Warren Central basketball coach Preston Wilson watches his team run a fast-break drill during Tuesday’s practice. Above, Wilson tells his players after practice to “think about what you are doing.” Wilson and the Vikings are 10-3 and are getting a winning attitude not seen for many years. (The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[12/17/02]The recent history of Warren Central boys basketball has read like a storybook.

Unfortunately, it’s been a horror story.

The Vikings have gone eight years without a winning record, eight years without advancing out of division and eight years since hopes for a season have been as high as they are right now.

Led by a transfer, a slick point guard and a quiet superstar, Warren Central has won 10 games and is five away from eclipsing the most successful season since 1995.

“We’ve been listening to coach and doing the right things,” said center Chi-Chi Ezekwe, who transferred from Port Gibson last year. “We’ve been playing more as a team than we did last year. We are much better than we were last year.”

Before things get too rosy at WC, remember last season. The Vikings had 11 wins at the Christmas break, then won two games the rest of the season.

“We had a couple losses and injuries, and mentally wise, we didn’t handle things,” Wilson said. “I think we’re able to handle that adversity this year.”

Since it advanced to the South State satellite game in 1995 a loss to Harrison Central the Vikings’ records have left much to be desired.

In six of the seven years since, WC has entered the division tournament as the last seed, the other year they were the No. 3 seed. In those eight years, the Vikings have a less-than-stellar 72-128 record.

“I really think they guys are grasping the system and enjoying it,” Wilson said. “As long as we can stay together as a team, I think we can carry this over.”

At Brookhaven, Wilson routinely had 20 and 30 win seasons. His teams advanced to the state playoffs with regularity.

Now, it appears that he is bringing that same magic back to a school desperate for a successful boys basketball team.

“This has been a challenge and one I was looking forward to,” Wilson said. “Last year was not something that I wanted to experience. It was humbling.

“We have just as good athletes as we did at Brookhaven, it’s just now I’m trying to change the mindset and at this point, it is a big difference.”

His first season started like this one with a win over Wingfield at Raymond. The Vikings opened strong before spiraling down the stretch, losing in the first round of the division and finishing 12-16.

Wilson said he found the first year a bit frustrating, but has used that experience to mold this year’s squad.

Ezekwe, a skywalker with arms that hang to the floor, a steady senior point guard in Ronnie Jones and a newfound star in Dewayne Washington, the Vikings are making plenty of noise.

On Friday, WC will attempt to win their first division game of the season at Natchez. The Bulldogs were bombarded by Vicksburg a week ago and are reeling after the loss of all five starters from a season ago.

Clinton, which won Division 4-5A a season ago, is struggling as well leaving the door wide open for Warren Central to finally break the streak and get out of division.

“We need that first conference win and it’s always a momentum builder going into the holidays,” Wilson said of Friday’s game. “If we can get a win at Natchez, then grab a couple wins in Jackson, it should be promising.”

The Vikings, who will play in the Jackson Public Schools Christmas Tournament, have already beaten Vicksburg in the championship of the Coca-Cola Classic, although that had no bearing on the division race, but it was confidence boost for a team needing one.

State championship-dreams are still premature, Wilson said, but he quickly added that his team, and the team’s future, are bright.

The 9th-grade team has only one loss and the players are buying into Wilson’s up-tempo philosophy.

“This is it for us and we ought to get out of division,” Washington said. “When we start beating these guys, people are going to realize that we’re not playing around this year.”