[12/14/03]Walking into the sweltering August heat with a whistle around his neck and a WC cap on his head, Warren Central coach Robert Morgan knew he had a challenging task ahead of him.

During the spring practices, he had to sort through a mix of players as green as the fresh grass and determine who was best suited to play which positions.

Through the weeks of preparation, Morgan extended his desire to win to his players. Months later, the young Vikings stepped up to finish 8-4 on the season, won the Region 2-5A championship in a decisive rivalry game against Vicksburg and extended Morgan’s playoff streak to 19 seasons.

The outstanding run garnered Morgan The Vicksburg Post Coach of the Year Award for the 10th time since 1987.

“I’ve always said it’s the coaching staff,” Morgan said. “I mean, I’m at the head of it, but I think our coaches did a really fine job all year of patching holes and getting us on track to win our division. On their behalf, I think they did an exceptional job of molding a team that was successful.

“I’m very proud to be a part of it and honored. I accept the honor on behalf of our coaches and our players. It’s quite an honor, and I’m never tired of receiving it.”

It was an up-and-down season for the Vikings.

After a big win over Gulfport in the Red Carpet Bowl, Warren Central dropped two straight to McComb and South Pike. Starting with a 14-0 victory over Natchez, the Vikings then won five consecutive games to join Vicksburg as the only other undefeated team in the region.

A 14-7 loss at Clinton could have sent the team spiraling downward, but the coaches kept the players focused on the ultimate prize of the region championship. Warren Central responded with a 24-14 win at Grenada to set up the showdown with VHS.

At Viking Stadium, Warren Central played a nearly error-free game to blow out Vicksburg 35-6 and win the title. But in the playoffs, the Vikings’ luck ran out and they fell 22-0 to Horn Lake.

“It was just a fun year,” Morgan said. “Everybody seemed to be involved in it. The snowball got to rolling, and we were doing good. It was just one of those things where you keep on keeping on.”

The Vikings battled through numerous early-season injuries without losing a beat.

Fred Payne started the year at running back before a knee injury forced him out after six games. His replacement, Larry Warner, rushed for more than 1,000 yards in just six games.

When linemen Jack Harper and Adam Huell went down for the season, Matt Prince, Scott McKinnie and Chris Kelly shored up the blocking unit.

“We knew all the time that we could have a good team, but it was a matter of taking those young guys and filling where they would make our team stronger,” Morgan said. “Everything just kind of messed around, and the more we played, the better they got.”