I really don’t think we met their tempo. We kept waiting for something to happen, and you’ve got to make things happen.”

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com