KINGDOM CITY, Mo. - For North Callaway head coach Kevin O'Neal, it is paramount the Thunderbirds get more punch out of their possessions.
North Callaway will seek to put a stop to a two-game losing streak when it travels to Clopton/Elsberry tonight for an Eastern Missouri Conference contest with the IndianHawks. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
The Thunderbirds slipped to 2-4 on the season and 1-3 in the EMO after last week's 20-12 home loss to South Callaway in the annual Callaway Cup series.
North Callaway's first score, an 11-yard touchdown scramble by junior quarterback Milo Henry, capped off a seven-play, 75-yard drive in the second quarter. The Thunderbirds then moved 88 yards in seven plays in the fourth quarter, getting a 56-yard touchdown run from sophomore tight end Adam Reno on fourth down.
Otherwise, North Callaway was forced to punt five times, with the first kick being blocked for a touchdown less than 3 minutes into the game. The Thunderbirds committed three other turnovers and surrendered the ball once on downs.
O'Neal is hoping his offensive unit can extend more series and parlay those into increased production against a Clopton/Elsberry defense that is allowing a whopping 55.3 points per game.
The IndianHawks (2-4, 1-3) lost at Bowling Green in a wild 84-52 EMO outcome Sept. 18, then followed that up with a 77-63 shootout at home against Montgomery County last week for their first conference win.
"We have to make sure that we can control the ball and put long drives together," O'Neal said Tuesday afternoon. "When our offense has struggled this year, that's been our problem.
"We can't put a long drive together. We'll put four or five plays together, here and there, then we'll commit a penalty, or we'll turn the ball over, have a bad snap or make a wrong read. We just have to be able to sustain long drives this week and finish those drives off."
After tweaking the offensive game plan caused confusion last week, O'Neal plans to fundamentally strip down the strategy tonight.
"We installed some new stuff against South Callaway that we wanted to try to do, and that got us in the wrong personnel and some wrong alignment early on in the game," O'Neal said. "It cost us a penalty and a couple of timeouts, so we're going to simplify a lot of things we do there - with our O-line and with our personnel packages, and make sure that we can do the basics very well."
The North Callaway defense, meanwhile, will confront a Clopton/Elsberry offense that has transformed into a scoring machine the last couple of weeks.
The IndianHawks have put up more points over their last two games (129) than they did in the first four contests combined (86).
"They're a young team, so they're starting to come into their own," O'Neal said. "They're starting to develop a little more offensively."
Clopton/Elsberry's spread offense is driven by quarterback Stephen Talbert, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound junior. Talbert has completed just 48 percent of his passes (81-of-169) this season for only 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, but his talent really emerges when he displays his foot skills.
Talbert has rushed for 1,096 yards (7.8 average) and has scored all 19 of the IndianHawks' touchdowns on the ground.
No other Clopton/Elsberry back has gained more than 69 yards on the ground this season.
"He has great vision," O'Neal said. "When he does drop back to pass, if it's not there, he will find an open lane and take off running. He runs the ball hard, breaks tackles.
"He's probably the best running quarterback that we're going to face this year."
When he throws, Talbert will be looking primarily for junior wide receivers Jamon Graham and Kevin Hammett. Graham leads the IndianHawks with 29 catches for 533 yards (18.4 average) and four touchdowns, while Hammett has 21 receptions for 331 yards (15.8 average) and four scores.
Freshman wide receiver Derrick Taylor (5-11, 175) also has eight catches for 192 yards (24.0 average) and a touchdown.
"They have those two outside threats (Graham and Hammett), and they'll run fades to them, they run slants to them," O'Neal said. "They make you defend them on the outside. (Talbert) throws a decent ball when he gets time, he gets it out pretty quick."
North Callaway's defense allowed just 124 total yards - including a mere 5 yards passing - and forced two turnovers against South Callaway.
O'Neal explained the Thunderbirds have to be prepared for Talbert to run tonight as his first option.
"They try to spread you out so that they can run the ball with the quarterback," O'Neal said. "We have to make sure that we read our keys and we fit in our gaps ... and don't expect the ball to be thrown up every time, because he's going to take off running when he can."
With only two games left in the regular season after tonight, North Callaway finds itself in fifth in the Class 2, District 6 standings with 29.33 points.
Palmyra - ranked No. 3 in the state - is in first with 48.84 points, followed by Clark County (40), Bowling Green (37.34), and Van-Far (32.98).
The top four teams will host district first-round games.
"From here on out, every week is important," O'Neal said. "These games are very important now, not that previous ones weren't, but to accomplish some things and for these kids to have a successful season, we need to make sure we have tremendous practices all week and that we are focused."
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