South Callaway sorting through its options

Heading into game against Wright City

MOKANE, Mo. - The South Callaway Bulldogs' defensive unit has been doling out harsh lessons for overwhelmed opponents so far, but it has been putting in some extra study time of its own.

State-ranked South Callaway - unbeaten at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Eastern Missouri Conference - heads to Wright City tonight for another conference matchup. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

South Callaway's defense will be facing an option offense for the first time this season out of Wright City's pistol spread formation. The Bulldogs' first-team unit allowed a feeble 10 net yards - including minus-49 rushing - before exiting at halftime in last week's 82-14 homecoming rout of Van-Far.

Head coach Tim Rulo noted defensive coordinator Zack Hess devoted 10-15 minutes in Tuesday's practice to countering an option team.

"When you play against the option and they're running inside veer and midline, and some outside veer, you've got to make sure you're playing assignment football," Rulo said. "We want you to fly around, but we want you to play assignment football.

"I was telling our coaches, option football can make a great defense look average."

Rulo referred to the 2009 Texas Bowl between Missouri and Navy as an example of how the option can toy with a skilled defense. The Midshipmen mastered the Tigers with their option in a 35-13 victory.

"Mizzou definitely had a better, athletic defense with (Sean) Weatherspoon and a couple of guys who are in the NFL," Rulo said. "They looked average because you could just tell they were trying to think through their responsibilities, instead of just flying around.

"So learning to play fast and play assignment- and option-responsible football is going to be important."

Wright City tumbled to 1-3 on the season and 1-1 in the EMO after being bested 55-0 at Bowling Green last week. Quarterback Kyle Tuepker (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) steers the Wildcats' option attack, with junior Derenzo Blanks (5-11, 190) either lining up behind him at tailback in the pistol or shifting out as a slot receiver.

"(Tuepker) does a good job and he's an athletic kid," Rulo said. "... (Blanks), by far, is their best athlete. They do a good job of getting the ball in his hands. He's a hard, physical runner - he finishes runs."

From a defensive standpoint, Rulo expects Wright City to work out of both 3-5-3 and 4-4-3 schemes. He stressed the Bulldogs will have to be aware of Blanks at outside linebacker and senior Christian Thompson (5-11, 220) at middle linebacker.

"(Thompson) is the best middle linebacker we've seen, hands down," Rulo said. "He does a great job of reading guards, he gets downhill well, we've been very impressed. He's a stout kid.

"And then (Blanks) does a good job. He roams real well, had a couple of nice interceptions (in 36-0 home win Sept. 6 against Montgomery County). I've been very impressed with him."

South Callaway's offense amassed 440 net yards, 397 of that tally a product of its running game, in last week's rout of Van-Far. Senior quarterback Troy Hentges gained a game-high 95 yards on just five carries and scored on runs of 42, 10 and 23 yards. Hentges also threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Luke Horstman.

Senior slot receiver Mason Shoemaker rushed for 87 yards on only five touches and had touchdown runs of 21 and 14 yards. Senior running back Dakoda Ballard picked up 39 yards in just six attempts and scored from 11 and 2 yards out.

"We'll just have to see how (Wright City) is going to adjust to what we're doing and how they're going to align to our formations," Rulo said. "They fly around, almost kind of with some reckless abandon sometimes, so we're really going to have to make sure to be able to handle that surge."

The Bulldogs moved up a spot to No. 3 in this week's Class 2 rankings when Mountain View-Liberty dropped to No. 5 after a 34-27 overtime loss last week to Ava, ranked eighth in Class 3.

"It's great and I'm very humbled by the fact that we're ranked," Rulo said. "But in the end, no one remembers what you're ranked during the season ... and then you better show that you deserve that ranking. ... You better go and set the tempo, set the bar really high."