CALLISBURG -- They've never been this far in the playoffs before. But Callisburg's defenders are nowhere even close to being apprehensive about the state semifinals.

The experience of playing nine total playoff games in the last four seasons has turned coach Jerry Bomar's Wildcats into grizzled veterans.

"We've all been here before," said defensive end Brandon LaRue. "It takes away the shock that it would've (been) if it was the first time."

The Wildcats (12-2) are one step below the summit of Class 2A Division II football. They can take one giant step toward the top on Saturday with a state semifinal win against Bushland at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls.

"Right now we're making the record pretty high, so it's going to be pretty hard for the underclassmen to break it now," said linebacker Chris Apala. "If we get this win over this next team and do our job, we'll make it to state."

Defense is a big reason why Callisburg has gotten as far as it has. In last Saturday's 21-13 win against McGregor, the Wildcats bounced back from allowing a touchdown to start the game.

"We didn't play well on that first series," Bomar said, "but after that we settled down and controlled the game beautifully. They made a stand at the end of the game when we had to have it. In the last two weeks especially, they've been really, really solid."

"We just settled down and started doing what we were coached to do," added linebacker Chase McCage. "I don't know what happened on that first drive. We were a little riled up, but we finally settled down and did our jobs."

Consistency is the hallmark of the Wildcat defense, which will start 10 seniors on Saturday night against Bushland.

"We all just work as a team," LaRue said. "We don't have any individuals. We do everything as a team, and we're real close. Our team is a lot closer than probably any other."

LaRue plays one end, with Charles Smith at nose guard and Scott Fuqua at the other end. Smith has accounted for 102 tackles, LaRue for 100, and Fuqua for 83.

"Those three guys have probably been the backbone of our defense along with our linebackers," Bomar said.

Those linebackers include McCage and Apala on the inside with Langston Jones and Seth Wolfe at outside linebacker.

McCage, the team leader with 112 tackles, has started every game of his four-year high school career except one, which happened to be this season because of the flu.

"We study film all week and work hard in practice," McCage said. "We know what we're supposed to do. It's pretty much the same thing for us week by week."

Apala was thought lost for the year with a torn MCL and a partially-torn ACL suffered against Valley View. But after missing four games, he was able to return and has played the last three playoff games.

"I got injured and I kind of thought it was going to be the end of me, but I have heart and I figured I'd come back and help the team out," said Apala, who has been held out of practice to protect the knee. "I don't practice that much but I get the job done when I'm out there."

Apala said he was able to get back on the field by bending his knee and icing it every day, and day by day the swelling subsided and he was able to bend it a little more.

Despite missing those four games, Apala is hot on McCage's heels with 110 stops, and averages 12.2 tackles per game.

The main addition to the squad was Jones, who played in Iowa last fall and helped Emmetsburg win a Class A championship before moving south this summer.

"I'd like to get one in Texas too," Jones said. "High school football is high school football. It's very exciting, and we don't want to quit now. We got this far and we want to take it all."

Jones' bigger contribution is on offense, where he has rushed for 1,477 yards and 17 touchdowns. But on defense, he has 63 tackles, two interceptions, four fumble recoveries and two caused fumbles.

As solid as the front seven have been for Callisburg, the secondary has concerned Bomar, and it continues to do so going up against pass-oriented Bushland.

"We've done a good job for the most part getting turnovers back there," Bomar said. "We've given up some yards and we've given up some plays, but the biggest problem we've had is injuries. We've been inconsistent because of who's playing there."

Left cornerback Kevin Bartley is the only player who's started all year in the secondary, and he has six interceptions on the year. At right corner, Bomar has had to use quarterback Bobby Dorman there as well as Dusty Hammond, Cory Harmon and Preston Cash.

Freshman Clay McKenzie was starting at strong safety until suffering a concussion late in the game against Melissa, and he hasn't been cleared to return. But junior Jordan Weaver stepped in against Caddo Mills and did a good job, Bomar said. Weaver will start on Saturday and is currently the only underclassman starting on defense.

"It's kind of four, five or six kids that we rotate around and try to fit as best as we can," Bomar said. "This week, they'll be under the gun."

The Falcons' varsity football program is only four years old. Bushland, like several former K-8 school districts in North Texas such as Argyle, Melissa and Lovejoy, sent its high-schoolers elsewhere until it finally opened its own school in 2004.

Like the above-mentioned schools, Bushland has found immediate athletic success, which includes volleyball state championships in 2007 and 2008.

Bushland lost starting quarterback Sawyer Cornelius to a hand injury, but the Falcons didn't miss a beat, steamrolling Henrietta, 62-10, in the third round with Brett Wilhelm at the controls.

Last week, Wilhelm was picked off three times, but shook it off with a 217-yard, two-TD night and added a rushing TD in the Falcons' 35-28 win over Crane.

"The backup (quarterback) is actually bigger than the starter," Bomar said. "They have a 6-6 guy at receiver and a couple of 6-2 guys. We're walking a tightrope this week. They have good size across the line and a solid secondary. They're just good athletic people."

Bomar added that Bushland is very similar to most of the Wildcats' opponents, who've run the one-back spread offense all year. With better athletes, granted.

"If we keep on, knock on wood, like we're doing, not turning the ball over and helping everybody out, then we match up well," Bomar said. "We know this will be a fun game, but it's going to be a true test. We're going to have to be on our P's and Q's on this one."