A conflict with band competitions Saturday is making Warren Central coach Lucy Young think harder about today’s game..

Well, not really.

Young, whose Lady Vikes need to beat Greenville by nine runs to win the division, is set on doing just that.

“The first choice would be to not take the trip,” Young said. “Over the years I’ve done both, won on the road and lost at home. The outcome of (today’s) game will determine where we are supposed to play … I want to win division and that would mean we would be at home.”

A state band competition is taking place Saturday at Pearl. Young has three starters who are also in the band.

Columbus won the division that either Vicksburg High or WC will have to travel to for the first round.

Columbus agreed to play the opening round playoff series on Thursday. Starkville, the runner-up in Columbus’ division, would not agree to play Thursday because of nine-weeks tests throughout the state. That means the games will be Saturday.

A best two-out-of-three series will also be played Saturday at either Vicksburg or WC.

Young and school officials are trying to switch times with Natchez High’s band so WC’s “Big Blue” would play later in the day so there won’t be a conflict, Young said.

Vicksburg High coach Josh Harper said his team won’t be affected if it winds up winning the division.

“I’ve talked with the opposing coaches in the district and we’re going to work around it,” said Harper, who has three players in the band.

Should WC win by less than eight runs, Vicksburg will win the division. If the Lady Vikes win by eight runs, a coin toss will be used to decide who is the division champ. WC and VHS split their meetings this year.

Before travel plans can be made, Greenville, which has yet to win a division game, will invade WC. The Lady Vikes (19-11, 2-1) beat Greenville in the Delta, 16-11, the first time the two schools met.

“We’ll win by nine runs,” said a confident Heather Barnes, the lone senior on WC’s team. “… We’re real confident. We had a good tournament Saturday and all hit the ball well.”

The Lady Vikes played five games in the Brookhaven Tournament as a final warmup and won three. A scheduled game Thursday against St. Aloysius was canceled, leaving the Greenville matchup as the final regular-season game.

“(Coach Young) told us to play as a team and play as hard as we can,” said third baseman Anna Mitchell. “… We’ll play at home. We got them.”