South Callaway to face more punishing Mark Twain run game

South Callaway running back Bennett Hager scores one of his two touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 26-6 Eastern Missouri Conference win against Montgomery County last Friday night in Mokane.
South Callaway running back Bennett Hager scores one of his two touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 26-6 Eastern Missouri Conference win against Montgomery County last Friday night in Mokane.

MOKANE, Mo. - While the dynamics are a little different, South Callaway Bulldogs coach Zack Hess still considers Mark Twain's running game capable of destruction.

Undefeated South Callaway - possessing an electric rushing attack of its own - travels to Mark Twain tonight for a critical Eastern Missouri Conference clash with the Tigers. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs - who are still unranked in Class 2 but received seven points in this week's media poll - improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the EMO after a 26-6 triumph at home over Montgomery County last week. Mark Twain, meanwhile, has gotten its season back on track after being ranked in Class 1 and then suffering consecutive losses to Hallsville and North Callaway in the early going.

The Tigers (3-2, 2-1) have put together back-to-back victories, the latest coming in a 40-7 EMO blitz at Bowling Green last week.

Mark Twain's running game has experienced little decline in production this season despite losing the breakaway speed of Tyler Ellege, who graduated after punctuating his season year with a sensational 2,525 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns. Ellege slashed through South Callaway's defense for 309 yards and all three scores in the Tigers' 18-7 victory against the Bulldogs in Mokane in 2015.

Now grinding behind the rugged lead of three sturdy senior backs - Caleb Hirner (6-foot, 175 pounds), Terry Monroe (5-7, 192) and Brandon Hamilton (5-9, 176) - Mark Twain is averaging a robust 347.2 yards on the ground this season.

"The thing that we've been stressing to the players is just being able to tackle those big running backs," Hess said. "The Ellege kid last year was a different type of running back - he was hard to tackle, but he wasn't as thick and as stout as Hirner and Monroe.

"Just getting those guys low and not letting go, having strong hands and swarming to the ball is going to be very important."

Hirner leads the Tigers with 724 yards rushing (8.8 average) and eight touchdowns, while Monroe has picked up 534 yards (8.6 average) and scored eight times. Hamilton has also rushed for 348 yards (7.6 average) and four touchdowns.

Mark Twain logged 294 yards rushing as a team in its 26-16 loss at North Callaway on Sept. 2. Hirner finished with a game-high 133 yards on 31 carries, while Monroe followed closely with 130 yards in 19 attempts and two touchdowns.

"They're not as fast (as Ellege), but they are more physical," Hess said. "They're very downhill, they hit the hole hard - they're just two good running backs."

The Tigers' trio of punishing backs is aided by a massive, agile offensive line to create running lanes. Those blockers include a quartet of towering seniors - Corey Kunkel (5-10, 270), Dalton Hill (6-2, 255), Colten Barnes (5-11, 250), and Taron Finnigan (6-3, 230).

"They're a force up front," Hess said. "The big thing that they do really well is they get the angle on the defensive line, and they do a good job with their down blocks and their pulls."

South Callaway's defense - which is giving up 146.8 yards rushing per game - will have to be able to withstand Mark Twain's mighty push, Hess explained.

"We have to make sure that we don't get driven out, that we try to build a wall up front," Hess said. "Our linebackers have to read guards really well and ultimately it's just getting through all the trash because they have six-inch splits (between linemen), so they're real tight.

"We have to get through all of that trash up front and find windows, and try to plug up all the holes that the running backs would normally run through. It's easier said than done."

On the offensive side, the Bulldogs feature a lively running attack that is generating 283 yards per game. Junior running back Kaden Helsel delivered 96 yards on only six carries and scored on an 18-yard run last week as South Callaway rolled up 321 yards on the ground.

Senior running back Bennett Hager also supplied 89 yards in just six attempts and touchdown runs of 30 and 8 yards. Junior running back Dalton Stone gained 68 yards on five carries and bolted 52 yards for a touchdown.

Hess expects offensive coordinator Tucker Bartley to assemble a diverse game plan that will combat the Tigers' bulk along the defensive line.

"I think that's what coach Bartley and the offensive staff do really well," Hess said. "They try to go sideline-to-sideline, attack perimeter and then come back and try to get down the middle, run the option - just hitting all of the different parts of the field."

South Callaway at Mark Twain

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