MOKANE - The wait appears to be over for the state-ranked South Callaway Bulldogs to receive a worthy test.
Undefeated South Callaway - ranked No. 3 in Class 2 - will try to acquire an Eastern Missouri Conference title in its first year in the conference when it travels to Bowling Green tonight to complete the regular season. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs, who have blown through their opposition to this point, are 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the EMO. The Bobcats are 7-1 on the season and also 6-0 in conference play. Bowling Green has won seven straight since suffering its only loss - a 22-14 overtime setback Aug. 29 at home to Palmyra.
"We're humbled by the fact that we get to play for a conference championship in the first year we're in it," South Callaway head coach Tim Rulo said after practice Tuesday night. "Going against Bowling Green - who's a quality opponent, who's having a great season - is even better, even more meaningful.
"We're excited about this next step for us, this next level that we want to accomplish. It's kind of a fun way to end the regular season, too."
Both the Bulldogs' and Bobcats' offenses, respectively, have kept scoreboard operators busy this season, piling up 59.6 and 45.1 points per game. Meanwhile, the South Callaway and Bowling Green defenses have badgered their opponents, allowing a scant 7.0 and 8.5 ppg, respectively.
"They're very athletic, they really are," Rulo said of the Bobcats. "They remind us a lot of ourselves in the sense of they have a lot of seniors, they do a good job of spreading the ball out to their playmakers and they run to the ball well on defense.
"They do a lot of the little things that quality opponents do."
Rulo is fully aware slowing down Bowling Green's offense starts with keeping a handle on fleet-footed running back Adam Holt, a 6-foot, 170-pound senior. In the Bobcats' 31-0 EMO victory Sept. 5 at North Callaway, Holt gained 225 yards and scored on runs of 20, 28 and 81 yards.
"In track, he's an 11(-second), 100(-meter) guy, a 21-foot long jumper; those are great numbers," Rulo said. "He has just an extra gear, he likes to try to bounce outside. ... It sounds like he's even bigger this year than he's been in the past, so he's not afraid to stick his nose in there.
"He breaks tackles well, he's elusive."
Rulo stressed that the Bulldogs' defense will need a pack mentality when it comes to containing Holt and forcing him to run horizontal angles.
"One-on-one battles are tough to win, I don't care how athletic or good you are," Rulo said. "It's really making sure that we know what we're doing, know where we're going on plays and we can fly around and get 11-on-one.
"11-on-one, we like those odds. ... To me, you've got to figure out ways to string out his plays. We don't want him going north and south, we want him going east and west. We want him going sideline-to-sideline, not down the sideline running for a long touchdown."
Rulo noted South Callaway's defensive unit can't forget to keep an eye on Bowling Green senior quarterback Jake Niemeyer.
"He does a great job of managing the game," Rulo said. "He looks like he's a really heady kid, he makes great decisions. He's athletic. He seems to be doing a great job of controlling the offense.
"... He runs the ball when he needs to, and that means he's a competitor."
Rulo explained that the Bobcats' defense will mainly work out of a 4-3 alignment.
"They allow their athletes to fly around and make plays, whether it be from the safety spot," Rulo said. "Their linebackers do a good job of getting downhill ... and they're big up front."
Arguably, no player in mid-Missouri is on more of a sizzling run than South Callaway senior quarterback Troy Hentges, who has scored a remarkable 16 touchdowns - nine passing, seven running - over the past four games. Hentges threw three touchdown passes and also ran for two scores in the Bulldogs' 52-0 EMO romp at Mark Twain last week.
Senior slot receiver Cory Hanger also rushed for a game-high 102 yards on only six carries and scored on touchdown runs of 40 and 30 yards, while fellow senior slot receiver Mason Shoemaker raced 51 yards for a score. South Callaway produced 399 yards of total offense and didn't commit any turnovers for the second game in a row.
Rulo believes the Bulldogs' offense will continue to roll as long as it operates in a relaxed fashion.
"When you get into games like this, you can't press, you can't try to do too much," Rulo said. "... I always find when guys start pressing or guys try to do too much, that's when they make mistakes - ball-security issues, et cetera.
"... Just keep going, trust the process, trust what you're doing. I think, offensively, that's what we've got to do - just keep putting the ball in our playmakers' hands, keep having fun, keep blocking well."
Tonight's outcome will also have a bearing on South Callaway's status in the Class 2 District 7 standings. Less than a point separates the second-place Bulldogs (50.14) and leader and seventh-ranked Lafayette County (50.81). Hallsville (7-1) is just behind South Callaway in third place with 49.75 points, while St. Paul Lutheran (Concordia) (8-0) is fourth with 47.55.
"It has so much impact on our district," Rulo said. "To me, you couldn't ask for a more quality game before you're about to go into districts. That's exciting stuff."