WARDSVILLE - It's safe to say focus is going to be a big area of concern for the Blair Oaks Falcons this week.
Not only do the Falcons face an undefeated opponent this week, and not only are they going into the toughest two-game stretch of their season. They're also having to deal with the distractions of Homecoming.
Their opponent for the big game is the undefeated School of the Osage Indians, who will roll into the Falcon Athletic Complex at 5-0. The Falcons are No. 7 in the Class 3 state rankings, while the Indians are among the others receiving votes.
"We've got two really tough ones," Blair Oaks coach Brad Drehle said. "Obviously Osage is going to be a war here, and the elephant in the room is out there waiting (playing at Class 3 No. 2 California in next Friday).
"We've got to figure out how to deal with this one in front of us. They're going to be a challenge. They're good. They do some really good things that are going to force us to play well. But we need to be there, we need to see if our kids can raise their level of competition, their level of focus."
And focus has been a season-long issue, manifesting itself in numerous penalties and mistakes.
"That's our problem right now," Drehle said. "Things happen or we get tired, and we lose focus for a second. If it was one person that was doing it, we could fix it."
And mistakes will be magnified against the Indians, who bring a mark of 3-0 in the Tri-County Conference into the game. The Falcons stand at 3-1 in league play.
Osage has allowed just 43 points in its five games, pitching one shutout and allowing just six points in another contest.
"It's twofold," Drehle said. "One, they've been able to score efficiently, so they take people out of their game plan a little bit. Two, they're playing good defense. They're running to the football, they're making plays."
Drehle added the Indians approach defense a little differently than most teams, so you have to prepare for them differently.
"They funnel everything inside," he said. "So when you look at the option game and what we do, we've got to find ways to make those things work in our favor. And sometimes that's difficult, especially if they've got some good kids in different places. They design their defense to funnel things to those good kids.
"And they've got some good athletes. If you're 5-0, I don't care who you've played, that's good."
The Osage defense is predicated on bringing the edge rushers hard.
"They play with one or two high safeties, depending on the formation you're in, and those two kids are linebacker-type kids who come down and fill," Drehle said. "When those guys come hard off the edge and force you inside, those safeties come down hard. We've got to find a way to handle those two kids, Jeb Robertson and Leelan Scott."
On the offensive side of the ball, Osage boasts several key seniors - quarterback Austin Riley, running backs Jake Ulmer and Justin Heiser, and receiver Collin Samuelson.
"Ulmer is explosive, a downhill runner," Drehle said. "He's got some speed where if he gets in the open field, he's got a chance to go and score.
"... Heiser has made some big plays for them, he's a speed kid. He's got some explosiveness and he's got a little bit of a wiggle about him, also, so he presents a big challenge for us."
Ulmer has rushed for 667 yards on 69 carries and has scored six touchdowns, while Heiser had 27 carries for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
Riley, meanwhile, has completed 57-of-93 passes for 1,022 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. His favorite target is the 6-foot-3 Samuelson, who has 18 catches for 387 yards with six touchdowns.
First-year Osage coach Devin Johnson, who had been at Hallsville, has brought a power offensive scheme with him.
"The offense is what you saw Hallsville run the last couple years," he said. "He does it a little bit differently because he doesn't have the size of kids he had at Hallsville. But it's a similar system and he has a better passer in the Riley kid than he did there."
But that doesn't mean the Indians will take to the air a bunch.
"Some formations they're high-percentage pass, other times they're high-percentage run," Drehle said. "But they are a running football team. They want to line up and establish that they can run power.
"But they're not afraid to throw the football. ... You've got to be able to defend both things, and with a good power runner, it's easier said than done. It sets up the play-action for some big plays."
Game time is 7 p.m.
Notes: Blair Oaks running back Dominic Jamerson is likely to play after missing the last three games due to a hamstring injury. "He's getting closer," Drehle said. "He's wanting to do something, so we'll see what he's able to do. Realistically, he needs to sit another week, but he's a senior and it's Homecoming, so we'll see." ... The teams have two common opponents so far this season. Both beat Moberly, with Blair Oaks winning 21-3 and Osage winning 35-34, and both topped Southern Boone, the Falcons winning 34-7 and the Indians winning 28-23.
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