By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

VICKSBURG — After step one of a lengthy two stop week long journey for the Pascagoula boys basketball team, the Panthers can now enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday before embarking on the second step.
Unbeaten Pascagoula ran its regular season winning streak to 31 straight games, a new school record, Monday night with a trip here to this city that’s nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River with an easy 73-44 win over host Warren Central.
The latest PHS win came in the final game of the River City Challenge Tournament at WCHS and moves the Panthers to a perfect 6-0 so far on the season.

“Warren Central were without their football players and we just took advantage of that by attacking them early and often,” PHS head coach Lorenzo Wright, who is trying to guide his Panthers to back-to-back appearances in the overall Class 6A Final Four in Jackson at The Mississippi Coliseum, said. “The more depth we are able to build the better off we will be.”
Panther senior standout Kelan Rich drained a trio 3-pointers and scored 15 points in the first quarter as the Panthers raced to a 34-6 lead. Rich finished with 21 points, while Marcus Cooper, Ireyion Harvey and Quey’Sean Taylor each chipped in 10 points apiece to the winning effort.
Davon O’Neal and Robert Williams led Warren Central with 12 points each.

The Vikings dropped to 0-6 so far this season and are awaiting several key players that are still with the WCHS football team that plays for the Class 6A North State championship Friday night at home against Grenada.
“This is big boy basketball. This is 6A basketball,” Vikings head coach Keith Williams said. “I never believe in ducking and dodging anything. It’s never been me and it’s not going to be me now. We just have to get back to work, put our hardhat on and continue to get better and keep knocking. Sooner or later something is going to fall.
“I knew coming in that Pascagoula is, what, No. 5? And they’re ranked for a reason. We’ll be battle tested by the time football season is over with and we have everybody back and I know what the football guys bring. We want to win, don’t get me wrong, but right now we’re just hoping and cheering on the football guys.”

It was Pascagoula’s first game with their key performers from their football squad after PHS was eliminated in the Class 6A South State semifinals Friday night.

“It was a great opportunity to get my football players some time on the floor and for the young guys to get in and get some experience as well,” Wright added.
Pascagoula hasn’t lost a regular season game since a loss to Madison Central on the road in its season-opener one year and and 15 days ago.
The contest was the first of a pair of long road games in a span of six days for PHS, as up next the Panthers head to Tugaloo College in Jackson Saturday to face Starkville in the Mississippi Hoops Challenge at 5:00 p.m.