Karnina Bunch displays a vibrant personality, likes to talk and is adept at clowning around.

Sha’Kayla Caples is quiet and reserved, shying away from everyone — including her coach.

They are the Yin and Yang of the Warren Central girls basketball team, yet they share one common attribute — they can play basketball at an exceptional level.

“I just try to be loose and pump up the team to help them play,” Bunch said. “Kay seems quiet, but she gets fired up when it’s time to play.”

The duo is a rarity for the Lady Vikes, having both starting for the varsity in their freshman years. WC coach Donny Fuller said he rarely brings up freshmen, but there are always exceptions.

“They do a great job of complementing each other and they have played a lot of basketball together,” Fuller said. “A lot of people thought I was crazy starting two freshmen, but they stepped up to the challenge and have done a great job.”

All they have done is lead Warren Central to back-to-back division championships, reached the Mississippi Coliseum for the state tournament once and came within a point of making it two years in a row. So far this year, WC is 2-1 and Caples leads the team in scoring with 23 points per game.

With three starters from last season gone, the season likely will be dictated by the play of Caples and Bunch.

The two began playing on the same basketball team in the seventh grade. Caples played the post position, while Bunch stood out as a point guard — commonly referred to as the quarterback on the basketball court. She averaged 6.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game in earning Vicksburg Post All-County honors.

Having played so much basketball with one another lends itself to a familiarity unlike many others.

“We have this thing on the court that no one else has,” Caples said of a non-verbal gesture she and Bunch do to communicate with one another. “She knows exactly what I am about to do it before I do it.”

Caples, the two-time defending Vicksburg Post Player of the Year, plays much taller than her 5-foot, 10-inch frame. Last season she averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds per game. In 34 games, she had 26 double-doubles (double figures in two different statistical categories). She has moved her game outside to get more well-rounded.

She also has been getting inundated with college coaches salivating for her services. Ole Miss, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech are most interested in Caples. It may turn out to be a package deal — both Bunch and Caples said they would love to be on the same college team.

Much of that is still in the future, however, as the Lady Vikes embark on another journey toward the Mississippi Coliseum. WC has made it to the Big House four out of the last five seasons, losing in the first round of the state tournament to Brandon a season ago.

A new division — gone is Vicksburg, which dropped to Class 4A — includes Greenville-Weston, Clinton and Provine.

“Top to bottom it is the best division in girls basketball,” Fuller said.

The Lady Vikes will tackle it with only two starters — Bunch and Caples — returning. Second-leading scorer Brittany Willis (11.5 points per game), outside shooter Shantta Taylor and Kaci Harris, who routinely guarded the opponents’ biggest player, all have graduated.

Fuller said senior Heather Casey is a favorite for the shooting guard position and Vernadette Hale is a threat at small forward. Junior Bailey Anderton and Brittany Erves are locked in a battle for the center position.

“We are still a young team and will be relying on some sophomores to step up their games,” Fuller said.

Ricille Davis and DeShaundra Eatmon are expected to get playing time, as will Dequanna Kilbert, a former Lady Vike who moved to Durant last season, but back to Vicksburg for this season.