Warren Central’s Larry Warner tries to break through a pair of South Pike defenders on Friday night. (Brian LodenThe Vicksburg Post)

[9/13/04]Warren Central’s coaching staff preached all week about how important it was to get an early lead on South Pike.

The coaches told the players how the Eagles never give up and never quit.

The eighth-ranked Vikings found that out first-hand on Friday as they blew two second-half leads, losing 24-22 on a punt return TD to No. 12 South Pike.

“We knew exactly what they were going to do, we just didn’t do a good job of stopping it,” WC defensive back Chico Hunter said. “We caught on to it, shut it down pretty good. They got some good breaks in there, and it cost us the game.”

With high expectations entering the season, the Vikings (2-1) now face a breaking point in their season. Do they bounce back or fold?

A game against lowly Natchez (1-2) on Friday should help to boost their confidence, but the WC coaches were calling out the players in the locker room following the game.

“We’re going to have to start playing as a team,” coach Curtis Brewer said. “We can’t play as individuals and wait on someone else not just Larry (Warner). We can’t wait on them on defense and let Chico do it, let somebody else do it. We’re going to have to do it with 11 people. We’re going to have play as team or good teams are going to whip you.”

The coaches are asking the seniors to step up as leaders along with the juniors helping out and most importantly to play together as a team.

“It was a good game for folks to watch, but we let it slip away from us,” Brewer said. “They didn’t take it away from us. We let it slip away from us.”

It started with big plays in the first drive.

South Pike quarterback Kelsey Island connected with Vincent Wheatley on a 31-yard pass. Running back Sam Reed then ran for 13 yards, and Island followed three plays later with a 24-yard pass to Wheatley. Chris Abron finally punched in the touchdown from 8 yards out to give South Pike a 6-0 lead.

The Vikings’ offense went three-and-out, and the Eagles (3-0) hit another big play with a 35-yard pass from Island to Carl Cunningen. Island then found Wheatley on a 6-yard fade route in the end zone for a 12-0 lead.

“I don’t believe we reflected true team play tonight,” Brewer said on Friday. “It was individual spurts, individual stops, and then all of a sudden they’d make a long run.”

Warner ran in a 60-yard TD in the first quarter to cut the lead to 12-7 as the Vikings began to steal away the momentum. A 46-yard dash by Warner in the second quarter set up a Dexter Carson touchdown as WC went ahead 14-12.

South Pike began to drive again before the break, but Hunter recovered a fumble by Abron at the 3-yard line to save a touchdown.

Warner fumbled at the Vikings’ 15-yard line in the second half to set up a South Pike touchdown for an 18-14 score.

The Vikings’ special teams then faltered down the stretch.

Fred Payne muffed the kick return after the Eagles’ score, and the ball went out of bounds at the 7-yard line. In the fourth quarter, South Pike’s Reed fumbled a punt. The ball bounced on the ground for several seconds before the Eagles finally recovered it.

“It goes back to what coaches always say,” Brewer said. “Special teams are as important as any other phase of the ball game. We didn’t do well on some of our special teams.”

Hunter said losing such a close game hurts, but the Vikings will bounce back.

“It’s real tough,” Hunter said. “But winners train, losers complain. We’re just going to come back next week harder than ever. This is going to do nothing but help us with our season.”