For the first time all season, the Eudora High football team is in the unfamiliar position of being the underdog tonight.

Consider it the ultimate motivation.

Undefeated and top-ranked Fort Scott (12-0) will roll into Eudora for a 7 p.m. Class 4A semifinal game, and for the first time in nearly two seasons Eudora isn’t the favorite.

“It’s kind of weird having kids in your own school coming up to you and saying you probably won’t win the game,” senior Joe Born said. “But it’s firing us up for Fort Scott.”

The Cardinals (11-1) have a few things going for them, though.

Playing at Laws Field means they’ll have a raucous home crowd and coach Gregg Webb is no stranger to being deep in the playoffs. In 16 seasons at Claflin, Webb won five state titles and was in the championship game nine times. This is his sixth straight semifinal appearance.

Having someone like that on your sideline is comforting to players who lost in the quarterfinals the past two seasons.

“That’s a big deal because he knows what it takes to win,” senior running back Andrew Pyle said. “Just to have that experience has been huge. He’s told us that we’ve not playing good enough to go all the way. We’re not there yet, but we know he has.”

The Eudora High football squad warms up during Wednesday's practice. Eudora plays Fort Scott tonight in hopes of making it to the Class 4A championship game.

Eudora, which lost 13-12 to Sabetha in last season’s playoffs, has been close, but never this far into the playoffs. To get over that hump, the Cardinals will have to defeat a team that won titles in 1996 and 2000, and lost in the championship game last year to Wellington.

When you talk about 4A football, the Tigers are one of the first teams mentioned.

Fort Scott dominated Topeka Hayden, which entered the game 10-1, holding the Wildcats to just 29 yards in the first half. It was similar to smoking Louisburg, 35-7, the week before. The Tigers’ defense embarrassed Louisburg, which had been 9-1.

It’s the type of defense that makes opposing coaches shudder.

“We’ve played well on defense, especially in the playoffs,” Tigers coach Bob Campbell said. “We’re not huge on defense by any means. We’re probably undersized, but we’ve got good quickness and we get a lot of people the football.”

Webb just bristles at the thought of Fort Scott’s front line.

Eudora High seniors Lindsay Abrahm, left, Tonie Barnett, center, and Nick Brecheisen walk past a banner touting the Cardinals' Class 4A football semifinal game tonight against Fort Scott at Laws Field.

“He’s not blowing smoke,” Webb said. “His front seven are as good as we’ve seen all year. They’re just physically and fundamentally sound, and you don’t see that too often. It’s going to be a great challenge for our offense.”

And the Cardinals’ defense.

The Tigers average 275 rushing yards a game and can throw when needed, totaling 824 yards passing this season. But it’s the running game that will occupy Eudora’s attention. Running back Donnie Hampton has 1,355 yards on 214 carries, and fullback Joseph Lattimer has 720 yards on 129 carries.

Quarterback Ross Holt is a threat as well, amassing 527 yards through the air. With an offensive line that averages 6-foot-1, 233 pounds, the Tigers’ size is matched only by their aggressiveness.

“What makes them so good is they play so hard on every play,” Webb said. “That’s what I’m trying to convince our kids to do. We’re going to find out if we’ve achieved that level yet.”

Eudora is close. With Pyle (2,039 yards), fullback Tyler Jackson (942) and quarterback Tyler Cleveland (476), the Cardinals have the weapons, it’s just a matter of how effective they are.

Of course, playing at home will help. Just ask Campbell.

“Going into their place, I know their kids will be ready to play,” he said. “We have to match their intensity. If we come out and we’re not mentally focused, we’re going to struggle.”

Needless to say, the Cardinals are approaching this game as if it were their last ” particularly the seniors, who have won 29 games the past three years.

If that’s not motivation enough, Pyle doesn’t know what is.

“We know that going into this game, it’s going to be the biggest game we’ve played all year,” Pyle said. “We’re this far and trying to play for the state title. That’s what we’re hoping for.”