The first offensive play of Warren Central’s 1994 state championship season was a 79-yard touchdown pass on a reverse flea-flicker. The razzle-dazzle set the tone for a 34-7 win over Cleveland in the Red Carpet Bowl, and a run to the MHSAA Class 5A championship.

The ‘94 Vikings got off to a similar start in the Greatest on the Gridiron tournament. They routed No. 8 seed 1948 Redwood 99-31, for the largest margin of victory among the 16 opening-round games.

While the Vikings’ first opponent was a bit of a pushover, their next one is not.

The 1978 Vicksburg Gators finished 10-2, with both losses coming at the hands of undefeated Meridian. The second was on a last-minute touchdown in the Big 8 Conference championship game.

The ‘78 Gators beat the 1978 version of Warren Central 73-62 in the first round of the Greatest on the Gridiron tournament. Now they’ll try to take down another championship-caliber Vikings squad in Round 2 of the Vikings Region.