Warren Central rolls past Center Hill 42-14 in playoff opener

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Warren Central High School dominated Center Hill 42-14 on Friday night to advance to the second round of the state playoffs.

Quarterback Nash Morgan delivered a standout performance, rushing for 181 yards, scoring three rushing touchdowns, and throwing for another. Morgan also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season during the win.

“We’re excited and we had a lot of preparation, but this was a very important game,” Morgan said. “There’s some stuff we can do better, and we’re going to focus on that hard for next game.”

The Vikings (9-2) set the tone early when Crishun Brown recorded a sack on the second play from scrimmage. WC quickly marched down the field on its opening drive, and with 7:07 left in the first quarter, Morgan connected with Layton Lee for a 20-yard touchdown. Jonah Artman added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Jaxon Boyd made a key tackle to prevent a long return, and one play later Micah Moore intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Artman’s kick extended the lead to 14-0.

Center Hill briefly found momentum but couldn’t capitalize before Morgan broke loose for a 40-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, pushing the lead to 21-0 and marking his 1,000-yard milestone. Center Hill responded with a long touchdown pass at the 9:03 mark to cut the deficit to 21-7.

Morgan answered quickly, sprinting for a 34-yard score to make it 28-7. Fabian Davenport added a sack before halftime and finished with two on the night.

Center Hill opened the second half with a 32-yard touchdown pass, but Warren Central continued to control the game. Morgan struck again with a 46-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. Xavier Jackson added a 47-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth to cap the scoring at 42-14.

Javid Scott finished with 67 rushing yards, while Samuel Ross and Jamari Gaines each recorded a sack.

Warren Central will host Lake Cormorant (9-2) next Friday in the second round of the playoffs.