There’s an old sports saying that defense wins championships. It remains to be seen if it’ll hold true for Warren Central, but the Vikings are certainly in position to play for one because of it.

Warren Central has allowed a total of 35 points over its last seven games, and no touchdowns in the last three. It’s a run of defensive dominance that has carried them to the MHSAA Class 6A semifinals.

The Vikings (9-3) will host Grenada (12-1) Friday at 7 p.m., with a trip to the state championship game on the line.

“What’s been so enjoyable, as a coach, is to watch our growth. We felt like we had the potential to be a really good defense. We had some very talented and experienced players,” Warren Central coach Josh Morgan said. “But our coaching staff, again, gets a lot of that credit and our kids get the bulk of it because they’ve trusted us and trusted each other. It’s been so enjoyable to watch them get better every week and play defense the way that they’re playing.”

Warren Central has not allowed a touchdown since Callaway’s Marvin Moore broke an 80-yard run late in the third quarter of the Vikings’ 45-6 victory on Nov. 1.

The last meaningful touchdown, when the outcome was still in doubt, came in the fourth quarter of a 19-7 win vs. Neshoba Central on Oct. 25. Warren Central posted back-to-back shutouts against Columbus and then Saltillo after the Callaway blowout, and then beat South Panola 21-3 in the second round of the playoffs last week.

South Panola, a team that came in averaging 345 yards per game, only had 159 against Warren Central.

“We’ve needed it in some areas and we’re going to be calling on them again this week. But you play good defense and you’re always going to have a chance to win,” Morgan said. “It’s been really impressive what they’ve been able to do — from playing assignment football, to tackling, to making plays, they’ve definitely been a force and been fun to coach.”

What’s made it even more fun, Morgan added, was not just how the defense is playing on Friday night. It’s how they’ve prepared for it.

From practice to film study, the Vikings are grasping the importance of another old saying — proper prior planning prevents poor performance.

“Monday through Wednesdays it was all locked in,” linebacker Gavin Davenport said after the win over South Panola. “We knew South Panola was going to be a great team. Every day we came to practice we got locked in and watched film, then went outside and worked on our craft so we become better at what we do.”

Davenport is one of six Warren Central defenders who has at least 10 tackles for loss this season. He has 16. Larry Reynolds leads the team with 37, Tekarius Qualls has 30, Ronnie Blossom has 24, and Landon Green has 14.

As a unit, the defense has 150 tackles for loss, and is also averaging three sacks and two takeaways per game.

Morgan said the entire roster and coaching staff has combined talent with a strong work ethic to create a special season.

“What we were so encouraged about this year was the group. It’s the collective group. It ain’t just one. It’s a good group, and it’s one of those special groups that you knew coming up from junior high,” Morgan said. “It’s not just our seniors, it’s just a good group. Our coaches have been relentless in coming every day trying to get more and more out of them so that our guys could reach their full potential. Our kids have been strong workers and I think you’ve seen us continue to trend.”

The Vikings have certainly been trending upward since the start of region play in October. They’ve won seven games in a row and built up their confidence and swagger all the while. They’d love nothing more than to add win No. 8 to the streak this Friday, and finish the season with No. 9.

The North State champion will play the South champion — either Hattiesburg or Picayune — in the Class 6A title game Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at Southern Miss’ M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg.

“You’ve seen it all your life in sports when you have that kind of group, how that can really take hold,” Morgan said. “They’ve been good. We’ve just got to make sure we continue to do what’s got us to this point.”

GRENADA AT WARREN CENTRAL
• MHSAA Class 6A North State championship
• Friday, 7 p.m.; Radio: 105.5 FM
• Tickets are $10, and available through GoFan.co

MHSAA Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 29
Class 1A
West Lowndes at Baldwyn
Simmons at Velma Jackson

Class 2A
Northside at Charleston
Raleigh at Heidelberg

Class 3A
East Webster at Choctaw County
Noxubee County at Magee

Class 4A
Louisville at West Lauderdale
Forest at Poplarville

Class 5A
West Point at Cleveland Central
Brookhaven at Gautier

Class 6A
Grenada at Warren Central (Radio: 105.5 FM)
Hattiesburg at Picayune

Class 7A
Madison Central at Tupelo
Brandon at Ocean Springs

Championship games
At Southern Miss
Dec. 5
4 p.m. – Class 3A
7:30 p.m. – Class 7A
Dec. 6
4 p.m. – Class 1A
7:30 p.m. – Class 5A
Dec. 7
Noon – Class 2A
3:30 p.m. – Class 4A
7 p.m. – Class 6A