In Friday night’s River City Classic, one offense managed to do just enough.

The other did not.

Vicksburg’s offense made the plays when it needed them and Warren Central’s struggled mightily in a 28-23 VHS victory at Viking Stadium.

When the Viking defense got a third-quarter safety and Curtis Ross scored to cap the ensuing drive and cut the lead to 21-16, the excitement on the WC bench was palpable.

“We had all of the momentum on our side when we got that safety,” WC coach Josh Morgan said. “We had our chances offensively. We just couldn’t convert. We were handcuffed offensively. We ran the ball, but not consistently. We couldn’t put together the long drives we needed.”

Despite getting a solid game out of Aaron Stamps, who rushed 22 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns, the passing game withered.

Senior WC quarterback Chase Ladd completed only 2 of 10 passes for six yards and one interception. That pick gave Vicksburg a short field that it cashed in on. Senior tailbck Darius Youngblood scored on a 2-yard run to give Vicksburg a 21-7 advantage.

In the first half, the Vikings were hit with seven penalties and managed only one first down.

“We shot ourselves in the foot with penalties,” senior tight end Patrick Varnado said. “In the second half, we finally got it together, but it was too late. This is very

disappointing for us.”

On the other side of the coin, the Gators made the plays when it counted.

Senior quarterback Cameron Cooksey was under heavy duress all night, but still managed to complete 15 of 27 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns.

The difference was the play of Vicksburg’s ground game, which ground down the clock and moved the chains when the Gators needed it. Youngblood had a season-high 31 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown.

“We told them we were going to run it down their throat. We practiced it all week,” Youngblood said. “The middle was wide open.”