Preview capsules for area football games

Breakdowns of Friday night game's for California, Hallsville, Tipton, South Callaway, Eldon, Warsaw, Camdenton, School of the Osage and Versailles.

Hallsville at California

Home sweet home.

After opening the season with three consecutive games on the road, the California Pintos finally get to avoid a bus trip when they host the Hallsville Indians at 7 p.m. Friday.

California went 3-0 on that road swing, including victories at Boonville, Mexico and Eldon.

The Pintos are averaging better than 40 points per game while allowing just seven points a contest. They're coming off a 38-0 blitzing of Eldon in the Tri-County Conference opener for both squads.

A stable of running backs highlight California's potent offense, including a 226-yard performance on the ground against Eldon. The Pintos topped 300 yards rushing in their first two games.

One thing to watch for will be Dylan Albertson, the star running back/wide receiver who left last Friday's game against Eldon with a sprained ankle in the first quarter.

Hallsville (2-1) is coming off a 38-8 loss to Blair Oaks, picking up only a late defensive touchdown while gaining just 224 yards of total offense.

The Indians opened the season with wins against Fayette and Paris.

Tipton at Father Tolton

The Tipton Cardinals are back to their winning ways.

After a pair of losses to begin the season, Tipton found a modicum of normalcy with a 49-6 blasting of Windsor last Friday night.

Now the Cardinals, who saw their astonishing 68-game regular-season winning streak come to an end earlier this year, look to launch another massive streak with a victory against Father Tolton at 7 p.m. Friday.

Tipton opened with losses to Sedalia Sacred Heart (39-0) and North Callaway (26-20, OT) before last weekend's win.

Father Tolton (0-3) has losses to Class 1 powerhouse Valle Catholic (56-0), Southern Boone (32-28) and Westran (59-7).

The Trailblazers are in just their second season of varsity football.

Hermann at South Callaway

South Callaway is still looking for a challenge. Dont' expect it Friday night.

The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a combined 132-6 score during the first three games of the season, all dominating victories.

Now South Callaway hosts Hermann, a team it rolled past 43-8 in 2012, at 7 p.m. Friday night.

The Bulldogs own wins this season against North Callaway (31-0), Crystal City (46-6) and Scotland County (55-0). While Hermann may pose a tougher test than that trio, South Callaway doesn't look to be in any real danger.

Hermann (2-1) opened the season with a 23-20 loss to Montgomery County before rebounding to take wins against Cuba (49-6) and St. James (41-0).

South Callaway has amassed 870 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground through three games. Smith Kemper leads the way with 172 yards rushing, while Troy Hentges has found the end zone five times on the ground.

Warsaw at Eldon

The Warsaw Wildcats have won three straight games to open the season, already surpassing its win total from a year ago. The Eldon Mustangs are coming off a 38-point loss to California.

The two meet at 7 p.m. Friday.

Warsaw owns wins against Clinton (49-15), Cole Camp (47-25) and Versailles (40-16). Eldon opened with a 48-42 loss to Miller Career Academy before responding with a 41-14 win against Buffalo.

Johnny Eierman continues to star for the Wildcats, boasting a three-touchdown game against Versailles. He ran for two scores and tossed another.

Wyatt Greenwalt and Zack Lemen led Eldon's attack against California with 42 rushing yards apiece.

Kickapoo at Camdenton

A pair of undefeated squads prepare to do battle.

Camdenton, ranked fifth in Class 5, hosts Kickapoo, first in receiving votes in Class 5, meet at 7 p.m. Friday night.

Camdenton is coming of a 20-17 victory against Lebanon, a game where the Lakers rallied from a 14-point deficit to pick up the win.

Matt Endsley scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, while Josh Martin found the end zone on the ground as well.

The Lakers also own wins against Hillcrest (17-14) and West Plains (35-15).

Kickapoo (3-0) opened the season with a 39-25 victory against Parkview before picking up wins at Rolla (49-14) and against Waynesville (36-6).

The Chiefs like to throw the ball, as quarterback Anthony Cooper is 36-of-62 for 651 yards and nine touchdown passes to go along with two interceptions.

By comparison, Kickapoo has 642 rushing yards on 98 carries for the season with seven scores.

School of the Osage at Versailles

Austin Riley hopes to keep the momentum going for School of the Osage.

Coming off a spectacular performance during the Indians' 45-20 victory against Southern Boone last Friday night, their first win of the season, the quarterback looks for a repeat performance against Versailles at 7 p.m. Friday.

Riley accounted for five touchdowns during the win, tossing for 304 yards and three scores while rushing for 40 yards and two touchdowns.

School of the Osage opened the season with losses to Fulton (28-22) and Moberly (34-7) before last week's triumph.

Versailles hasn't yet found that first victory. The Tigers (0-3) have fallen to Knob Noster (35-32), Fulton (44-33) and Warsaw (40-16).