Warren Central knew it would have to play, if not a perfect game, then at least a very good one to have a chance at beating Tupelo on Wednesday.

The Vikings did not play perfectly. Tupelo, however, came pretty darn close.
Johannes Sognnaes scored three goals in the first 22 minutes, and No. 2 Tupelo blitzed Warren Central 7-0 in the first round of the MHSAA Class 6A boys soccer playoffs.

William Hughes added two goals for the Golden Wave (18-0-1), who advanced to play Northwest Rankin in the second round on Saturday.

The only game Tupelo has not won this season was a scoreless tie against Northwest Rankin on Dec. 1. Tupelo has outscored its opponents 136-6.

Sognnaes’ third goal made it 3-0 in the 22nd minute, and he assisted Benjamin Quaka on a fourth goal in the 29th.

Hughes scored in the 47th and 59th minutes in the second half, the latter on a penalty kick, and John Gibens tallied one in the 55th minute.

“They were just too fast. No matter what formation we ran, they were too fast and quick. Not just one of them, but all of them. We couldn’t stop them,” Warren Central coach Greg Head said. “We couldn’t do anything right, and they couldn’t do anything wrong.”

Warren Central (10-6-3) lost to Tupelo for the second time this season — the first was a 4-0 defeat on Jan. 11 — and ended on a disappointing note after carrying a three-game winning streak into the postseason.

The Vikings will lose seven seniors as they try to regroup next season and make another run to the playoffs.

“It needs to be a lesson for the younger kids to not take it easy at the end of the year. I think we relaxed, and then you play a team like (Tupelo) that didn’t relax and that’s what happens,” Head said. “I’m going to miss my seniors, though. We had a good group.”