The undefeated and state-ranked South Callaway Bulldogs plowed a perfect path to the Eastern Missouri Conference title, then received an immediate reward.
Senior slot receiver Cory Hanger caught three touchdown passes from senior quarterback Troy Hentges and Hanger also ran for a score, and South Callaway resisted an early challenge from Bowling Green in charging to the EMO championship with a convincing 55-7 victory Friday night.
The Bulldogs' defense, after surrendering points in the first half for the first time this season, answered by forcing a pair of turnovers to set up scores. South Callaway also stopped the Bobcats' six-game winning streak.
The Bulldogs - ranked No. 3 in Class 2 - ended the regular season at 9-0 and claimed the EMO title with a spotless 7-0 mark in their first year as conference members. South Callaway overpowered their seven EMO opponents by a mind-blowing 425-47 scoring margin, including two shutouts.
"It's so humbling, it really is," Bulldogs head coach Tim Rulo said. "The teams in here work hard - just like our kids - day in and day out, put in the time and effort.
"For us to come away with the championship is awesome. ... For this year and this moment, it's an exciting time. We're blessed and thankful, for sure."
South Callaway also used Friday night's runaway triumph to rise up to the No. 1 seed in Class 2, District 7, barely surpassing No. 7-ranked Lafayette County. The Bulldogs moved into the top position with 50.43 points, while the Huskers - also unbeaten at 9-0 after Friday night's 47-12 victory over Carrollton - slipped back to the No. 2 seed with 50.11.
South Callaway locked up home-field advantage throughout the district playoffs. The Bulldogs host No. 8 seed Knob Noster (0-9) in the District 7 quarterfinals next Friday night.
"Now it's just about, man, wow, awesome, enjoy it (conference title), but let's see what we can do now the rest of the way as we move on," Rulo said. "Now, if you don't take care of business, you go home - and we don't want to go home."
South Callaway expected a test from Bowling Green (7-2, 6-1) on Friday night, and the Bobcats played the part for the first 20-plus minutes. The Bulldogs bolted out to a 14-0 edge in the first quarter on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Hentges to Hanger, followed by Hanger's 35-yard scoring run.
At the outset of the second quarter, South Callaway's defense experienced a rare hiccup. Bowling Green senior running back Adam Holt got into the open and raced 93 yards for a touchdown with 11 minutes, 18 seconds left in the half.
South Callaway responded on its next possession when senior fullback Dakoda Ballard scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 13-yard run to make it 20-7 with 8:33 to go. Bowling Green, though, countered by driving 51 yards in 11 plays to reach the Bulldogs' 28-yard line.
However, Holt was swallowed up by the Bulldogs' defense for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-2 to give the ball back to South Callaway. On the next play, senior slot receiver Mason Shoemaker navigated his way through the heart of the Bobcats' defense and darted 68 yards for a touchdown at the 3:36 mark.
For all intents and purposes, that sequence snuffed out any further prospects that Bowling Green would threaten the Bulldogs.
On the Bobcats' following series, Hentges - from his cornerback spot - intercepted a Niemeyer pass near midfield and returned it to Bowling Green's 30. Three plays later, Hentges paired up again with Hanger on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 1:33 left to send South Callaway into halftime with a comfortable 35-7 edge.
Back to its normal, harassing self, the Bulldogs' defense recovered a fumble by the Bobcats on the first play of the third quarter to set South Callaway up in Bowling Green territory. On the following play, Hentges connected with Hanger along the Bobcats' sideline and he raced 39 yards for a touchdown just 25 seconds into the quarter.
The Bulldogs' defense then tallied its eighth touchdown of the season on Bowling Green's next possession. Junior linebacker Dillon Stone scooped up a Niemeyer fumble and returned it 45 yards for a score to put South Callaway up 49-7 at the 8:34 mark. It was the second fumble Stone has returned for a touchdown this season.
"I was so happy that our defense tightened the screws up," Rulo said. "They let the big score happen to an awesome athlete in Adam Holt, but then after that they were able to tighten it down and basically keep those guys at bay pretty well the rest of the half.
"They started getting hungry again, got that fire, and created that turnover right there at the start of the third quarter. It just happened all over the place."
The Bulldogs capped off their scoring on Ballard's 15-yard touchdown run with 4:04 to play in the third quarter.
The distribution in South Callaway's dynamic offense was showcased once again Friday night as the Bulldogs generated 392 net yards, including 312 rushing. Shoemaker gained a game-high 139 yards on only eight carries, followed by Ballard with 62 yards in seven attempts.
Hanger added 53 yards rushing on six touches and had a game-high three catches for 72 yards. Hentges completed 4-of-8 passes for 80 yards and no interceptions.
"I felt like we just did a good job again of getting different guys the ball, running different plays," Rulo said. "I was happy with the tempo. I think we kept it pretty high-octane there. I think it was kind of wearing everybody down, even us included."