MOKANE - The state-ranked South Callaway Bulldogs are no longer adrift when it comes to a conference affiliation.
South Callaway, off to a 2-0 start and ranked No. 4 in Class 2 for the third straight week, receives its on-field introduction to the Eastern Missouri Conference when it makes its first road trip of the season tonight with a visit to the Clopton/Elsberry IndianHawks. Kickoff is at 7.
The Bulldogs have been an independent the past two seasons after their previous home - the Mid-Missouri Conference - disbanded following the 2012-13 school year. South Callaway's status forced it to schedule games against opponents from as far away as Scotland County in the far northeast part of the state and St. Louis-area schools.
"It's just been tough when you don't have a conference ...," Bulldogs head coach Tim Rulo said after practice Tuesday night. "It's been interesting because we've went and played some different schools, schools that maybe we would have not played.
"It has just been a challenge. One, the kids miss out on the opportunity to be conference champs, to be an all-conference player, and just to develop some rivalries with different schools that you normally don't get when you're an independent."
South Callaway is joined by the Mark Twain Tigers as new members this season to the EMO, which also includes North Callaway, Montgomery County, Bowling Green, Van-Far and Wright City. The Bulldogs have had North Callaway and Montgomery County on their schedule for years, but Rulo said his squad is anxious to become more familiar with the rest of the conference.
"I see a variety of different offenses, I see teams at all different stages of program development," Rulo said. "You've got teams that have just started football like Clopton/Elsberry, teams that are rebuilding, maybe like a Van-Far. Then you have teams that have been, in my mind, doing it for a long time - you've got Bowling Green, North Callaway and Montgomery County.
"... There's just a lot of different, varying levels and it seems like there's a good camaraderie between the coaches."
Clopton/Elsberry is also 2-0 after fashioning a pair of convincing victories. The IndianHawks opened the season at home by whipping Winfield 50-22, then followed that up by breezing to a 58-0 blitz at North Shelby last week.
Rulo noted Clopton/Elsberry will "run the spread 40 percent of the time when they're in (shot)gun, throwing the ball, but then the other 60 percent of the time they're actually under center, running power, running pro-style offense."
Junior running back Dillon Zumwalt fueled the IndianHawks' running game last week with 129 yards (8.6 average) and three touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Collin Dugan gained only 38 yards but scored twice.
Sophomore quarterback Stephen Talbert also ran for a touchdown and was 9-of-15 passing for 163 yards with an interception.
"(Talbert) does a good job of distributing the ball," Rulo said. "Their backs are all kind of the same ... and they've done a great job moving the ball around and getting it out to different people."
Rulo mentioned he and his coaching staff have certainly taken notice of Clopton/Elsberry's massive senior right guard Alex Black, who stands 6-foot-4 and tips the scales at 255 pounds.
"Their best player, in our mind, is No. 72," Rulo said of Black. "He's big, he's physical and he moves well. ... They definitely either run behind him or he's pulling to lead the play."
South Callaway's defense has been an imposing unit through two games, giving up an average of just 8 points and 137.5 total yards while combining to force 10 turnovers. The Bulldogs have also scored two defensive touchdowns, including senior linebacker Trevor Miller's 16-yard interception return for a score in last week's 52-10 romp against Southern Boone in Mokane.
Rulo stressed South Callaway's defensive priority tonight will be to locate the IndianHawks' skill players when they move them around in different schemes.
"It's just going to be a matter of us recognizing where people are lining up and adjusting to the formations," Rulo said.
The Bulldogs are also humming along so far on offense, putting up 55.5 points and 336.5 yards per game. Senior quarterback Troy Hentges threw a pair of touchdown passes and also ran for a score last week, while senior slot receiver Cory Hanger scored on touchdown runs of 15 and 7 yards.
South Callaway can expect Clopton/Elsberry to line up in both 3-5-3 and 4-4-3 defensive alignments, according to Rulo, with Black anchoring the line at noseguard.
"They really try to keep everything in front," Rulo said. "Their corners and safeties are eight, 10, 12 yards, heck sometimes they look like 15 yards away (from the line of scrimmage). They really rally to the ball well.
"... They might be one of the most physical secondaries we've seen. They really try to hit you hard."
While Rulo never tires of breathtaking plays delivered by his offense, he would like the Bulldogs to craft more drawn-out possessions that use up time and eventually result in points.
"I want us to be able to sustain some drives," Rulo said. "We've been really blessed because a lot of our touchdowns have been big plays - you know, 35, 60, 50 (yards) on short fields, where we get the ball after an interception or something.
"Really, what I would like to see is just a nice, sustained eight-, 10-play drive where we really have to move the ball."