Football season in Warren County began on a brutally hot Friday afternoon in late August and ended on a chilly morning in early December. The three-plus months in between were some of the best for the area’s programs in two decades and, at the end of 2014, rated as the top sports story of the year by The Vicksburg Post’s staff.

Two of the top teams in Mississippi during the regular season — St. Aloysius and Warren Central — resided in Vicksburg.

In 32 years, from 1982 to 2012, St. Al won a total of four playoff games.

That started to change in 2013, however, with a surprising run to the Class 1A semifinals. The Flashes returned a deep, talented and experienced roster this year and finally broke through to reach the state championship game for the first time since 1981.

St. Al set a school record with 13 wins — all in a row — and running back DeMichael Harris set single-season school records with 2,102 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. As a team the Flashes rushed for 4,698 yards and 67 touchdowns, and scored nearly 600 points.

While St. Al fielded a dominating offense, Warren Central won with the stingiest defense in Class 6A. The Vikings had three state all-stars on defense — linebacker DeArius Christmas and defensive backs Chris Stamps and Michael Ware — and started 8-0 for the first time since 1994.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the season came on Oct. 10, when Marcus Ragan caught a deflected pass on the final play for a game-winning touchdown against Madison Central. It was the first time WC had beaten Madison since 2005.

The Vikings finished the season 9-3, with the three losses coming by a total of 21 points.

WC and St. Al weren’t the only area teams having remarkable football seasons, however.

On the high school level, Sharkey-Issaquena Academy won its second consecutive MAIS eight-man championship by beating Tallulah Academy. Tallulah won one game in 2013 before making a remarkable turnaround.

In college, Alcorn State had one of the best rushing offenses in the country and won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 1994. Led by coach Jay Hopson, a Vicksburg native, the Braves went 10-3 and beat Southern University 38-24 in the conference championship game in Houston.

Alcorn was also selected as the Black College Football national champion by the BoxToRow media poll. It was Alcorn’s first national title since 1984.

Beyond the gridiron, 2014 was a year of champions in a number of sports for Warren County’s high school teams. Here are some of the other top stories of the past 365 days:

• Vicksburg High’s boys basketball team finished as the state runner-up for the second time in four seasons when it lost 49-33 to Callaway in the Class 5A championship game in March. Callaway, the three-time defending state champ, finished 32-1 and handed the Gators five of their nine losses — twice in the regular season, once each in the division and North State tournaments, then finally in the state tournament.

• Vicksburg High sprinter Terrell Smith signed a track scholarship with Kansas State in February, then went on to win the Class 5A titles in the 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump at the state meet in May. His 200 meter time of 21.03 seconds — into a stiff headwind — was an overall state meet record, and gave him the state title in that event for the fourth year in a row.

Smith’s effort helped the Gators come within three points of Oxford for their first team state title, as well. A dropped baton during the 4×100 meter relay likely cost them the victory.

In all, Smith won seven individual state championships in his career. In June, he was named the Gatorade Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year for Mississippi, the first person from Vicksburg to earn that honor since it was first given out in 1986.

• Warren County staked its claim as Mississippi’s top high school golf town by winning three team championships during the MHSAA state tournament in May at Clear Creek Golf Course.

Eighth-grader Karley Whittington earned medalist honors and led Warren Central to the team title in the Class III girls championship. It was the first state championship for Warren Central in any team sport since the 2001 baseball team took the Class 5A crown.

The same day, St. Aloysius cruised to a comfortable 33-shot victory over Our Lady Academy for the Class I girls championship. Anna Fletcher and Laura Phillips both finished in the top five.

Two days later, also at Clear Creek, St. Al’s boys’ team added another chapter to its long-running dynasty by winning the Class 1A team championship for the fourth consecutive year, and seventh time in eight years.

• Several former Warren County high school stars either embarked upon or continued professional sports careers.

Former Vicksburg High star Malcolm Butler, an undrafted free agent, became the first player from Warren County in seven years to play in an NFL game when he made the New England Patriots’ opening day roster.

Former VHS basketball standouts Mychal Ammons and Denzell Erves signed pro contracts with teams in Macedonia and Germany, respectively.

Justin Henry, another VHS alum, continued his minor league baseball career by signing a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox in late 2013.

And Jonathan Phelps, yet another former Gator, was selected as an all-star in his first season with the Jackson Showboats of the semi-pro American Basketball Association. The Showboats also conducted their summer league in Vicksburg in June and July.