[12/10/02]Warren Central will play host to a six team field for this year’s basketball Red Carpet bowl starting Jan. 25.

The Vikings, who will be looking to avenge last year’s Red Carpet loss to Wayne County, will face Neshoba Central. Vicksburg will play Yazoo County and St. Aloysius will play Wesson.

The Warren Central matchup takes on an intriguing feel because it will be the return of a pair of former Warren County coaches.

Kelvin Smith, who coached the Warren Central ninth grade team two years ago, is now coach of Neshoba’s boys, while ex-St. Aloysius coach Noah Hamilton coaches the girls at Neshoba Central.

Hamilton’s last trip to Warren Central, while he was a coach at Newellton, La., ended when he and his team did not show up for a first-round game of the Warren Central Classic.

“It brings a lot to the community. The Red Carpet right now is the longest running bowl in the state, twenty plus years, we have a record for that,” Red Carpet Bowl Committee Chairman Charlie McKinnie said. “It brings all the students together, all the students can come together and see the games. It makes for a good community thing.”

Admission is $2 a game, or $6 for the entire tournament.

The Lady Flashes will begin the tournament against Wesson at 10 a.m. with the boys’ game following at 11:30.

The Missy Gators will play Yazoo County at 1 p.m. with the boys’ game following at 2:30.

The Lady Vikes will play Neshoba at 4 p.m. and the boys’ game will follow at 5:30.

“This creates great interest in basketball for the whole community. You’ve got St. Al, Warren Central and Vicksburg involved, boys’ and girls’ teams. It’s an opportunity to come out and see some good basketball,” Lady Vikes coach Donny Fuller said.

“We’ve got some good players at our local schools, and a lot of the times people don’t realize what kind of good players we got, and they need to come out and watch these kids play because I’m telling you that there are some that can play the game.”