South Callaway Bulldogs head football coach Tim Rulo doesn't expect the North Callaway Thunderbirds to remain in this rut for long.
South Callaway - off to a fast 2-0 start and ranked No. 9 in Class 2 - heads to Kingdom City tonight for the renewal of its annual Callaway Cup showdown against North Callaway (kickoff at 7). The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, plunged into an 0-2 predicament after being manhandled in a 43-7 thrashing at California last week.
"Ultimately, they know football, they know how to play it," Rulo said Wednesday afternoon. "It's going to be a big rivalry game, they're definitely wanting to do better after the first two weeks. Hopefully they've had a great week of practice, and so they're going to come out sharper and play better.
"I think that makes them extremely dangerous."
North Callaway head coach Mike Emmons explained that he and his assistants are being accountable by setting the example to get the Thunderbirds back on firm footing.
"Nobody wants to be in the situation that we're in right now, but our kids have responded positively," Emmons said Wednesday. "... That has to come from us (as coaches). We have to come out positive and be good leaders, show them how to act and how to prepare.
"We're doing our job and they're following suit."