Warren Central’s boys’ basketball season included two month-long losing streaks and a frustrating playoff loss — and left its players and coaches happier and more satisfied than they’d been in a while.

The Vikings were eliminated from the MHSAA Class 6A tournament with a 56-41 loss to Ridgeland last Friday. A late-season surge and the program’s first state tournament win in seven years erased the bad memories of the ups and downs that preceded it, however.

“It hurts. But you get knocked down and you’ve got to get back up. I’ve always been taught that way. That’s what we’ve got to do. I don’t like losing, but I learn from it,” Warren Central coach Keith Williams said. “They didn’t think we belonged here. They didn’t think we were supposed to be here. Myself and my coaching staff, we felt like we belonged. We were working our tail off to get here. Now we just want a little bit more.”

The loss to Ridgeland followed a familiar, agonizing script for the Vikings. Ridgeland (28-4) won all four meetings between the teams this season. Last week’s was the third that was close entering the fourth quarter only to wind up being decided by double digits.

Ridgeland led 36-30 through three quarters, then pulled away behind 19 points from Phil Nelson. The Titans advanced to face Pascagoula in the state semifinals Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.

Williams said the poise Ridgeland showed when it was pushed was a character trait he wants his team to take to heart.

“I think the experience is the thing that prepared Ridgeland,” Williams said. “They were here last year in this same place and did the same thing last year. It’s going to help us. It gave us a taste of what it feels like.”

Advancing in the state tournament is also something Williams wants his team to experience again. Warren Central beat South Panola 56-42 in the first round for its first state tournament win since 2018, and has a strong young core returning next year to carry the momentum forward.

The Vikings had a deep roster this season that was a mix of seniors and underclassmen. Although seniors Roosevelt Harris and Jaylon Winters led the team in scoring most nights, several sophomores were key contributors.

Micah Moore led the Vikings against Ridgeland with 12 points, and Nash Morgan came on strong at the end of the season as a gritty rebounder and scorer. Davon O’Neal had seven points against Ridgeland. Robert Williams has been a key contributor for two seasons and DJ Gibbs emerged as a scoring threat in this one.

The Vikings started 0-7 while eight players were still attached to the football team, then lost their last eight regular-season games against a tough Region 2-6A schedule. Those two losing streaks were the bulk of a 9-19 record.

The Vikings also went 4-2 in the postseason, with both losses to Ridgeland. Williams was obviously disappointed with the finale, but also encouraged by the program’s potential for the next couple of years.

“It’s bittersweet, but I’ve got a lot of guys coming back. The future looks OK with us,” Williams said. “We just have to get back to the drawing board.”