With only one game in region play in the books and six weeks left in the regular season, it’s a little early for Warren Central to be facing a true &#8220must-win” situation.

That doesn’t mean a victory wouldn’t be nice, though.

The Vikings head into tonight’s game at Greenville-Weston reeling. They’ve lost four straight, the offense is self-destructing when it moves the ball at all and the defense is failing to make big plays. A solid effort and win against the Hornets is precisely what WC needs to cure some of its ills.

&#8220If we can just get some excitement back in us, we’ll be OK,” WC coach Curtis Brewer said. &#8220I’m not going to criticize these kids. They’re at practice, they work, they listen. We’ve got to find ways as a team to get the excitement back. The only way you do that is by being successful.”

And being successful is precisely what WC has not done since a season-opening rout of Memphis-Kirby in the Red Carpet Bowl.

In that game, a 37-0 win, WC amassed 383 yards of total offense. In the four games since then – all losses – it has scored 31 points and totaled 667 yards.

The offense has moved the ball well in spots, but ill-timed turnovers, penalties and mistakes have derailed a number of drives. WC has committed 45 penalties and 15 turnovers in five games, and lost 10 of its 16 fumbles.

&#8220When you judge offense, you judge by how many points you put on the board. One of the problems with our boys is they keep waiting for something bad to happen,” Brewer said. &#8220We need to give the people in the stands something to cheer about. And just as important, we need these players to have something to cheer about.”

For all of the offense’s woes, Brewer added that the defense also needs to step up. While it has kept the Vikings in nearly every game – outside of a 34-14 loss to Meridian, none of WC’s opponents has scored more than 18 points – the defense has not come up with big plays to help its struggling offense.

In its last four games, WC has gotten just three turnovers.

&#8220You can’t lay all of the problems at the foot of the offense. The defense has to come up with positive stops and create turnovers,” Brewer said. &#8220When you’re in an alley fight and your back is against the wall, you need every advantage you can get. Everybody has to do their part – offense, defense and special teams.”