Prep football playoff picture will come into focus after Friday night

Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 19, 2006

October 19, 2006.

Decision Friday is here for the four Warren County football teams.

After this week’s games, playoff hopes can either stay alive or be dashed.

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Starting with the good. St. Al, barring a collapse, is going to the playoffs. The Flashes should win their next two games, then square off against Pisgah in what should be a game for playoff position.

The Flashes are currently in third place in Region 3-1A and will likely battle either Mount Olive or Mercy Cross. Both of those teams are 7-1 and ranked in the Associated Press Class 1A poll.

Porters Chapel can stamp its ticket on Friday with a win over Adams Christian. A loss to ACCS and the Eagles would likely become a wild-card team. That could result in a matchup with powerhouse Centreville, Brookhaven or Central Private.

Regardless, PCA is in fine shape to reach the Academy AA state playoffs.

Vicksburg’s playoff hopes are the slimmest of our county teams. The Gators are coming off a big win over a sorry Greenville team and need to run the table to have a chance at the postseason.

Vicksburg could get some postseason life on Friday, but it would have to beat Madison Central. The Jaguars are tied for second place in Region 2-5A with Northwest Rankin. Madison is coming off a two-touchdown win over a Provine team that decimated Vicksburg 30-8 earlier in the season.

A Vicksburg loss on Friday would end any playoff chances, but the Gators could still play spoiler against its fiercest rival.

Warren Central’s playoff hopes will rely on a win over Provine on Oct. 27 at Viking Stadium. The Rams have two losses in the region and play region doormat Murrah this week.

It is conceivable that the Vikings could end the region schedule with a 4-3 record by winning two of their last three. That run will start Friday against third-ranked Clinton.

Now that everyone is confused, just remember that of the two largest schools in the county, Warren Central has the best chance of reaching the playoffs. Vicksburg’s slow region start – the Gators went 0-3 before beating Greenville – likely will be the team’s downfall.

So Warren Central and Vicksburg are clawing, scraping and fighting to reach the postseason only to find as their reward for fighting so hard the South Panola Tigers.

Winners of 53 straight games, the Tigers are primed for another run to a fourth straight state championship. The first speed bump for the Tigers could be the Vikings or the Gators.

But it is the playoffs and that in itself is a bonus, especially when talking about WC, which has advanced to the state playoffs 21 straight times.

Three home football games highlight Friday’s schedule with each holding playoff implications. The weather will be cold and clear. Just perfect for a weekend of this magnitude.