KINGDOM CITY, Mo. - Encountering an even-man defensive front has been mostly an oddity this season for the North Callaway Thunderbirds.
North Callaway will run up against such a defensive scheme from Van-Far when the Thunderbirds return home tonight for an Eastern Missouri Conference clash with the fading Indians. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
North Callaway owns a two-game winning streak after a 46-7 EMO romp at Wright City last week, improving to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference. Van-Far (2-4, 0-4) suffered its fourth straight loss after being shut out at home by EMO foe Clopton/Elsberry 46-0.
The last time the Thunderbirds faced a four-man defensive front came in the second week of the season at Tipton, a 42-8 North Callaway triumph. The Thunderbirds collected 224 yards of total offense in the victory, including 122 rushing.
North Callaway coach Kevin O'Neal believes the Indians will come out in either a 4-4 or 4-2-5 defensive alignment tonight. The Indians are allowing 25.8 points per game.
"It's going to be a little bit of a practice for us, to get used to that," O'Neal said of Van-Far's defensive setup.
O'Neal added pinning down the perimeter is pivotal in countering a four-man front.
"It's just who's setting the edge and how you attack the corner, and how we block it on the outside to get the edge set," O'Neal said. "Then there's some more traps and stuff probably on the inside with some of those guys.
"It's a different type of play-calling, but I think our kids will be fine with that."
With Wright City's defense clogging the line of scrimmage last week to sell out against the run, the Thunderbirds took a while to get into a groove on offense. North Callaway then erupted for 26 points in the second quarter and piled up 410 yards of total offense, including 187 rushing.
Junior running back Adam Reno produced 218 total yards, including a game-high 170 rushing, and had three touchdowns. Senior running back Wyatt Branson also supplied three catches for 80 yards, including a touchdown, and also ran for a score.
Senior quarterback Milo Henry finished 9-of-20 passing for 223 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
"(Wright City) was loading the box (in the first quarter), they were going cover-zero on us - man-to-man, no safety over the top to help, trying to shut us down there," O'Neal said. "That's probably why Milo's completion percentage was down a little bit - they were trying to take away the short pass and so we were throwing the ball a little bit deeper.
"Over the top, when we did complete those, they went for long gains. I was happy - once we started clicking and got going, we did all right."
O'Neal specified the Thunderbirds need to soften up the interior of the Indians' defensive front with their running game.
"I want to be able to run between the tackles a little bit better than what we've done," O'Neal said. "I know we can get the perimeter, at times, with Wyatt and Adam, but we've got to be able to run the ball in the middle and eat up clock."
Van-Far enters tonight averaging 25.7 points, but that number is padded by victories in its first two games of the season - 75-37 against Missouri Military Academy and 48-6 against Central HomeSchool. The Indians, though, are still trying to figure out who they are on the offensive side, according to O'Neal, having run the wishbone, power-I and spread this season.
"I think they're a team that doesn't quite have an identity yet and they're trying to find it," O'Neal said.
North Callaway's defense will try to build off last week's effort when it forced six turnovers and limited Wright City to one score and 224 yards of total offense.
"We've seen the last couple of weeks, teams that have thrown the ball a little bit," O'Neal said. "I think we're set up to stop the run with our front six. Pass defense has been our concern and we've had our test the last couple of weeks and done OK with that.
"Really, I welcome this challenge this week. It's going to be good for our defense to see some different stuff and have to adjust to it. I think coach (defensive coordinator Ross) Rosenbaum will have them ready to go."
North Callaway hosts Van-Far with Community
Updates on Twitter: @FultonSunSports
Listen live online: kfalthebig900.com
Preview Podcast: North Callaway Thunderbirds Football Podcast [Van-Far preview, Sept. 30, 2016]