VIDALIA &8212; Demack Bates rushed for 254 yards to lead Vidalia to a 46-14 blow-out win over Lake Providence for homecoming.

&8220;This was important win for us,&8221; Vidalia coach Dee Faircloth said. &8220;You have to get your first one in order to get your second win. This puts us in first place in the district.&8221;

The win was an important one, as it was the Vikings first game in district play this season.

Physicality played a large role in the Viking victory, as the Vidalia offensive line consistently drove the Panther defense backwards.

&8220;They were a more physical team than I expected,&8221; Lake Providence coach James Harris said. &8220;We just didn&8217;t make the plays. I give it to (Vidalia), they had a good game plan and really just outplayed us tonight.&8221;

Behind the offensive line, the Viking running backs churned out 377 yards on 52 carries.

Demack Bates led all rushers with 254 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries.

&8220;It was the last game of the regular season,&8221; Bates said. &8220;I just played my heart out. Everybody worked hard and put ourselves in position for a district championship.&8221;

Jeremy Randall was the second leading rusher of the game, earning 82 yards on 15 carries and scoring a pair of touchdowns.

The first half was a lot closer than Viking fans had hoped for as Vidalia went into the locker room holding on to a slim 22-14 lead.

&8220;I had to go deep into my book of halftime speeches and pull a good one out,&8221; Faircloth said. &8220;I can&8217;t tell you what I said, because if I did I&8217;d have to kill you.&8221;

While there was plenty of offensive fireworks in the second half, the game trudged along leaving most fans a little sleepy.

The slow play was attributed to the excessive number of penalties on both teams. In total there were 25 flags thrown accounting for a minus 200 yards between the two teams.

Coach Faircloth was especially displeased with the officiating, and after the game expressed his displeasure.

&8220;That referee didn&8217;t know what a block was,&8221; Faircloth said. &8220;Every time we blocked somebody there was a flag thrown, when in actuality it was just our guys driving (Lake Providence) guys backwards.&8221;

Next week Vidalia travels to play Madison Parish.