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Eight Warren Central football players and team managers signed with colleges on national signing day on Wednesday. Pictured, front row from left, are Larry Reynolds Jr. (Holmes CC), Maddox Lynch (South Alabama), Spencer Smith (Central Arkansas), and Ronnie Blossom (Arkansas State). Back row, from left, are Ke'Sean Smith (Hinds CC), Gavin Davenport (East Central CC), Donovan Taylor (Hinds CC) and Shondaric Judge (Holmes CC). (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football player Ronnie Blossom sits alongside family members after signing with Arkansas State on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football player Maddox Lynch sits alongside his parents, Karie and Wayne Lynch, brother Paxton Lynch and grandfather Wayne Lynch Sr., after signing with South Alabama on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football player Spencer Smith sits alongside his parents Zac and Colleen Smith, sister Jenny Jabour, and grandfather Cameron Smith after signing with Central Arkansas on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football player Ke'Sean Smith sits alongside his parents, Sheila and Bernard Smith, after signing with Hinds Community College on Wednesday. Ke'Sean Smith signed with Hinds as a team manager. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football player Donovan Taylor sits alongside his parents, Donald Sr. and Denetra Taylor, and sister Bethani Brooks, after signing with Hinds Community College on Wednesday. Donovan Taylor signed with Hinds as a team manager. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football manager Shondaric Judge sits alongside family members after signing with Holmes Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football player Larry Reynolds Jr. sits alongside family members after signing with Holmes Community College on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central football player Gavin Davenport sits alongside his parents, Jeneka and Gabriel Davenport, after signing with Arkansas State on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Warren Central kept the football pipeline flowing, in terms of both talent to the college level and a couple of popular destinations, on national signing day.

Five Vikings signed to play college football on Wednesday, and three more accepted offers to become team managers. Along with two early signees in December, it brought to 10 the number of seniors who will be part of a college program in 2025.

“That shows all the work we’ve put in — by ourselves, with the coaches, with each other,” said All-State defensive lineman Larry Reynolds Jr., who signed with Holmes Community College. “We take attendance during our summer workouts. This summer was probably the best we ever had. That just shows how dedicated all of us were. There were some who went unnoticed who should be here right now, just because I know the work they put in. Everybody had that same goal and mindset. We all fed off each other and motivated each other.”

Wide receiver Maddox Lynch (South Alabama), defensive lineman Ronnie Blossom (Arkansas State) and offensive lineman Spencer Smith (Central Arkansas) all signed with four-year Division I programs.

Reynolds (Holmes) and linebacker Gavin Davenport (East Central) joined December signees Tekarius Qualls (Holmes) and Dekasei Crump (Holmes) in heading to two-year junior colleges.

Team manager Shondaric Judge will head to Holmes as well. Running back Ke’Sean Smith and offensive lineman Donovan Taylor both took offers to be managers at Hinds.

Lynch signing with South Alabama continued a recent trend of Warren County players heading to the school in Mobile. There were three on the roster in 2024, including Warren Central alums Reed Buys and Julien Demby.

“It’ll help knowing a few people, for sure,” Lynch said.

Lynch was a three-year starter for the Vikings and finished his high school career as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,358). He was a Class 6A All-State selection in 2024, and also played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game.

Playing college football, he said, might top all the other accolades.

“It’s exciting. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of since I was a kid,” Lynch said. “It just feels successful, but I know that it’s all because of God. My work is going to have to increase so I can go play.”

Reynolds and Judge also continued a surge of Warren County players who are headed to Holmes. Reynolds will join Qualls and Crump on the Bulldogs’ defense next season, while Judge will work behind the scenes as a manager. Across town, Vicksburg High running back DeCorey Knight Jr. also signed with Holmes on Wednesday.

Like Lynch, Reynolds was a Class 6A All-State player after totaling 81 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks as a senior. He set Warren Central’s career sack record as well, with 19.5.

Reynolds said it was just a coincidence that so many players from Warren County have decided to sign with Holmes this year, but he was looking forward to having plenty of friends around.

“It just worked out that way. When you get in recruitment you bring in good people. I know all those boys personally and they’re all good people. It felt like a family,” Reynolds said. “It’s a blessing just to play at the next level. Let alone playing beside people you came in with. That’s even more of a blessing and more reason to be fired up to go.”

Reynolds shared the 2024 Vicksburg Post Defensive Player of the Year award with Qualls and Blossom, and the latter is heading to an FBS program at Arkansas State.

Blossom was yet another Class 6A All-State selection as a senior. He led the Vikings with 96 total tackles, to go along with 26 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

Signing to play at a four-year, FBS school was a thrill, he said.

“I feel like I’m a hero. I feel like I did good. My last high school year I developed and I grew as a man,” Blossom said. “I want to thank my mama, my coaches and my doctor for being there. Now it’s all on me to finish it out for them.”

Spencer Smith was also thrilled at the chance to play Division I football, at FCS member Central Arkansas. A connection between some of his coaches at Warren Central and those at Central Arkansas created an opportunity he was eager to pounce on.

“It’s pretty amazing. It’s an opportunity you get and you take it and go with it,” Smith said.

Opportunity was also why Davenport signed with East Central Community College. He said he liked the program from the start, and when its coaches told him that seven linebackers were leaving at the end of the 2024 season the chance to play right away excited him even more.

Davenport committed to East Central before the start of last season and never wavered. He had 165 tackles and 24 tackles for loss in two years as a starter.

“I got a call right before our spring game and they were saying they wanted to offer. They’d been looking at me since my junior year. I was at a loss for words when they called me. Ever since then I committed early,” Davenport said. “They’ve got seven linebackers leaving. I said if they’ve got seven linebackers leaving I might as well go on and commit early so they know I’m there. I’m going to take that blessing and I’m going to run with it.”

Vicksburg Warren School District athletics director James Lewis praised all of the signees at both Warren Central and Vicksburg High. The two schools have a combined 12 football players, plus three team managers, from the Class of 2025 heading on to the college ranks.

“I’m so tremendously proud of the effort and hard work our student-athletes have put in. It’s amazing to be able to earn the opportunity to get a free education based off your mindset, dedication and ability to play sports. I’m happy for the families, I’m happy for the coaching staffs, and I wish every student-athlete the best of luck because they’ve earned it.”

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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