Gators need win, help to clinch playoff berth

Once Vicksburg High’s season started to go sideways, its goals changed.

Instead of a home playoff game, the Gators were willing to settle for any playoff game — even if it meant facing one of the best teams in the state.

“Our goal was to go to Oxford,” Vicksburg coach Marcus Rogers laughed, referring to the top-ranked team in Class 5A as well as the site of this year’s MHSAA state championship games. “So there’s two ways of looking at it. We go there early. Take care of business first and foremost, but I’ll speak it into existence.”

They’re one win and a little help away from getting their wish.

The Gators (5-5, 2-4 Region 2-6A) can clinch a playoff berth Friday night with a win over Holmes County Central (6-4, 3-3) in the regular-season finale at Memorial Stadium, coupled with a win by first-place Grenada (8-2, 6-0) over Neshoba Central (3-8, 2-4).

If the Gators get in, they’ll travel to play Oxford in the first round of the playoffs next week.

It’s not the easiest path to take, but after a midseason slide in which they lost three of four and very nearly fell completely out of contention, they’ll take it.

The Gators haven’t won consecutive games since starting 2-0, but are perhaps coming off their best two-game stretch since then. After beating Canton, they went toe-to-toe with Grenada last week before losing 31-17.

Vicksburg overcame a 17-0 deficit against Grenada and had a chance to tie with about five minutes left in the game. A fumble near the goal line nixed the comeback, but the overall effort put a smile on Rogers’ face.

Quarterback Joe Johnson completed 15 of 22 passes for 202 yards, with one touchdown and one interception — his best game in nearly two months — and the defense settled in to record four sacks after a shaky start. Jomon O’Neal had three of the sacks and nine total tackles.

“I think (Johnson’s) hitting a groove. He’s running the ball well out of the pocket, and it’s slowing down for him. He’s going to hit his stride right when we need him,” Rogers said. “The ball is jumping out of his hand again like it did during the summer. I don’t know what happened during the season where it was floating on us, but he threw slants well. He threw every route on the field.”

Now, the Gators need to carry that momentum into this week’s home game against a Holmes County Central squad that has become a bit of a mystery.

Head coach Tony Woolfolk resigned two weeks ago and Holmes has lost both games since then. Rogers said he’s also had trouble getting film of its recent games, which has made scouting difficult.

Whoever leads them into Memorial Stadium, and whatever style of football they play, the Gators will need to be sharp to win. Holmes running back Gecorius Wilson had rushed for 1,504 yards and 22 touchdowns this season and quarterback Rodderius English has thrown for 1,349 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“They’re very athletic. Scheme-wise we’re still trying to figure them out,” Rogers said. “They’re predominantly a run team, which I don’t mind going against. I think our defense can stand up stout with anybody. The bigger the game, I think the bigger our defense steps up. But offensively, we’ve got to get some things going.”

Rogers said the Gators are treating this like the playoff game it essentially is. It’ll be a “blackout” game in which the Gators will wear all-black uniforms, and fans are encouraged to do the same. It should generate some extra buzz for a group of young players who are still finding their way, but who can take a big step in the process with a win Friday night.

“The team is turning a corner,” Rogers said. “We’re predominantly young with a lot of 10th-graders. There’s 55 kids coming back next year. But we have enough right now to do what we need to do to get to the playoffs, and it’s another season then.”

Holmes County Central at Vicksburg

Thursday, 7 p.m.

Radio: 1490 AM

Online: For live scoring updates on Friday night, visit Facebook.com/thevicksburgpost or Twitter.com/vicksburgpost

At stake: Vicksburg can clinch a berth in the Class 5A playoffs with a win and a Grenada victory over Neshoba Central. Holmes will clinch one with a win.