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VIDALIA, La. — All the Vidalia High School Vikings had to do was defeat a winless Caldwell Parish High School team in an LHSAA District 2-3A game on Friday night to pretty much secure a berth in the 2024 LHSAA Non-Select Division IV Playoffs.

Instead, the Caldwell Parish Spartans played the unlikely role of spoiler as they pulled away for a stunning 34-6 victory over the Vidalia Vikings on Senior Night at Dee Faircloth Viking Stadium.

And it was one play in the first half that turned the momentum from the host Vikings to the visiting Spartans.

“We started out with a big touchdown play that was called back. That inconvenience gave them momentum,” Vikings head coach Josh West said. “We went into halftime down 7-0.”

Still, Vidalia had the entire second half to play with a sense of urgency and with pride if it really wanted to earn that playoff berth. The Vikings were sitting at the No. 28 spot in the Non-Select Division IV power ratings entering Friday night’s game. And as West said earlier in the week, only 28 teams get in. Instead, the unthinkable happened and the Spartans took over.

“The second half, we basically imploded. False starts here. Mistakes here. Cramps. It goes back to being a small numbers team (in Class 3A),” West said. “Caldwell Parish was able to run the ball on us. We finally scored in the second half. Marc Perkins scored a touchdown in the third quarter.”

Caldwell Parish, on the other hand, scored 27 points after halftime to put the game away. The Spartans improved to 1-9 overall and finished 1-4 in district play.

With the loss, Vidalia (2-8, 0-5) likely saw its playoffs hopes dashed.

“I would assume so, barring something crazy happening,” West said.