Vicksburg girls soccer coach Karen Carroll couldn’t remember the last time her team had beaten Warren Central. She even asked senior Caroline Williams, who has been with the VHS soccer program since seventh grade, who was as equally stumped as her coach.

They won’t have to ponder that question anymore.

Countering the cold temperatures with a scorching start, the Missy Gators used two goals by Mikayla Banks to edge the Lady Vikes 2-1 at Memorial Stadium Tuesday night. It was Vicksburg’s first win in the series since 2012, and only its second in the last eight games against its crosstown foe.

“What can you say about (Banks)? She could have had her another hat trick, but hats off to our defense and our midfield,” Carroll said. “You can’t say anything different. That was a good passing team, a good, physical team.”

Banks didn’t take long to heat up in the bitter cold, taking a through ball past the defense and beating the keeper for a goal just 10 minutes into the match. After that, Vicksburg spent the rest of the half surviving a barrage of near-misses and close calls before WC knocked in a goal.

The Lady Vikes answered when Drew Barnes buried a deep free kick to knot the game at 1-1.

“She’s been doing outstanding on our forward position,” WC assistant coach Viktoria Case said. “I moved her there midway through the season and she’s been doing terrific. She’s scored in every single game she’s played in that spot, so that was probably one of the best decisions I’ve done so far.”

But Banks did not let Warren Central’s equalizer last long. With 30 minutes remaining in the match, she single-handedly dribbled past Warren Central’s defense and slid the game-winning goal into the corner of the net. The cheers from the Vicksburg faithful in attendance were almost as loud as those from her coach on the sideline.

“We’ve got a district game coming up Friday, and it’s just a good game to get prepared for before our big district game against Ridgeland at home,” Carroll said