Class 5A schools. Class 3A schools. Schools that actually share in its own Class 4A classification.

It really hasn’t mattered what the 2006 football schedule has thrown at Eudora High. The Cardinals have proven they have plenty of answers, as they remain one of just two area programs with unblemished 7-0 records.

To stay that way, coach Gregg Webb’s squad now must take care of business against another sub-category – rivalry schools.

Eudora will head just a few miles east tonight to do battle with Frontier League foe De Soto in an important district game for both schools. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Both teams won their district openers on the road in Week 7. The Cardinals easily dispatched of Spring Hill, the perceived weak link in the four-team group, in a 48-6 victory, as tailback Travis Clarke rushed for 224 yards and five touchdowns.

The big performance pushed Clarke past the 1,000-yard barrier, and he now has 13 touchdowns on the ground this season, allowing him to do his part in a powerful offense that also features quarterback Kent Swanson (824 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception) and wide receiver Matthew Able (30 receptions, 599 yards, seven touchdowns) and leads all area schools in scoring offense at 45.6 points per game.

Meanwhile, Webb’s decision to keep his players fresh by having them play on just one side of the ball is also paying off as Eudora boasts the area’s second-stingiest defense, surrendering just 10.7 ppg.

The numbers have been a bit more pedestrian for De Soto, which improved to 4-3 overall and ended a three-game losing skid by holding off Baldwin, 22-13, last Friday on the Bulldogs’ home turf at Baker University’s Liston Stadium.

The Wildcats, under the guidance of junior quarterback Jake Morse, are averaging 23.9 ppg, while the defense is giving up 17.3 ppg. They’re also looking to avenge last year’s 39-24 loss to Eudora on the Cardinals’ home turf.

A victory tonight doesn’t guarantee a berth in this year’s Class 4A playoff field. However, the winner will have a leg up in nabbing one of the two available spots with just one week of district play remaining.

Eudora will close out its regular season next Thursday with a road rivalry game at Baldwin, while De Soto will play host to Spring Hill.