[05/10/01] The wait for the most meaningful game in Warren County in more than two decades is finally over.

The lines are chalked, the grass mowed and at 6 Thursday night, the two powerhouses will cleat-up and rumble in the first game of the best-of-three series with the most coveted of prizes on the line: a state championship trophy.

The Vikings (34-3), up seven spots to No. 9 in the latest USA Today poll, are riding a six-game winning streak. Their dominating pitching staff will go against the old guard, Hattiesburg, and its four state championships and six Division I signees.

The fever started brewing seconds after the Vikings dismantled powerful Tupelo in two games. Fans started setting up lawn chairs on Sunday and extra bleachers have been moved in.

“We’re all looking forward to it,” WC second baseman Kyle Simmons said. “It’s a big game, the biggest of my life.”

An overflow crowd is expected for the first games of a state championship series in Warren County since St. Aloysius won the title in 1976.

“We know we have a very tough chore in front of us with this Hattiesburg bunch,” WC coach Sam Temple said. “They have six Division I signees and three of them are pitchers, so we know offensively, we have our work cut out for us.”

The Tigers (30-7) feature a potent offense, led by Mississippi State signee Craig Tatum, who bats .359 with 10 home runs and 54 RBIs. Ole Miss signee Josh Grant also has hit 10 home runs and is batting .421 with a whopping 57 RBIs.

“They hit the ball really well,” Temple said. “They have a lot of thunder in that lineup. We’ll have to do everything we have done up till now to be able to compete in this next round.”

The Vikings, after getting served almost nothing but soft-throwing left-handers, will take aim at three pitchers who throw very hard.

Grant, Russum and Tatum all throw in the upper 80s and low 90s, which plays somewhat into the Vikings’ hands. WC struggled all season with junkballers. All three of their losses came against lefties.

“The big thing is that we can’t go out and throw just fastballs,” Hattiesburg coach Larry Knight said. “Our guys are able to throw hard, but they all have two or three pitches.”

The Vikings, led by Brian Pettway (.467, 8 HRs, 44 RBIs), Joey Lieberman (.366, 9 HRs, 43 RBIs) and Taylor Tankersley (.366, 10 doubles), have outscored their three playoff opponents 29-6 in six games.

“We’re playing really great ball right now,” said Pettway, a junior who could see action on the mound. “Things are falling our way and everyone is coming through.”

Pettway, who suffered an elbow injury in the Vikings’ loss to Woodlawn (La.) on the final weekend of the regular season, is ready to pitch if called upon.

Lately, though, the WC relievers have had very little to do. Pettway has seen limited action in the bullpen in a warm-up role, but Tankersley (12-0, 0.39 ERA) and Carl Upton (11-0, 1.02 ERA) both pitched complete games in each of their starts in the three series.

“We really haven’t had to do anything, yet,” Pettway said. “We’re keeping our arms good and loose during practice and whenever they need us, we’ll be there.

“They’re all throwing really well right now.”

Pettway (4-2) is the projected third starter, but has thrown only two innings in the last 21 games. Simmons (5-1, 1.98 ERA) is slated as WC’s fourth pitcher, if needed.

WC will continue to ride Alabama signee Tankersley, whose 64-inning shutout streak ended in the Game 1 win over Tupelo. Upton has allowed just three runs in the playoffs.

“We hope to get a big hit or a big inning or two (against Tankersley),” Knight said. “We’ll try to do what we can against him. There’s no doubt he’s one of the best in the state this year.”

Game 2 of the series will be Saturday in Hattiesburg, and if needed, Game 3 will be Monday at Viking Field.

“This has never happened at Warren Central at all,” junior Jeff Mitchell said. “We need people to come out and support us.”