MOKANE, Mo. - The unbeaten South Callaway Bulldogs could be settling in for an extended stay at home.
South Callaway will play the first of two home games to end the regular season when it faces the Clopton/Elsberry IndianHawks tonight in an Eastern Missouri Conference matchup. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs - receiving 12 votes in this week's Class 2 Missouri Media Rankings - are 7-0 on the season and 5-0 in the EMO after a 69-0 romp at Bowling Green last week. Clopton/Elsberry shut out Wright City 46-0, improving to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play.
South Callaway is also looking to lock up home-field advantage through the District 5 playoffs. The Bulldogs sit in first place in District 5 with 48.24 points, while Brentwood (5-1) is second with 44.9, Hermann third (5-2, 44.79), and North Callaway fourth (5-2, 41.09).
Clinching the top seed would keep South Callaway on its own turf at least through the District 5 championship Nov. 4, provided the Bulldogs reach that point.
South Callaway coach Zack Hess is fully aware there is still plenty to be done to attain that objective.
"We always try to look ahead and try to plan for as much as we can," Hess said. "At the same time, we can only control what we can control, and that's winning the next game. That's the focus with the players.
"Having said that, I think they understand the importance of the next couple of weeks and taking care of business, and setting ourselves up for the best possible scenario later on."
The Bulldogs will certainly be tested tonight by the IndianHawks and most notably their exceptional quarterback Stephen Talbert, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior. Talbert is a remarkable dual threat who has rushed for 1,089 yards (11.3 average) and 16 touchdowns this season, while passing for 1,045 yards and 11 scores.
"He's put on about 10-15 pounds from last year, so physically he's gotten bigger and stronger," Hess said. "You watch him on tape and I told the guys yesterday (Monday), he's a running back that can also play quarterback really well.
"He's a very high percentage of their offense and we've got to make sure we do our best to slow him down. Coach (Mike) Scheibel does a great job of designing plays that highlight his strengths."
North Callaway handed Clopton/Elsberry its lone loss of the season by a score of 20-6 on Sept. 16 in Kingdom City. The Thunderbirds limited Talbert to just 13 yards rushing and a 6-yard touchdown run on 21 carries in rainy conditions. Talbert completed 14-of-29 passes for 107 yards and threw three of his nine interceptions on the season.
"(North Callaway) had six guys in the box and they did a good job with their ends, taking on the kick-out block from the running back," Hess said.
Talbert's main target is senior wide receiver Jamon Graham (5-10, 155), who leads the IndianHawks with 22 catches for 410 yards (18.6 average) and four touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Blake Kendall (5-10, 170) also has 21 grabs for 197 yards and four scores, while senior wide receiver Kevin Hammett (5-10, 175) has 14 catches for 262 yards.
Sophomore wide receiver Derrick Taylor (6-1, 195) also has 14 receptions for 158 yards and three touchdowns.
"They do a good job with their route combos, they have good hands," Hess said. "They attack the ball when it's in the air, they do a good job of going up and getting it."
South Callaway's defense allowed just 63 total yards - including a meager 14 yards rushing - and forced two turnovers in blanking Bowling Green last week.
"We did a good job of stopping the run and we forced them to resort to passing the ball, specifically out to the flats," Hess said. " That's what we preach to our guys all the time - getting the other offense out of their comfort zone, what they try to do best."
The Bulldogs will confront Clopton/Elsberry's 3-3 stack defense that has three shutouts on the season and is surrendering only 6.6 points per game.
"They're very aggressive on defense," Hess said. "They fly around and they make a lot of plays in the backfield. I think that starts up front with their D-line and their (line)backers that they like to blitz."
South Callaway piled up 485 yards of total offense and scored on 10 of its 11 possessions last week. Six of the Bulldogs' nine touchdowns covered 20 yards or more.
"That just goes to show our offense has a lot of potential to be explosive, and we're trying to keep working toward that explosiveness," Hess said. "When you play really good teams, that explosiveness - instead of being a touchdown - may get you a first down, or whatever.
"It keeps our defense off the field and keeps their offense off the field."
South Callaway hosts Clopton/Elsberry
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