In trying to transform Vicksburg High’s football program into a state championship contender and perennial winner, coach Marcus Rogers knew he’d eventually have to start testing his players by increasing the difficulty of the team’s schedule.

The exam begins Aug. 18, 2017.

The Gators will open next season against Oxford in the Red Carpet Bowl, and then face Clinton, Warren Central and Columbus during the non-region portion of their schedule.

All four non-region opponents will come from the Class 6A ranks and made the playoffs in 2016, and all except Columbus — which finished 6-6 — won eight or more games. Clinton won the Class 6A championship this season.

Vicksburg finished 9-4 last season and lost to Lake Cormorant in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. The Gators will have nine starters returning on defense.

“We’re excited about it as a challenge, but also a testament of where our program is and where we want it to stay,” Rogers said. “We’ve worked hard as a staff and team to put Vicksburg Gator football back on the state watch list.”

The non-region schedule will feature a lot of familiar faces for the Gators. They’ve played Oxford in the playoffs twice in the past four seasons, Warren Central is their in-town rival, and the matchup with Clinton renews an old rivalry.

Other than last year’s spring game, Vicksburg and Clinton haven’t played each other since Vicksburg moved to Class 5A in 2013. Prior to that, they were region opponents for most of the previous 30 years. Clinton won the last five meetings in the series.

Clinton and Columbus will replace Terry and Natchez on Vicksburg’s schedule.

“(Clinton coach) Judd (Boswell) and I have got a good relationship. We played them last spring and he respects what I’ve done with the program, and he needed a Week 2 opponent,” Rogers said. “It was a no-brainer for me if we want to go deep in November. You have to be battle tested. If you want to be an eagle, you have to hang with other eagles.”

Rogers said the Region 2-5A coaches were scheduled to meet at Germantown High School on Jan. 10 to iron out the league schedule. Two new teams, Callaway and Cleveland, are moving into Region 2-5A for 2017 and ’18 as the Mississippi High School Activities Association realigns its classifications.

The two new teams replace Grenada and Lanier and increase the overall strength of the region, Rogers said.

“It’s always tough to play 5A ball anywhere in the state of Mississippi. Adding Cleveland High, which is the combination of two schools, and a Callaway who has two SEC commits for next year won’t be an easy feat. And Germantown is always good and possesses a great coaching staff,” Rogers said.

Adding to the difficulty is the fact that three of the first four games — Oxford, Warren Central and Columbus — will be on the road. The game with Oxford in the Red Carpet Bowl will be played at Warren Central.

Rogers had wanted to fill an open date on the schedule, but after revamping it decided his team might need it after all. The Gators will be off in Week 3, on Sept. 8.

“We’re going to be open. That’s a murderous start,” Rogers said.