Warren Central quarterback Christian Hales, who will return next season, looks downfield for a receiver as a Horn Lake defender closes in during the Vikings’ 22-0 playoff loss on Friday night. (Jon GiffinThe Vicksburg Post)

[11/20/03]The hallways in the Warren Central fieldhouse are quiet now. Equipment has been put away for another year. The meticulously painted field will soon fade underneath the cleats of the school’s soccer teams.

Inside the now-quiet fieldhouse, Robert Morgan can sit and reflect on a season marked by overachievement, an unlikely region championship and the visions of an experienced team taking the field next season.

Hopes sure are high at 1000 Mississippi 27.

The Vikings concluded their season Friday night with a 22-0 loss to Horn Lake in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. They had upset Grenada on the road, then beat Vicksburg High handily in an emotionally charged contest.

When Horn Lake came to town, Warren Central came out, “just as flat as we could possibly be,” Morgan said.

“We were outright region champions and that was a goal for our seniors,” Morgan said. “We weren’t picked to win the division, we just played good.

“… We lost some players early, but the younger ones stepped up and played.”

The Vikings lost offensive linemen Jack Harper and Adam Huell early in the season to injuries. A patchwork offensive line none weighing more than 260 pounds found a way to clear holes for a backup running back whose star power was felt immediately.

“We weren’t big on the line to begin with,” Morgan said.

Starting running back Fred Payne was injured early in the season, but continued to play for several games thereafter.

When he could not go any more, it opened the door for Larry Warner, a pint-sized warrior who burst onto the scene to rush for more than 1,000 yards in six games. Included in that were three 200-plus yard outings.

Four starters on offense, and a healthy Payne, will return next season, as will seven defensive starters.

Morgan pointed again to the offensive line as the biggest question mark. Only Chris Kelly returns to the line as a starter.

“We have a situation at the line that we’ll have to get right,” Morgan said. “We don’t have too many big boys anyway. The line will be a priority for us going into the spring.”

Defensively, the Vikings lose defensive linemen Kenny Stewart and Jeremy Henderson, as well as linebacker Vaughn Mims and quick safety Jason Williams. Mims was also the Vikings’ punter.

Warren Central opened the year with a win over Gulfport in the Red Carpet Bowl, then lost its next two games to McComb and South Pike.

A shutout of Natchez marked the first of three straight shutouts by the Vikings. Wins over Madison Central and Murrah put WC on top of the region standings with VHS.

A late-season loss to Clinton gave way to the final two wins of the year.

“All-in-all, I was pleased with our season,” said Morgan, whose team won six of their last seven regular season games. “We would have liked to play more because we were having a lot of fun. This team really came together and played well.”