With last week’s win over Canton, the Vicksburg Gators greatly improved their chances of qualifying for the Class 5A playoffs. This week’s game will probably determine how long they can expect to stay there.

The Gators (3-6, 3-2 Region 2-5A), winners of three of their last four games, head to Newell Field in Jackson for a Thursday night matchup with Callaway (5-5, 3-2). The winner will clinch the No. 3 seed in the region, which would send them on the road to Olive Branch (8-1) in the first round of the playoffs.

More importantly, the winner gets to avoid a first-round game against West Point (9-0) — the defending Class 5A champion, consensus No. 1 team in the state in the Mississippi Associated Press overall poll, and winner of 22 consecutive games.

West Point has outscored its opponents 393-66 this season and is a heavy favorite to cruise to the Class 5A championship. The No. 3 seed in Region 2-5A would be on the opposite side of the bracket and wouldn’t face the Green Wave until the semifinal round.

“That’s the biggest momentum we can build off of, is getting the three-spot instead of having to play West Point. That’s definitely a big help,” Vicksburg coach Lorenzo Breland said.

If avoiding West Point is the prize, the game is finding a way to beat Callaway on a short turnaround. This is Vicksburg’s first Thursday night game since the 2015 regular-season finale against Holmes County was moved up a day on short notice because of a forecast for thunderstorms. Its last Thursday game before that was in 1994 against Forest Hill.

This is Callaway’s second Thursday nighter this season, following a 28-24 win over Canton on Oct. 12, owing to a field-sharing arrangement with the other Jackson Public Schools teams.

It’s a unique situation, but one Breland said he, his coaches and players have done their best to plan for.

“We talked about it after the game (against Canton). We have to bump everything up a day. We know it’s going to be different, but it’s not that bad. It’s really just that extra day of rest you’re losing, mentally and physically,” Breland said. “We haven’t had a Thursday game day, so it’s going to be a new experience.”

While Vicksburg’s biggest challenge is dealing with the shortened week, Callaway’s might be slowing down the hottest team in Region 2-5A over the past month.

Since losing its first five games, Vicksburg has won three of four. It allowed 148 points during its losing streak, and only 56 in the past four games. The defense has also scored a touchdown in each of the last three games.

The defense accounted for nine points in last week’s 40-14 win over Canton. Deandre Moore had a tackle in the end zone for a safety, and Jo’Mon O’Neal returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Gators also forced two other turnovers.

The surge has salvaged what appeared to be a season spiraling out of control, and made the Gators a threat to not only make the playoffs but to potentially do some damage once they’re there.

“It’s been a fun ride,” Breland said. “The kids never stopped believing, and continued to work hard. We’re finding ways to win and playing good football.”

Breland added that the Gators aren’t dwelling on where they came from, only where they’re capable of going from here.

“It’s one of those things where, yeah, it would be different if we’d been playing like this all year. But with everything we fought through and still having a chance to control our own destiny, what more would you ask for?” Breland said. “Regardless of what the record is, it’s week by week and one game at a time. That’s what we’ve been preaching the whole time. We can be as good as we want to be.”