KINGDOM CITY - It's a simple question North Callaway head coach Kevin O'Neal asks.
O'Neal takes his fourth-seeded Thunderbirds (5-5) on a trip to Palmyra tonight for a Class 2, District 6 semifinal showdown against the top-seeded, 10th-ranked Panthers (8-2). Kickoff is 7 p.m.
"It even goes back to, "Why do you play football?'" O'Neal said Tuesday afternoon. "The reason you play this sport is to have fun, and so we want to go out there and have fun on Friday night.
"Part of that having fun is making sure we're executing and doing the things we need to do. But enjoy that time that you're out there because you never know when it's going to be your last time out there and so give it everything you've got, enjoy the moment and play hard."
O'Neal also wants his players to use their underdog status as an impetus tonight.
"We don't have anything to lose this week," O'Neal said. "We're not supposed to win this game - Palmyra is. So we're just going to come out and play football as hard as we can ... and see what happens."
North Callaway advanced by putting together consecutive victories for the first time this season with a 54-0 dismantling of No. 5 seed Van-Far in last week's District 7 opener in Kingdom City. The Panthers moved on by punishing No. 8 seed Montgomery County 35-0 in Palmyra.
The Panthers - who reached the Class 2 semifinals last year before bowing to South Callaway - have also won two straight after suffering both of their losses at home in back-to-back weeks, albeit to state-ranked opponents. Palmyra was edged by Centralia, ranked No. 7 in Class 3, 7-6 on Oct. 2, then was shut out by Brookfield, No. 3 in Class 2, 20-0 on Oct. 9.
Senior quarterback Ben Cheffey (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) directs a diverse offense for the Panthers, who are averaging 33.8 points per game. A pair of key components - senior running back Travis Harvey (5-10, 200) and senior lineman Matt Frankenbach (6-3, 250) - sat out last week's win over Montgomery County with injuries, but O'Neal expects both to play tonight.
"They run a power spread, kind of like what we do, where they do some jet sweeps and some counters off of that," O'Neal said. "(They'll throw) bubble passes, a quick passing game, then they'll also go to a split-back veer and run that type of offense.
"... Coach (Kevin) Miles, I think, tries to pick out what he's going to have success with against your defense, then practices that offense that week. They get into a lot of sets, do a lot of different things. There's not one kid on offense that carries the load, kind of like what we have; they spread it out to a bunch of different guys."
North Callaway's defense harassed Van-Far quarterbacks Caden Wilburn and Parker Wallace last week, intercepting them six times and returning two for touchdowns. The Thunderbirds limited the Indians to just 72 net yards, including only 3 yards rushing.
O'Neal likes how North Callaway defenders have been steadfast in concentrating on their individual duties.
"We do a good job of doing our job - what we are supposed to do and nothing else," O'Neal said. "That's been drilled into them this year and facing a team that does a lot of different things, I think we're ready for it."
Frankenbach will also be a persistent problem for the Thunderbirds as an all-state performer on the defensive side as Palmyra surrenders just 8.1 points per game out of its 3-4 scheme. O'Neal noted that the Panthers will feature Frankenbach in an assortment of positions - from noseguard to tackle, to linebacker.
Senior AJ O'Brien (5-11, 190) is also a standout at linebacker for Palmyra, according to O'Neal.
"(Frankenbach) is an athletic kid that's big and strong, that they can move around to a bunch of different spots; he's a concern for us," O'Neal said. "(O'Brien) is a solid kid as well, a very good linebacker - one of the best I've seen."
Junior quarterback Milo Henry threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns in North Callaway's blitz of Van-Far last week. The Thunderbirds leaned on a balanced attack to produce 404 total yards.
North Callaway's offensive line is anchored by a trio of seniors - center Nick Forgy, left guard George Jones and left tackle Lance Starkey - and they are joined by two juniors, right guard Isaac Wright and right tackle Alex Walker.
O'Neal is eager to see how the group fares up front against the Panthers' defensive line.
"I think we're starting to get that attitude ... on the offensive line," O'Neal said. "All three seniors have been solid for us all year, but I think they're starting to pass that on to those younger guys.
"We've kind of had a carousel there on the other side of the line and those guys that are stepping in now are buying in to what we're doing. I'm just really pleased with the way they've kind of come together and started to jell up front."
The Thunderbirds are also looking to square a debt with the Panthers after a 36-0 loss in last year's District 7 semifinal in Kingdom City. Cheffey passed for 103 yards and three touchdowns to pace Palmyra, while Harvey rushed for 107 yards and two scores.
"This is just that chance to go to their place and repay the favor," O'Neal said. "... (Palmyra) is a solid football program, but from last year's game we had some success in some areas, that I felt if we cleaned up a couple of things we would have had more success.
"It's a challenge for us, and hopefully we can step up to the challenge."