While the series has had a definite edge, in both directions, this year's meeting doesn't necessarily have a clear-cut feel to it.
The South Callaway Bulldogs visit the North Callaway Thunderbirds tonight for their annual Callaway Cup showdown, which also serves as an Eastern Missouri Conference matchup. Kickoff is 7 p.m. in Kingdom City. The Thunderbirds decisively won the first 12 clashes between the two Callaway schools, while the Bulldogs have prevailed in the last six contests.
South Callaway sits at 4-1 this season and 3-0 in the EMO after posting its third straight victory last week, an 18-7 conference triumph over Wright City at Mokane. North Callaway - which has yet to win consecutive games - slipped to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play following a 49-12 loss at Mark Twain, ranked No. 6 in Class 1.
Head coach Kevin O'Neal believes his Thunderbirds are evenly matched with the Bulldogs, in their first season under head coach Zack Hess.
"It's a game, too, that if we don't come out and execute, and do the things we need to do, that South Callaway can run away with it, also," O'Neal said. "They're going to be prepared for us and we're, hopefully, going to be prepared for them.
"It should be a good, friendly rivalry where we get after each other and it's a good football game. That's what a rivalry game is - two teams that, no matter where you're at in the year, it's a game that you can get up for and you need to prepare for, and hopefully we'll have an exciting atmosphere here."
Hess is no stranger to the Callaway Cup, having been a South Callaway assistant the previous five seasons - the last two as defensive coordinator.
"The expectation is that we're just going to go out and try to play Bulldog football," Hess said. "There are a lot of things that go into this game, so we're going to try to tell our guys to just go play, just have fun and not think about all of the other stuff, and the history (of the series).
"Just go and do their best and play the best that they can, and we'll see what happens. ... There's a lot of excitement about this game, which makes it fun."
South Callaway's win against Wright City was dictated by its defense. The Bulldogs created five turnovers, including an interception by senior linebacker Dillon Stone that he returned 10 yards for a touchdown with a little less than four minutes left in the game to cap off the victory.
Stone finished with two of South Callaway's three interceptions. The Bulldogs held the Wildcats to 158 yards of total offense - including minus-6 rushing - and also tallied a pair of safeties. Wright City's only score came on a 40-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
"I think we played really great defense because we came out with a lot of energy and played with excitement," Hess said. "That's what defense is all about - just bringing that on every down and not taking any downs off."
O'Neal stressed the North Callaway offense will have to account for Stone's presence on every play tonight.
"He has a nose for the ball, he's a playmaker," O'Neal said. "I would imagine he studies a lot of film. His first two, three steps going to the football, he's pretty quick getting there."
The Thunderbirds had trouble establishing any sort of offensive tempo against Mark Twain, producing a meager 17 yards in the first half and ending up with only 127 overall and just four first downs. A turnover by the Tigers in the third quarter set up North Callaway's first score, a 13-yard touchdown run by senior running back Tyler Mattes.
Junior quarterback Milo Henry later connected with junior running back Wyatt Branson on a quick hitter over the middle on a 59-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown near the end of the third quarter for the Thunderbirds' final points.
Mark Twain's defense crippled North Callaway's running attack, limiting the Thunderbirds to a sparse 32 yards on 16 total carries.
"They put more guys in the box than what we had expected, so they took our run game away from us," O'Neal said. "Then in our pass game, we had a couple of dropped balls and a couple of wrong routes, and a couple of bad reads.
"When that happens, they pile up real fast and you don't get a first down. ... We just weren't able to develop any of that rhythm in the first half."
To run the ball effectively against the Bulldogs' defense, O'Neal explained North Callaway must do a better job of blocking up front. The Thunderbirds have gained just 531 yards (106.2 average) as a team through five games.
Junior running back J.T. Higgins tops North Callaway with 177 yards (4.2 average) and three touchdowns, followed by Mattes with 115 yards (3.4 average) and the one score last week.
"We're going to have to control the line of scrimmage a lot better than we did Friday night, if we're going to move the ball against South Callaway," O'Neal said.
South Callaway's defense is allowing 234 yards per game, but only 79 on the ground.
"I think (North Callaway) is going to try to run the ball and try to spread us out some, and try to get their athletes the ball," Hess said. "We're going to have to do a good job of making sure we have good run fits on the inside and on the outside.
"At the same time, we're going to have to make sure that we're solid on our (pass) coverage."
The Bulldogs generated 218 yards of total offense last week, with 204 yards of that production coming from their running game. South Callaway's lone offensive score came on sophomore running back Kaden Helsel's 1-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter.
Senior running back Patrick Barnard paced the Bulldogs with a game-high 102 yards on 24 carries, while fellow senior running back Cameron Richardson added 40 yards in 14 attempts. Barnard has rushed for 387 yards (6.3 average) in only three games since returning from a knee injury. Richardson leads the team with 392 yards (8.2 average).
O'Neal was impressed with the push South Callaway gets from its offensive line, as well as the diversity shown by its stable of running backs.
"Up front, they do an excellent job of getting off the ball," O'Neal said. "They don't have the size that Mark Twain has; they have a couple of kids that are pretty big. They're really going to know their assignments, blocking-wise.
"In the running game, they're a little more versatile ... and have had to be a little more creative. There isn't one exact back that's going to carry the ball. There are a lot of different guys that are going to touch the football and do well running it."
North Callaway's defense was battered for 399 yards on the ground by Mark Twain. Tyler Elledge was responsible for most of the damage, rushing for 242 yards and four touchdowns.
O'Neal is hoping the Thunderbirds' defensive collapse against the run was a one-week abberation after they limited their previous two opponents to a combined 48 yards on the ground.
"I think it's a game that hopefully will refocus us," O'Neal said. "We're going to spend a lot of time in film, talking about the things that we did wrong and showing them how if one or two guys don't execute, how it can break down pretty fast."
O'Neal explained North Callaway will have to trust in defensive basics against the Bulldogs' running attack.
"You just have to be more fundamentally sound when you prepare for a game like that," O'Neal said. "There aren't certain keys that you can go off of; you have to be prepared for everything."
Hess believes South Callaway offensive coordinator Tucker Bartley will devise a game plan that will put the Bulldogs in the best position to showcase their running game.
"I think coach Bartley is going to do a great job of calling plays," Hess said. "He's going to do a good job of getting different formations and different guys the ball.
"We're just expecting those guys to run hard and take care of the ball."
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