Twenty years ago, Vidalia High played its first playoff contest, falling to Calhoun 1-0. Twenty years and dozens of playoff games later, the Vikings are a familiar participant in posteason play, including winning the Class 2A state championship in 1996.

The Vikings have been in the playoffs every year since 1989.

Vidalia’s latest venture begins today at 5 p.m. as the Vikings host North DeSoto High out of Stonewall in a Class 2A first round playoff contest.

In Louisiana, playoffs are one-game series.

North DeSoto, 9-12, finished fourth in District 1-2A with a 5-7 record.

&uot;They pulled off some upsets during the year, beating Springhill and knocking them from a tie for first place in the last game of the season,&uot; said Vidalia coach Johnny Lee Hoffpauir. &uot;We know they have a good hitting ball team. They swing the bat and are very aggressive at the plate. They have good high school pitching. Even with seven district losses, they played people real close and have been in about every ballgame.&uot;

Vidalia finished the season 20-8, going 8-1 in district.

The Vikings had to defeat second place Crowville in a tiebreaker game after splitting both regular season games with the Bulldogs.

&uot;We just have to come out ready to play,&uot; Hoffpauir said. &uot;We’ve got to put the ball in play a lot more than we’ve been doing. We have to make them play defense.&uot;

Hoffpauir said Rod Donald will start on the mound for the Vikings.

&uot;Any time in any game, especially in the playoffs, you have to make the routine plays on defense and come up with a great play every once in a while,&uot;&160;Hoffpauir said. &uot;And you can’t make mental mistakes.&uot;

The winner of today’s game will face the winner of the Sibley-Rosepine contest in the second round.

If Vidalia wins, they will host the second round game Monday.

Admission to the contest is $4 for adults and $3 for students.

In other first round playoff action, Block visits Port Barre.

The Bears finished in third place in District 3-2A.