The Callaway Cup clash is receiving an amped postseason upgrade.
The rivalry will venture somewhere it's never been before when the North Callaway Thunderbirds host the South Callaway Bulldogs - both with matching 10-1 records - in a state-ranked showdown tonight for the Class 2, District 5 title. Kickoff is 7 p.m. in Kingdom City.
Instead of a trophy, the prize is even more valuable with a trip to the Class 2 quarterfinals on the line. The question is, can North Callaway and South Callaway come close to staging another classic like their Callaway Cup matchup in early September, narrowly won by the Thunderbirds 33-29?
Both teams enter tonight riding remarkable rolls. North Callaway - ranked seventh in Class 2 - has piled up 10 consecutive victories since a 15-12 loss to Southern Boone in the season opener.
"Our kids have worked hard to get to this point," Thunderbirds head coach Kevin O'Neal said Tuesday afternoon. "They've had a great year - we talked about a conference championship being a goal and we attained it, winning the Callaway Cup, we got that one, and now a district championship (appearance) and it just happens to be against South Callaway.
"We've got nothing but respect for South Callaway and (head coach) Zack (Hess), and what they've done down there for several years. We're excited to be at the same level as them, and competing with them. It should be an exciting game."
The Bulldogs - ranked 10th in Class 2 - have responded with seven straight wins since their loss to the Thunderbirds.
"(North Callaway) is a really good team, they're well-coached, they're having a great season," Hess said Tuesday morning. "It should be a lot of fun. Just to play in the district championship is exciting enough, but then you add that (rivalry) element to it - it does add a little bit more.
"It'll be an electric atmosphere and it was the first time around. It was a lot of fun - we had a lot of people on our side, they had a lot of people on their side. Everybody was loud."
North Callaway and South Callaway did the drama up right in what was easily the best game in the Callaway Cup series on Sept. 8 in Kingdom City. The Bulldogs took a 29-26 lead on junior tailback Peyton Leeper's 17-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 1 minute, 17 seconds left in the game.
The Thunderbirds, though, produced the game-winner when sophomore quarterback Tully Thomsen connected with senior wide receiver Austin Edwards on a 43-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown with :56 to play.
North Callaway and South Callaway combined for almost 800 yards of total offense in the game.
Both O'Neal and Hess insisted that they will not put any added emphasis on the rivalry rematch angle tonight.
"For us, it's preparing for another game and a good opponent, that we're going to have our work cut out for us," O'Neal said. "It goes back to what our work ethic has been all year - the next game is important, the next game is the one we need to focus on.
"I think that approach all year has set us up for the way we want to go about this week."
Hess offered a similar sentiment.
"We've got to go out and just do what we do, and treat it like another football game," Hess said. "Not let it be too big for us."
The Thunderbirds and Bulldogs feature hugely successful running games with contrasting approaches.
North Callaway - fueled by senior running back Adam Reno - averages 272.1 yards with its battering ground attack. Reno gained 134 yards on 17 carries in the victory over South Callaway, including a 66-yard touchdown run.
Reno has put up dazzling numbers for the season, rushing for 1,754 yards (10.1 per carry) and 29 touchdowns.
"He's a beast, I don't know how to describe him," Hess said. "If you were going to create a running back, he would be that guy - he's fast, he's quick, he's agile, he's strong, he's hard to bring down, he doesn't fumble.
"I think one of the reasons why they've had so much success is because they turn around and give him the ball X number of times and he just puts a beating on the defense."
Hess stressed that it will likely require more than one defender to take Reno off his feet tonight.
"You've got to get multiple guys there to help," Hess said. "You can't tackle him high and if it comes to it, you've just got to hang on and wait for guys to come over and help.
"I think the biggest thing is, you can't arm-tackle and you can't tackle high because it's not going to end well for you."
South Callaway's fast flexbone attack - averaging 284.5 yards rushing - relies on a number of highly-skilled contributors. Leeper, who had a game-high 177 yards and two scores previously against the Thunderbirds, leads the way with 992 yards (10.3 per carry) and 14 touchdowns.
Senior tailback Kaden Helsel is close behind with 951 yards rushing (10.0 per carry) and a team-high 18 scores. Helsel also has 15 catches for 390 yards and tops the Bulldogs with nine touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Landon Horstman has also supplied 489 yards rushing (6.4 per carry) and 11 scores.
"Probably the biggest thing with that offense is it's not one particular guy," O'Neal said. "The ball is spread around to Leeper and Helsel, and the quarterback and the fullback, and all of those guys.
"Defensively, it becomes a challenge because you're not stopping one person, you have to stop the offense. That's what makes them special, that's why they have such success. They're good at calling plays and executing their offense."
Attempting to bottle up South Callaway's speed will demand both discipline and initiative, according to O'Neal.
"You can't sit back on your heels, you have to attack," O'Neal said. "If you let them get into open space and you let them run, and you're trying to catch up with them, you're in trouble.
"You have to attack on the edge, you have to make sure your run fits are exactly where they need to be. Because if you're off just a little bit, those guys can squeeze through a hole and take off running. When they get in the open field, they're pretty dynamic in what they do."
The lofty numbers allowed by the North Callaway and South Callaway defenses in their first meeting were an exception for both units this season.
The Thunderbirds are giving up a sparse 9.2 points per game, have logged three shutouts and limited opponents to single-digit points in five contests. Junior inside linebacker Jordan Delashmutt directs North Callaway with 117 tackles and 9.5 sacks, while junior cornerback Dawson Wright has a team-high six interceptions.
"They're very assignment-sound, they know what they're doing and they're confident, and they're attack-style," Hess said. "They're very physical and aggressive."
Hess noted that the Bulldogs - who average 46.8 points per game - will need to identify where the Thunderbirds are vulnerable.
"I think the key for us is trying to understand where we can exploit or attack maybe the weakest part of their defense," Hess said. "Not saying there's any weaknesses, but just where we can try to attack that as much as we can and see what happens."
South Callaway's defense, while not recording any shutouts, is allowing just 13.2 points per game and has also held foes to single-digit scoring in five contests. Leeper guides the Bulldogs with 86 tackles, five fumble recoveries and four interceptions from his free safety position.
"Kind of what we talk about what we want to do defensively, they're that way - fundamentally sound," O'Neal said. "Probably the biggest thing about that defense is the speed that they have.
"You're not going to be able to run sideline-to-sideline against them because they have a lot of speed and they are aggressive, and they attack downhill."
O'Neal explained that the North Callaway offense - which tallies 46.6 points per game - might have to show some diversity tonight.
"That's the biggest thing, trying to take advantage of some of that aggression with different things that you do offensively is what you have to do against a defense like that," O'Neal said. "They got us whenever we played them last time, we had to throw the ball a little bit more than what we normally do, which was good.
"When you play a good defense, you have to be able to do multiple things."