Past, present and future were on the mind of Vicksburg coach Alonzo Stevens this week as his team prepares for tonight’s matchup with Murrah at Newell Field in Jackson.

The Gators (3-6, 1-4) were eliminated from the Class 5A playoff race after last week’s 42-12 loss at the hands of Madison Central.

Murrah (2-7, 0-5) has yet to win in the region and that could be good news for the Gators, who hope to finish a disappointing season with a pair of wins, which would include next week’s game against Warren Central.

&#8220We’ve won the games we should’ve won, but we’ve also squandered opportunities to get some more. We lost to Natchez in overtime. We had a shot at beating Hazlehurst. If we play the first half like we did the second half we could’ve beaten Clinton. Only at Provine were we never in the game,” Stevens said.

Despite the frustration, Stevens likes how his team has responded this week and he says it bodes well for next season.

&#8220I’ve been proud of the effort all year and even without the playoffs, the enthusiasm is still there from the players and the coaches. We have high hopes for the future.

The Gators have not been dull. Quarterback Stanton Price completed 22 of 35 passes for 319 yards in a 42-12 loss to Madison Central last Friday. The junior now has 1,312 yards on 109-of-187 passing with 10 touchdowns.

Senior Vernon Wolfe leads the county in receiving with 34 receptions for 581 yards. Juniors Delmon Robinson (29-253) and John Qualls (24-320) add to the potent Gator passing mix along with sophomore Les Lemons.