Warren Central has a bye this Friday, but with the way it has performed so far in 2014, it might just want to keep playing.

Warren Central has steamrolled all four of its non-region opponents by a combined score of 144-12 heading into next week’s Region 2-6A opener at home against Northwest Rankin, and coach Josh Morgan and his staff are using the off week to re-oil the machine that has chewed up and spit out everything that’s been thrown in its path.

“I like the bye week. It gives us a chance to regroup and really work on some things that we need to work on, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Morgan said. “We’re going to really work on ourselves and get a head start on Northwest Rankin. We’re going to use it as wisely as we can and, again, use it to get better and work on some things that we need to work on.”

While there’s always something that even the best of teams can strive to improve, trying to think of the Vikings’ weak spots is almost as tough a task as facing their strengths. Warren Central boasts an unrelenting defense that is giving up an average of just three points per game and an offense that seems to run on cruise control behind a stable of running backs spearheaded by junior D.J. Knight. The combination has been a recipe for success that has tasted mighty sweet to the WC fans that are embracing the exciting start.

But Morgan is trying to get his team to take a step back from its early accomplishments and not think too far down the road. An undefeated non-region record for the first time since 2002 is surely impressive, but he wants everyone to know it’s a brand new season starting next week.

“We’ve got everything in front of us right now and we’re through with our first season, which is non-district, and we’re 4-0. But that does not mean anything,” Morgan said. “Everybody is undefeated in our district right now. Everybody is 0-0. We’ve got to understand that as a mature football team and understand that everything that we’ve done so far means nothing. It really starts now. That’s the message we’re going to send to our team. The time is now.”

The Vikings haven’t even played their best football yet and are still demolishing teams left and right. Warren Central threw two interceptions on just two passes in the second half Friday and still beat Natchez 30-0. So, while the room to grow is there, Morgan is hoping region play will serve as an attitude intensifier that will bring even more life to his club.

“Our sense of urgency and intensity has got to raise up. The magnitudes of these games from here on out, they’re all very meaningful,” he said. “That’s the message we’re going to have going in. We’ve got to keep extreme focus and keep challenging the guys and try to be the best that we can be.”

Warren Central has dominated in every contest, but it still seems as if most of the attention in the state is going toward established powerhouses like South Panola, Oak Grove and Starkville. The Vikings were seventh in last week’s Associated Press Class 6A poll, but still behind region rivals Starkville and Madison Central.

In Morgan’s eyes, it really doesn’t matter. Just keep winning and the rest will fall into place, he said.

“It doesn’t matter if our team is winless or undefeated, we’re always going to have a chip on our shoulder. That’s just the mindset of our team. They’ve done a good job, and I’ve challenged them to do it, of closing out all the outside noise and to really keep everything in-house and to really focus one week at a time,” he said. “That’s really all we can do. We can’t get caught up in looking ahead. If we’ll do what we’re supposed to do, and win one game at a time, then all that other stuff will fall into place.”