MOKANE, Mo. - Zack Hess was blown away by the blocking.
Hess' debut as South Callaway head coach last week was made much smoother when the state-ranked Bulldogs - powered by a bruising display from their offensive line - amassed a remarkable 549 yards rushing in a 45-7 blitz at Putnam County in the season opener.
"Our guys up front just did a great job," Hess said after practice Tuesday night. "They were very physical, they opened up big holes for the running backs. That's why we were able to put up those numbers."
Seventh-ranked South Callaway will seek to sustain that success with its running game when it remains on the road tonight for a matchup at Southern Boone (kickoff at 7 p.m.). The Eagles also launched their season in impressive fashion last week by slamming St. Pius X 50-0 in Festus.
The Bulldogs, though, will be missing a vital component in the heart of their offensive line after senior center Johnny Wyman broke a bone in his lower leg against Putnam County. Hess said that Wyman had pins inserted in the bone and will be sidelined until at least the start of district play in late October.
"Not only is he a big, physical kid, he's big in terms of our chemistry on the line, making our calls," Hess said. "He just has that experience because he played there some last year and he's played all summer."
Wyman will be replaced by junior Braeden Sconce (5-8, 195).
"He's excited about that and he's our guy for the future, so these our valuable reps for him," Hess said of Sconce.
South Callaway's dynamic running game has become known for its equal distribution, and that was certainly the case last week. Senior running back Cameron Richardson gained a game-high 145 yards on 14 carries, while senior quarterback Ethan Livengood had 102 yards in 11 attempts and scored on runs of 2, 3 and 2 yards.
Sophomore running back Kaden Helsel also logged 100 yards on just nine carries and peeled off touchdown runs of 11 and 21 yards. Senior running back Connor Stupperich provided a 15-yard touchdown run.
"The way that we want to play offense, we have to do that, because we don't want one kid running the ball 30 times," Hess said. "We have to make sure that a lot of guys get a lot of carries, and we have good enough athletes that we are able to do that."
Hess stressed the Bulldogs will have to be "smart on offense" against Southern Boone's 3-4 defensive scheme that turned in a shutout last week. The Eagles are led by senior linebacker Grant Anderson (5-11, 195), who recorded 54 tackles and nine sacks last season.
Junior linebacker Tanner Smith (5-9, 185) also tallied 50 tackles and had three interceptions in 2014, while another junior linebacker - Cole Morris (5-9, 185) - had 43 tackles and four sacks. Senior defensive lineman Jacob Cole (5-10, 230) accounted for 58 tackles and two sacks, and another senior defensive lineman, Cody Hoefelman, registered 48 tackles and four sacks.
Southern Boone's secondary will be anchored by senior defensive back Laron Wallace, who finished with 59 tackles, three sacks and an interception last season.
"The physicality of their secondary stands out," Hess said. "Their outside linebackers are very aggressive and they crash in hard. Their inside "backers do a good job of getting downhill, and they're just big up front."
Meanwhile, the Eagles' pistol spread offense relied mostly on its running attack last week in ending up with 210 yards. Almost half of that sum was supplied by sophomore running back Jackson Sartain, who had seven carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Smith also picked up 50 yards in only six attempts and ran for a pair of scores. Senior quarterback Dane Bossert (5-11, 170), Morris and freshman running back Colby Phillips each contributed a touchdown run.
"Their running backs are big and physical, and they get downhill really well - better than we've seen in a long time," Hess said. "We're going to have our hands full."
South Callaway's defensive unit limited Putnam County to 185 total yards, including 122 rushing, and forced three turnovers. The Bulldogs' only misstep came in the second quarter when quarterback Calvin Heidenwith wriggled free on the outside on a fourth-and-2, racing 88 yards for the Midgets' lone score.
Hess explained South Callaway's run defense will have to be better at protecting the perimeter tonight.
"Our outside "backers have to play really well," Hess said. "Our interior "backers and D-line have to continue having great run fits."
South Callaway at Southern Boone - Updates on Twitter: @FultonSunSports and @SBooneHS.
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