Warren Central is about to do something it hasn’t done in 11 years — play a postseason game in Viking Stadium.

Ironically, it’s against the same team that beat the Vikings the last time they were in this spot.

The Vikings (9-2) welcome Tupelo (6-5) to town in the first round of Class 6A playoffs Friday night. It’s a rematch of the last playoff game at Viking Stadium in 2004, and a moment the home team has been waiting for ever since.

“It’s one of our main goals just because it helps. It’s a big advantage and it’s a big difference not having to get on a bus and drive four or five hours to get where you need to be,” Warren Central coach Josh Morgan said. “We expect our crowd to be behind us 100 percent and we hope to give them something to cheer about.”

Tupelo has won four of the five all-time playoff meetings with Warren Central. That includes the 2004 matchup, when Tupelo only had 152 yards of total offense but blocked a 24-yard field goal in the closing seconds to preserve a 3-0 victory.

More recently, the teams met in the first round in 2013. Tupelo won that game 20-17. The Golden Wave went on to reach the Class 6A championship game that year, losing to Oak Grove, and several key players from that run are still on the roster.

Senior quarterback Daniel Bristow is now in his third year as a starter and has been efficient in the regular season. He has completed 63.2 percent of his passes with an 11-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s also Tupelo’s third-leading rusher with 422 yards and three touchdowns.

“When you put those two things together, there’s a lot to be concerned about there,” Morgan said. “We’ve got to do a great job of not letting them run the game and getting off on third down so we’re not out there all night.”

Bristow isn’t Tupelo’s only offensive weapon. Five players have more than 240 rushing yards.

Kegan Huddleston, a junior weighing 210 pounds, leads the team with 577 yards and seven touchdowns. LaBryant Siddell, another 200-pound junior, running back has 483 yards and three touchdowns.

Tupelo wants to spread defenders out and make them play the game in the open field. Morgan said the Vikings have to be great tacklers and create turnovers. Warren Central has scored eight defensive or special teams touchdowns this season, so the turnovers can easily turn into points.

“One trait this team has shown is we’re capable of scoring at any moment of the game with any team,” Morgan said. “We’re going to need some big breaks like that and we’re going to need to take very good care of the football offensively, be physical up front and be able to run the football.”

Transitioning from the regular season to the playoffs is more intense, as there is no reset button after a loss. Morgan said it’s about finding the next gear and playing the best football this time of the year. The key to doing that, he added, is focusing more on execution instead of changing what’s worked so far.

“Our kids have picked up their intensity, their urgency and their preparation and everybody has got to do that, coaches as well,” Morgan said. “It’s an extremely higher level we’re about to be apart off and the playoffs are brutal.”

Tupelo at Warren Central

Class 6A playoffs, first round

Friday, 7 p.m.

Radio: 105.5 FM

Online: For live scoring updates on Friday night, visit Facebook.com/thevicksburgpost or Twitter.com/vicksburgpost