According to the calender, the playoffs are still a few weeks away.
Not at Calvert.
The Senecas currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot in Division VI Region 21, and if they want to see week 11 for a second straight season, the playoffs start now.
"We're excited, and take each week one at a time," Calvert coach Todd Fox said. "This very game is a playoff game for us. So we just take it from here and get better each and every week and see where we finish up at the end."
Friday Calvert travels down to Mohawk to face the Warriors, and one of the Midland Athletic League's better overall athletes in quarterback Drew Loose. Loose has amassed 1,629 yards of total offense this year - 1,006 passing and 623 rushing.
Fox, though, sees Loose as just one of a stable of great athletes at Mohawk's disposal.
"Loose is a very good player. Coach (Erik Baker) is using him in many different ways. Kind of opens up his attack a little bit more and throwing the ball," Fox said. "But we feel with him and (Gunnar) Johnson, (Mitch) Parker is a great receiver, and (Grant) Price, they got a group of great athletes."
While Mohawk presents a more open offensive attack than in years past, Fox is still preparing his team to face a physical Warrior squad.
"Defensively we just feel like we need to play our game and play physical," he said. "Mohawk is traditionally a very physical football team and likes to play the game physically. We're just going to have to play that way; read our keys and play basic fundamental football."
Calvert, though, can mix things up pretty well, too.
Tyler Long has shown to be a dual-threat quarterback, throwing for 894 yards on the season and rushing for 727.
"Calvert presents a number of challenges especially to our defense," Baker said. "The mixture of Long at quarterback, who has tremendous speed, along with Daniel Kwiat ... really challenges us. They'll mix running inside zone, outside zone using their size up front to wait for you to put yourself out of position defensively to take advantage of it."
The Calvert rushing attack has been bolstered the past few weeks with the play of Kwiat. The senior has rushed for 637 yards this season, 371 coming in the last two weeks alone.
"We went back to our running game," Fox said. "Dan Kwiat's really gotten in the groove the last couple weeks. ... The good thing about the early part of the season, we were able to develop some of our other weapons. They're all there. Now there just going to be set up by the run."
Baker cautions if too much attention is paid to Calvert's running game, the Senecas can go to the air to hurt you.
"Kwiat is a unique power runner in our league. I don't know if we see another fullback of his ability," Baker said. "Along with the addition of (Nick) Warnement at wide receiver, gives them a vertical threat that you can't just put eight, nine guys in the box to stop the running game, because they'll go over the top."
Last week, Calvert's upset bid of Fremont St. Joe was halted in part by 10 fumbles, four of which were lost. Fox said the team has been taking steps to make sure that is not an issue this week.
"A lot of it comes from concentration. We've done some different tactics this week to work on holding on to the football," he said. "At the same time, sometimes our guys are trying to make too big of plays and we got to work on holding on to the ball and getting better at that."
Kickoff is 7 p.m.
