Warren Central shuts down Natchez, 14-0

Published 12:00 am Monday, September 22, 2003

[9/20/03]The Natchez High win streak was a short-lived one.

Coming off a 14-12 win over Vicksburg a week ago, the Bulldogs managed only 138 yards of total offense in a 14-0 loss to Warren Central.

WC (2-2) intercepted Natchez quarterback Riley Trask once and recovered a fumble in their best defensive effort of the year.

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“We had the intensity this week,” WC linebacker Vaughn Mims said. “Coach (Robert) Morgan told us all week to keep the intensity for four quarters and not letting up.

“We’ve been playing good, but we’ve been a first-half team and then let off in the second half, but this week we’ve been working on keeping that intensity.”

The score was deceiving because the young Vikings were unsuccessful on three field-goal attempts because of bad snaps and holds, several big plays were called back because of penalties and the Vikings fumbled on their own 1-yard line.

Natchez, though, never put a semblance of an offense together against a stingy WC defense.

“They made some turnovers and we made some turnovers, but we weren’t able to generate any offense, because we were so inconsistent,” said Natchez coach James Denson, whose team ended a 13-game losing streak last week. “That sums up the whole game.”

Fred Payne led Warren Central’s offensive attack with 94 yards on 11 carries. Payne, who has been nursing an injured leg, did not start in favor of Dexter Carson. Carson, a sophomore, gained 44 yards on 12 carries in his first career start.

Carson’s 2-yard touchdown run with 3 minutes, 1 second to play in the first quarter gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead. The score came after three scoring chances were missed by WC a pair of field goals and the fumble at the goal line.

“We’re not getting down on the bad plays,” wide receiver Amos Chase said. “It’s over with, we have to get on with it and make some big plays.”

With WC holding onto a 7-0 lead early in the fourth quarter, Jason Williams intercepted Trask and returned the ball 47 yards to the Natchez 33-yard line. Three plays later, Chase hauled in a 28-yard touchdown pass from Christian Hales to give the Vikings a 14-0 lead.

“Jason Williams is a warrior,” Chase said with a smile.

Natchez, which had 71 rushing yards on 25 carries, was led by Travis Washington’s 32 yards on seven carries.

Trask threw for 67 yards on seven completions.

Hales completed four passes for 121 yards as the Vikings rolled up 325 yards of total offense.

“We still have to work harder,” Chase said. “We have to go back over the fundamentals and get ready for Forest Hill.”

WC will play Forest Hill at 7 p.m. on Friday night.