The return of the Jackson State Tigers appeared to have the biggest impact in Vicksburg on Wednesday’s National Signing Day for senior high school football players.

Coach Rick Comegy’s program landed two of Warren County’s most physical athletes in offensive tackle Trey Curtis and defensive end Desmond Carson.

Vicksburg High’s Curtis (6-foot-5, 310) made it a twinbill for the Tigers with his Wednesday afternoon signing before his parents, Jackie and Milton Moore, and uncle Joseph Bell, a big Jackson State fan.

The pair joins Warren Central’s Chico Hunter and Vicksburg’s Chavous McWhorter as the local senior college signees. Hunter inked with the University of Southern Mississippi while McWhorter signed Wednesday afternoon with Louisiana-Monroe.

Curtis had been undecided up to Wednesday morning but the appeal of a new attitude in Jackson won out.

&#8220I had to weigh my options, but in the end, I made my mind up on Jackson State,” Curtis said. &#8220Coach (Daryl) Jones did a hard job of recruiting and coach Comegy has a good plan for the future of the program. I’m comfortable being a part of it.”

The same factors swayed Carson, a Warren Central standout and All-Warren County selection, to sign with JSU.

&#8220(C)oach Comegy, as a head coach, showed more interest in me, than the other schools’ head coaches,” Carson said. &#8220The other schools kind of let their assistants do it all. Coach Comegy made me feel I was one of the right players for the program.”

More good news for the Tigers is that Curtis is qualified (18 ACT, 2.5 GPA) and Carson (18 ACT, 2.3 GPA) is close.

&#8220They are going to help me get a better score on the ACT and also help with my grades with their tutorial services,” added Carson, who signed in front of his parents, Douglas and Beverly Carson of Vicksburg.

Curtis, who anchored an offensive line that helped the team to a 7-5 record and a playoff berth, feels he can make an impact for JSU.

&#8220I’ll be an offensive tackle,” Curtis said. &#8220The way coach Comegy talks, Jackson State is coming back to where the program used to be.”

Carson and Curtis are two of a 34-player class signed by Comegy and his staff. Other notables include Meridian High quarterback Justin Baylor, who led the Wildcats to the Class 5A championship game, Greenville-Weston receiver Cordario Calvin, Provine defensive end Earnest Brock and Hinds Community College players Willie Williams and receiver Chris Johnson.

McWhorter is part of a 30-man class signed by Louisiana-Monroe. He rushed for more than 500 yards last season for the Gators.

McWhorter was a strong academic qualifier, something his mother, Jessica McWhorter, was proud of.

&#8220I always told him with hard work, he could achieve anything. He has a good support system around him with me, his cousin, Eddie Rollins, and his uncle, Ellis Jones. I wouldn’t settle for anything less out of him,” Mrs. McWhorter said.

Hunter was the 2004 Vicksburg Post Defensive Player of the Year but he missed all but two games of his senior season with the Vikings. He joins another solid class put together by Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower.

&#8220When you look at the top to bottom quality of this class, it shows the tremendous job our staff did,” Bower said.