Two outstanding performances in a row have unlocked a secret weapon for Warren Central’s football team — consistency.

After dropping their season-opener, the Vikings (2-1) earned convincing back-to-back victories that re-established themselves as a championship contender. It was exactly what they needed as they head into a road game Friday against MHSAA Class 7A powerhouse Brandon (2-1).

“I think that that elevates confidence. You’re not a one-hit wonder,” Warren Central head coach Josh Morgan said. “Consistency creates an identity, and that’s exactly what we want our identity to be. You can talk about it, but doing it’s another thing.”

The Vikings have certainly done it in wins against Pearl and Germantown. The defense forced eight turnovers — and scored two touchdowns — while the offense had more than 600 rushing yards.

Warren Central had 364 rushing yards in last week’s 56-23 victory over Germantown. It was the team’s highest total since gaining 388 yards against Clinton in October 2016. Aden Greer and Eric Collins Jr. both surpassed the 100-yard mark for the second game in a row. Collins had 208 yards and a touchdown, and Greer had 101 and three TDs.

“Last week we talked about being consistent. We were able to do that and get better. Our O-line played better. So we’re still improving and wanting to get better,” Morgan said. “It was good to see us put some consistency with that. The doors that open up for us when we’re able to do that, it makes us tough to defend.”

The opportunistic defense might be an important weapon against Brandon’s up-tempo, high-scoring offense. The Bulldogs finished with 716 yards in a wild 65-62 loss to Clinton last week, and also scored 60 points in their opener against Class 6A power Picayune.

Brandon reached the Class 6A championship game in 2021 and 2022 — beating Warren Central in the playoffs both years — and the Class 7A semifinals in 2023.

The Bulldogs replaced a number of key players from that three-year run, but haven’t missed a beat. Sophomore quarterback Sladen Shack has passed for 689 yards and five touchdowns in three games, and had 298 yards against Clinton.

“They’re very good offensively. They just are,” Morgan said. “You look at them and say, well, the quarterback and tailback that have been starting for three years are leaving and they’re able to pick up. They’ve got another sophomore quarterback and another sophomore tailback who’s very good. It seems like they continue to get better.”

The recent history of a series that dates to 1965 has been slanted toward Brandon. Warren Central has 10 losses since the start of the 2021 season, and five have come at the hands of the Bulldogs.

Morgan, though, noted that his team is not their only victim, and said the opportunity to beat another quality team was more important than any thoughts of finally getting the best of a frequent nemesis.

“They’ve been really good. They’ve been getting over on a lot of people. They’ve been playing for the championship or South State the last four or five years,” Morgan said. “They’re a really good football team and it’ll be a really big challenge for us. We’ve got to play really good, but it’s just another week on the schedule, another tough opponent. We’ve got to be on point and be the best version of ourselves.”

FRIDAY’S AREA GAMES
All games start at 7 p.m.
Warren Central at Brandon (Radio: 105.5 FM)
Terry at Vicksburg (Radio: 107.7 FM)
St. Aloysius at Clinton Christian (Radio: 101.3 FM)
Porter’s Chapel at Park Place (Radio: 104.5 FM)
Wilkinson County Christian at Tallulah Academy
Raymond at Port Gibson
General Trass at Madison Parish