As they ride a postseason hot streak following a disappointing regular season, the Warren Central Vikings feel like they’re playing with house money.

They’re hoping they can cash it in for some Big House money.

The Vikings (9-18) are in the second round of the MHSAA Class 6A boys basketball tournament for the first time in seven years after beating South Panola on Feb. 14. The next challenge is a showdown with Region 2-6A rival Ridgeland (27-4) this Friday, Feb. 21, at 8:30 p.m. at Mississippi Valley State University’s R.W. Harrison Complex in Itta Bena.

“The guys are beginning to believe,” Warren Central coach Keith Williams said. “They understand that there’s essentially no pressure on us because we’re not supposed to be here. Our record shows one thing, but we know who we are. We know a lot of games were very winnable for us, and for whatever reason we just weren’t able to pull them out.”

Seven of Warren Central’s losses came at the beginning of the year, when it was waiting for eight players to finish their obligations to the football team. It then lost eight in a row to end the regular season. Over the past two weeks, however, the Vikings have shown how good and dangerous they can be.

The Vikings have won three of their four games in the Region 2-6A and state tournaments, including two by 17 and 14 points. They’re getting contributions across the lineup and peaking at exactly the right time.

Seven players scored at least eight points in one of the three region tournament games. In the 56-42 win over South Panola in the state tournament, five players had six points or more and several others contributed multiple steals, assists and rebounds.

Roosevelt Harris led the Vikings against South Panola with 15 points and six assists to continue his postseason surge. He’s averaging 10 points and seven assists over the past four games.

Robert Williams had nine points and eight rebounds against South Panola, while Nash Morgan had nine rebounds and Larry Reynolds five. DJ Gibbs, Davon O’Neal and Caleb Lane had six points each and chipped in a total of five steals, four assists and four rebounds as well.

Jaylon Winters, one of the team’s leading scorers, had an off night with only four points but made up for it with three steals, three assists and four rebounds.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to build since I’ve been here is that we’re more of a team. It’s not about one guy,” Keith Williams said. “It’s kind of hard to scout us because on any given night this person here or this person here can go off. It helps us out a lot. We know we can go to our bench and we’re going to get contributions from it.”

Hopefully, another balanced effort can finally propel the Vikings past Ridgeland and to the state semifinals for the first time in 50 years.

Ridgeland, which is ranked No. 3 in Class 6A, has beaten Warren Central in all three meetings this season and seven of eight times overall since 2020.

This season’s losses were by eight, 13 and 17 points, but were a bit more competitive than the final score indicates. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied 49-49 in their first meeting, and Ridgeland led by seven points going into the final period of the Region 2-6A tournament semifinal.

Ridgeland pulled away for comfortable wins both times, but playing them tight for three quarters had Keith Williams hopeful that he and his players are not facing an invincible juggernaut this Friday.

“We pretty much know what they’re going to do and they know what we’re going to do. We’ve just got to be prepared and take care of the small things,” Williams said. “We know where we let the game get away from us the previous times we played against them. We’ve just got to correct those errors.”

MHSAA CLASS 6A TOURNAMENT
Second round
Girls
Friday, Feb. 21
At Mississippi Valley State
Vicksburg vs. Olive Branch, 4 p.m.
Callaway vs. South Panola, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 22
At Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
Hancock vs. Terry, 1 p.m.
West Jones vs. West Harrison, 4 p.m.
———
Boys
Friday, Feb. 21
At Mississippi Valley State
Olive Branch vs. Columbus, 5:30 p.m.
Warren Central vs. Ridgeland, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 22
At Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
Pascagoula vs. Terry, 2:30 p.m.
Hattiesburg vs. West Harrison, 5:30 p.m.