East Central is quickly becoming Warren Central East.

Defender Treyce Keyes signed to play at East Central Community College on Wednesday, and in the process became the fifth member of Warren Central’s soccer team to sign with the school in the past two years.

Braylen Greer and Sean Dixon signed with East Central in February. Hunt Holdiness and Dillon Green also did it in 2017. Keyes said having so many familiar faces around was a driving force behind his decision to play in Decatur.

“It’s good. I get to go and play with all of my friends at East Central. Everybody I know is going there from here,” Keyes said. “I really don’t know why everybody is going there, but ever since Hunt and Dillon went there, and Braylen and Sean signed, I decided that that’s where I wanted to go.”

Warren Central coach Greg Head said the Vicksburg to Decatur pipeline has stemmed from a chain reaction of recruiting. Coach Kenneth Thompson started by recruiting Holdiness and Green, and then saw other players — including Keyes — that he liked.

“Because of Braylen, he was coming to watch us a lot. In the meantime, he was needing other players so he picked up Sean (Dixon) and kept coming and watching,” Head said. “He was needing one more defender and had one more tryout. He had a bunch of guys try out, and Treyce won the spot.”

Keyes’ emergence as a junior college prospect started about two years ago. After Keyes muddled along for his first two seasons at Warren Central, Head said the defender rededicated himself.

The soft-spoken Keyes became a starter in the 2016-17 season, and then the team’s defensive captain this season. The Vikings allowed a total of 35 goals and had 20 shutouts in 41 games over the past two seasons.

Keyes finished his high school career with four goals, as well.

“His freshman and sophomore years, he had talent but didn’t want to put any effort into it. I told him, ‘You’re never going to play for me unless you start giving it 100 percent effort.’ His junior and senior year he decided he wanted to play, and he worked his butt off,” Head said. “Before his senior year he said he wanted to be captain and I told him he had to work a lot harder,” Head added. “And he earned the captain’s spot because he put in the work. So I’m proud of the way he’s turned around, and he deserves this.”