Michael Rainey of Vicksburg HIgh runs past a Forest Hill defender during the Gators’ 32-7 win Friday night. (The Vicksburg Post/Melanie Duncan)

[11/08/02]Vicksburg High standout offensive lineman Delvechio Ellis put his team’s preparation for Warren Central in one sentence.

“We’re going to get ready for this one just like we did Forest Hill. There’s no difference,” said Ellis, trying to do what 20-years’ worth of Gators have not been able to: beat the 17th-ranked Vikings.

Even coach Alonzo Stevens changed from his usual routine of 1970s music to a popular hip-hop song with the words, “We’re Ready,” blaring over the loudspeakers in the fieldhouse.

There is no mention of Warren Central around. No bulletin board stories of past Viking victories. There are no references to the Vikings, except during film study. And players remain calm, as opposed to the normal buzz surrounding the series that sometimes gets misconstrued as a rivalry.

“I’m glad you called it a series, not a rivalry. It can’t be a rivalry when it’s so one-sided,” Stevens said. “It’s in the back of our minds, but we have to keep focused on what we are trying to do.

“We’re taking things one step at a time.”

Despite a pair of early season losses the opener to No. 3 Wayne County and No. 5 South Pike Stevens believes his Gators are still where they want to be.

“We have a list of goals that we made up at the beginning of the season and they are all still attainable,” he said.

Vicksburg can still win the Region 2-5A championship with a win and a Clinton loss to Madison Central. With a win, the Gators get a home playoff game.

Last season, Vicksburg finished third in the region and was forced to travel to Columbus.

“We’re sitting here in November, at home and in the playoffs,” Stevens said. “Now we’re trying to control what happens. The bottom line is that we have to play and whatever happens, happens. The Gators have to play.”

Vicksburg played one of its best games of the season against Forest Hill a week ago, generating plenty of offense and keeping the Rebels out of the end zone for the second half.

Against the Vikings, players and coaches know that it will be a different challenge.

Anchored by 1,000-yard rusher Richmond Fields and fullback Henry Williams, the Vikings run to set up the pass. Quarterback Jeremy Ferguson is 11 yards shy of 1,000 for the season.

Conversely, the Gators are more multi-dimensional. Quarterback Justin Henry leads the county with more than 1,400 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. Phelan Gray is closing in on 1,000 yards and had one of his best games of the season last week, a 136-yard, three-touchdown effort.

“They said he was hurt last week and he ran for 275 yards. If he gets well by this Friday, I don’t want to see him. I’m not going if he gets well,” WC coach Robert Morgan said. “He’s the premiere fullback in Mississippi.”

With the Vikings’ signature defense and Gray’s running, Stevens said something will have to give.

“They’ll have to contain him,” Stevens said. “When Phelan is in that zone, he is on. We hope to continue that with good execution.”

Defensively, the Gators moved cornerback D’Eldrick Taylor to a hybrid corner/linebacker and will open with a 5-3 defensive alignment. Taylor leads the team in both interceptions and fumble recoveries, but by moving him, the coaches wanted to get him more involved in hitting at the line of scrimmage.

“We’re going to key on (Richmond Fields), that’s who we have to stop,” Taylor said. “We played as a unit on Friday and our defense was clicking.”

An overflow crowd is expected at Memorial Stadium. Last year, a 27-14 Viking win at Warren Central, cars were parked miles up Mississippi 27.

The Vikings, behind a dominating offensive performance, shucked the injury plagued Gators for the 20th series win.

Stevens said this time around, his team is as healthy as it has been since the first game of the season.

“It’s a credit to our offseason conditioning program,” Stevens said. “It’s a lot of hard work to be physically ready to go out each week.”