The last time Warren Central played a game, he had an impressive 9-2-1 record and was ranked in the top 10 in Mississippi high school football.
When he returned to the field 34 days later for the regular season finale against Pearl, it looked like none of that.
With three injured starters out of the lineup and the rest struggling to regain their rhythm and speed, the Vikings were overwhelmed. Pearl scored three goals in the second half and won 4-0 on Friday to earn a playoff berth and end Warren Central’s season.
“The whole month of January, we played one match. We had five canceled games,” Warren Central coach Greg Head said. “I have never been in such a situation. But I couldn’t control it. My school, my director couldn’t control it. It’s not his fault. I hate it for kids more than anything.
Pearl (9-6-3, 3-3 MHSAA Region 5-6A) earned the No. 2 seed in Region 5-6A and advanced to the Class 6A MHSAA playoffs. He will play in Ocean Springs on Tuesday.
Anthony Pocasange and Fischer Reed scored within three minutes early in the second half on Friday as the Pirates turned a tight 1-0 halftime game into a blowout. They added one more goal in the 71st minute.
Head said the Pirates’ second-half push was a combination of his own team’s mistakes and the need to press for a goal. Head moved a few of his defenders into attacking positions which created better scoring opportunities for Pearl.
“We were changing the formation, trying to get more people up there, and made a few mistakes at the back. It happens,” Head said.
Warren Central (11-4-1, 3-3) missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The first two times, he finished third in a stacked region that included perennial powerhouses Madison Central and Clinton. This season has been a constant stream of misfortunes.
Warren Central won nine of its first 12 games and capped the first half of the schedule with a 3-0 win over Neville (La.) on Dec. 18.
However, a planned two-week holiday break ended up stretching over more than a month as five games were called off due to COVID or other reasons.
Canceled games went on the books as forfeits for one side or another, but Friday’s game was the first the Vikings had actually played in 2022. A COVID-related school closure from Jan. 14-18 also limited practice time over the past week. , and a crippled preparation for what amounted to a Class 6A playoff qualifier.
Due to the various tiebreakers and the result of their opener – a 2-1 overtime shootout victory for WC in November – the winner of Friday’s contest would have claimed the No. 2 seed in Region 5- 6A behind Northwest Rankin.
“They deserve better. They’re one of the best groups of players that’s been here in my 15 years,” Head said. what is my team?’ Because they are one of the best teams in terms of skills and ball work on the pitch. There’s no telling how good we could have been had we kept everyone healthy and we didn’t have this COVID thing.