Amidst an incredibly unpredictable season, Wright City Football Coach Jeff Sargent never knows which players he will have available week-to-week or whether a game will even be played.

Such was the case last Friday, when the Wildcats’ scheduled Homecoming matchup against South Callaway was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns at the opposing school. But that doesn’t mean Wright City is not impacted, with at least a few players consistently sidelined under contact tracing requirements.

Sargent says it makes preparation challenging, and he is hopeful the Wildcats will have all their weapons in place when they travel to Orchard Farm this Friday to open Class 3 District 3 play.

“It’s a recurring cycle, and you just don’t know when it’s going to happen,” said Sargent. “You just have to have the structure in place, and whoever plays that position has to know what we’re doing. Anybody could be called up at any time.”

While the absence of a game in Week Nine was disappointing for players, Sargent says it was not without benefit.

“The one positive thing about not playing last week was that anyone who had some nagging injuries might’ve got the recovery they needed to have a clean bill of health headed into districts,” said Sargent. “We’re going into districts pretty healthy.”

The Wildcats enter the postseason with a 4-4 record, having won their first three games before dropping the next three. Wright City’s most recent action was a 55-20 win over Louisiana.

“We had a lot of improvement on our offensive line against Louisiana,” said Sargent. “With all the changes, we haven’t had the same offensive line since Week Two, so there’s been no continuity. I’m hoping this week we can finally reach that.”

To this point, the Wildcats rushing game has been led by senior Dalton Wiser with 667 yards on 133 carries, while junior quarterback Hayden Beck has 249 yards on 53 carries. One of the most consistent threats in the running game has been sophomore Jeremiah Davis, with 301 yards on 43 touches.

“We’re going to get Jeremiah the ball more often,” said Sargent. “That’s something we’ve got to focus more on, getting him more involved.”

Wright City will also look to juniors Ian Wolff and Jake Smith in the passing game. Both have hauled in 19 catches this season, with Smith amassing a team-best 357 yards. Beck has distributed the ball among seven different receivers, completing 60 of 114 passes for 663 yards and five touchdowns.

In looking for mismatches, Sargent believes the Wildcats may have an advantage in the return and kicking game.

“Our special teams is definitely an area of advantage we have over them,” said Sargent. “I feel pretty confident about what we’re going to do on special teams.”

He says knowing what to expect from Orchard Farm and stopping the Eagles differ drastically. The numbers tell the story this season for the Eagles, with quarterback A.J. Snow presenting a significant threat on offense. He has completed 83 of 159 passes for 1,432 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Orchard Farm has been more reliant upon the running game, with Snow rushing for 958 yards on 105 carries.

Running back Latterion West has gained 846 yards and nine touchdowns on 146 touches.

“Their offense aligns with our strengths on defense, but their quarterback is the guy who can make our strengths become our weaknesses,” said Sargent. “He’s going to Navy. He’s definitely a legit player.”

The Eagles enter the contest with a 5-4 record, having one common opponent with Wright City. Both defeated Winfield, as the Wildcats won 21-14 and Orchard Farm prevailed 34-10.