Perhaps the most intriguing — and contentious — of our first-round matchups in this region is this one. Warren Central and Vicksburg did not begin their long-running rivalry series until 1981, meaning two of their best teams from the late 1970s never faced each other.

The 1978 Vikings opened the season with a 31-0 rout of Prentiss and three consecutive shutouts to begin a 27-game winning streak that lasted until the 1980 season. Only one opponent scored more than seven points against them en route to the program’s fourth Little Dixie Conference championship in six years.

The 1978 Vicksburg Gators, meanwhile, might have gone down in history as one of the best ever in Mississippi — if not for Meridian. The Gators finished 10-0 against the rest of their schedule, but lost to Meridian in the regular season and then again in the Big 8 Conference championship game on a touchdown in the final minute.

With tons of stars on both sides, this would have been a titanic matchup back in 1978. Now, more than 40 years later, it’s time to vote on who would have won.