Jeremy Henderson, left, and Shaun Fox tangle up in Tuesday’s practice as Warren Central prepares for tonight’s game against Clinton. (Jon GiffinThe Vicksburg Post)

[10/22/04]The last time Warren Central beat Clinton at Viking Stadium, WC head coach Curtis Brewer was an assistant, Clinton coach Pete Hurt was coaching Samford University and Bill Clinton was nearing a second term as the president.

Brewer remembers all of the past three losses, and thanks to the Clinton High program, so do all the Vikings.

Printed prominently in the program is the fact that the Arrows have owned Warren Central when playing on Highway 27. Even the 1994 Vikings, considered one of the best football teams in Mississippi history, lost a home game to Clinton for their only defeat of the season.

The program is displayed in the WC fieldhouse for all to see.

“I don’t know what it is,” Brewer said. “But it’s like I said, you can’t live in the past and you can’t live in the future. You can plan for the future, but you have to live for the present.”

The two teams will renew their heated rivalry tonight in a game that could either get Warren Central closer to a Region 2-5A championship, or allow three teams to inch closer.

The Vikings (7-1) are the only unbeaten team in region play at 4-0, but will face by far the toughest schedule of all region opponents.

WC will play Clinton (4-4, 3-1) tonight, then face Grenada (3-1 in region) on Oct. 29 before finishing the season at crosstown rival Vicksburg. The first two, and Madison Central, are one game behind WC.

Clinton’s 4-4 record is a bit deceiving. The Arrows lost four of their first five games before reeling off three straight wins. And they’ve done it behind the bruising running of a former linebacker.

“They are without a doubt the best 4-4 team in the state,” said Brewer of an Arrows’ team that has lost to No. 4 Meridian, No. 8 Brookhaven, No. 19 Northwest Rankin and Madison Central. Those four schools have a combined record of 26-4-1.

Maurice Woods, who never played running back until the second half of the Vicksburg game nearly a month ago, has scored nine touchdowns in three games including four each in the last two.

“He definitely has sparked the team,” Hurt said. “He had been a linebacker the last two years and was actually hurt for the first four games this year.”

The Vikings will again look to the running of Warren County’s leading rusher Larry Warner and fullback Jesse Pedyfoot.

In a 33-12 win over Murrah last Friday, Warner was held to a season-low 45 yards rushing by a Mustangs’ defense that gang-tackled the 5-foot, 3-inch dynamo on every play.

“I think to stop him is unrealistic,” Hurt said. “We want to do a couple things against him. One is to keep him off the field, and second is to limit the big plays.”

Pedyfoot responded with 65 yards against Murrah, but Brewer said Warner will need to get his motor running again against a stingy Arrows defense.

Also at stake is a guaranteed playoff spot for a Warren Central team that has set the bar for playoff appearances. If WC wins Friday night, it will be assured of its 20th straight playoff appearance a state record. Even with a loss, the Vikings are almost certain of a playoff spot, but Brewer said all that can be put to rest with a victory.

“It’s going to take everything,” he said. “It’s going to take all the red shirts, all the rocks in all the cans they can put them in and the community getting behind us.”