Things were quiet Tuesday in the Warren Central fieldhouse, with the distant murmur of the washing machines the only signs of life following the school’s 40th football season.

The Vikings, a group that lost nine offensive starters entering the season, fought through losses in personnel, a brutal schedule that had the team on the road seven times and an inconsistent offense to reach the playoffs for the 21st straight year and come within a win of a home playoff game.

Warren Central (7-5) ended its season on Friday night with a 28-6 loss to third-ranked Olive Branch.

&#8220With the schedule we had, the kids did a pretty good job,” WC coach Curtis Brewer said. &#8220We never got over the hump offensively, but it wasn’t a lack of effort on the kids’ part. They did a good job keeping us in position to win ballgames.”

Warren Central began the season with two straight wins, then hit the toughest part of their schedule. The team lost leading defender Chico Hunter to an injury in the second game of the year and went on to lose back-to-back 31-point games to South Pike and Meridian, respectively.

The next week, WC lost to Northwest Rankin and was stuck with a 2-3 record.

Over the next five weeks, with the offense continuing to try to find its groove, the Vikings won five straight games. They did it behind a unyielding defense and just enough offense to get by.

Heading into the final game of the season against archrival Vicksburg, the Vikings could have secured a home playoff berth to go along with the eighth win of the season, but the Gators came out on top, 10-0.

&#8220As a whole, our assistant coaches did one of the best coaching jobs ever,” Brewer said. &#8220To recognize the things we were lacking in and doing the things we had to do to win.”

The Vikings will lose six senior starters on offense. Starting quarterback Ryan Williams and running back Carleton Davis, along with split end Cornell Miles and offensive linemen Matt Gordon, Greg Harrison and John Stauts will all be lost to graduation.

Seniors Desmond Carson, Larry Walker, John Chambers, Trey Ettinger, Dexter Carson, Tiger Robinson and kicker Joey Bonelli also will be lost next season.

Even when Hunter was sidelined, the rest of the defense took up the slack, winning close games it had to. The most impressive came against Provine in the second-to-last game of the season. The Rams had the ball twice inside the WC 5-yard line late in the fourth quarter and both times were denied.

Brewer said he plans on getting the team into the weightroom early working toward next season. Finding a quarterback and a stable of running backs will be at the top of the coach’s list as next season approaches.

&#8220All season our kids played with a lot of character and never gave in,” Brewer said.