MOKANE - With the playoff pursuit officially underway, the state-ranked South Callaway Bulldogs are trying to stay one move ahead in order to advance.
Second-seeded South Callaway (8-1) - ranked No. 6 in Class 2 - will carry a three-game winning streak into its District 6 opener tonight against No. 7 Lutheran (St. Peters) (2-7). Kickoff is at 7 in Mokane.
"(The message) is still, "How sharp are you? Have you reached your pinnacle? Have you reached your max - or do you have more left?'" South Callaway head coach Tim Rulo said near the end of Tuesday afternoon's practice. "Hopefully we've got more left, because we want to make sure that we continue to improve.
"The opponents are normally going to get better (in the playoffs). In theory, the teams that win are normally better than the teams that lost. The opponents you're going to get from now on are always going to be a step better, so you've got to realize that you are going to have to keep playing a step higher every week."