STARKVILLE — Warren Central High School is back on top of Mississippi football.
For the first time since 1994 — and after decades of near-misses, heartbreaks and rebuilding — the Vikings are state champions again. V105.5 was there to capture it all for the listeners on 105.5 and vicksburgradio.com. On the website itself, we had almost 2,000 people listening to Brandon Davis and Bob Sullender call the game at Davis Wade Stadium from inside the Visiting Athletics Director Booth.
Warren Central surged past Hattiesburg 56–34 on Friday night at Davis Wade Stadium to claim the MHSAA Class 6A title, ending a 31-year drought and delivering head coach Josh Morgan his first championship at the school he grew up in.
“This is unbelievable,” Morgan said, soaking in the moment on the field with his players and his junior quarterback — who also happens to be his son. “A Hollywood script ain’t got nothing on this. I’m proud of our guys and our community because it takes a lot of discipline to be a champion.”
If the Vikings needed discipline, they also needed heart — and star power. Junior quarterback Nash Morgan delivered all three. Morgan accounted for four touchdowns, including three on the ground and a 60-yard strike to Michael Hall, and even sealed the victory with an interception on defense in the fourth quarter. He finished with 184 rushing yards on 17 carries and completed 9 of 10 passes for 127 yards, earning MVP honors.
“All glory goes to God because he’s been with us every step of the way,” the younger Morgan said. “Just do whatever it takes to win the game. This is an amazing feeling — to win it with my dad and uncle and with this team is awesome.”
A back-and-forth fight before the Vikings took control
The game was tied four times through the first three quarters, with both offenses trading big plays. Warren Central struck first after recovering a fumble on the second play of the game, setting up a 20-yard touchdown run by Javid Scott. Hattiesburg answered with 14 straight points before Scott’s second touchdown tied it at 14.
Late in the half, a dropped Tigers punt set up a short field, and Morgan powered in from the 2-yard line. Hattiesburg responded again, sending the teams into halftime tied 21–21.
The second half belonged to the Vikings.
Xavier Jackson opened the third quarter with a bruising 40-yard run to make it 28–21. After Hattiesburg tied the game once more, Morgan found Hall deep down the right sideline for a 60-yard touchdown that gave Warren Central a lead it would never surrender.
Morgan extended the margin early in the fourth with a 35-yard keeper, Jackson added a 52-yard breakaway, and after another Hattiesburg score trimmed the lead to 49–34, Morgan slammed the door with a 52-yard dash of his own.
Defensively, the Vikings made just enough stops to withstand a 444-yard passing barrage from Hattiesburg quarterback Gavin Ducksworth. And when Warren Central needed one final dagger, Morgan delivered it with an interception with 4:36 remaining.
“It was going to be tough tonight defensively,” head coach Morgan said. “But like all year, these guys found a way to win no matter the circumstances. All of these boys are like my kids. We are a family and a brotherhood and a special program.”
A season that defied the script
In many ways, the 2025 Vikings weren’t supposed to be the ones to bring home the trophy. The program returned few starters after last year’s semifinal run, replacing nine defensive players and most of its offensive production. A shaky preseason and a 45–13 blowout loss to Clinton in the opener only deepened doubts.
But the Vikings regrouped, ripping off 12 wins in their final 13 games — including victories over Pearl, Germantown and crosstown rival Vicksburg — to put themselves back in championship contention.
Along the way, they didn’t have a single player chosen for the Mississippi Association of Coaches all-star games. They didn’t have a major early college signee. What they had was something harder to quantify: resilience.
“We stepped up and had to be the leaders,” offensive lineman Carmelo Clark said. “They didn’t think we could do it, but we’re bringing home the trophy.”
Statistics that powered a championship
Nash Morgan: 184 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs; 127 passing yards, 1 passing TD; 1 interception on defense
Xavier Jackson: 111 rushing yards, 2 TDs
Javid Scott: 67 rushing yards, 2 TDs
Michael Hall: 4 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD
A title that rewrites the sign at the edge of town
Across Mississippi are small towns with fading road signs marking state championships from generations past. For 31 years, Warren County had nothing new to add.
For a long stretch — through the early 2000s, the rise of Madison Central and South Panola, and seasons filled with near-misses — Warren Central’s glory days seemed like they might remain locked in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
Not anymore.
With discipline, heart and a season full of improbable turns, the Vikings brought a long-awaited championship back to Vicksburg.
And this time, the sign at the city limits will get a fresh date: 2025.
