Vicksburg had an off-week to process its opening loss to Gulfport in the Red Carpet Bowl.

Now it’s time to see if the Gators (0-1) are ready to take the next step, as they host perennial Louisiana Class 3A power Richwood tonight.

“Winning solves everything,” Vicksburg coach Alonzo Stevens said. “We really need a win tonight. For three quarters, we played with Gulfport. Just a couple of blowups in the second quarter hurt us. Last year, physically, against Ocean Springs, we were outmatched. But last week, we showed some fight. We know we’re playing good teams.”

Winning might be a far easier task than last year, when Richwood dominated Vicksburg. The Rams lost most of last year’s vaunted linebacking corps, running back Greg Hudson and quarterback Anthony Abraham.