It has done little to answer the lingering question of whether the Bloomington High School football team can mount a run toward an improbable fourth straight Class 6A championship game appearance.

Senior tight end/defensive end Ryan Kernes and his teammates are used to the scrutiny.

It's part of the program at BHS.

"We can't rest on what other teams in the past have accomplished, so we have to prove ourselves every game," Kernes said. "It's a good situation because we want to keep the tradition going and live up to what people have done in the past. We don't want to be the team that falls off."

The Purple Raiders haven't fallen far, and they can regain a firm foothold tonight when they host unbeaten Big 12 Conference leader Champaign Centennial in a 7 o'clock homecoming showdown at Fred Carlton Field.

Centennial (5-0), ranked No. 9 in Class 6A, holds a one-game lead over BHS, NCHS and Normal West who are knotted at 4-1. The Chargers handed NCHS its lone loss (23-0). The Ironmen rebounded last week with a 21-7 win over West to create the league logjam.

"This week will be a big step in proving ourselves," Kernes said. "If we can win this week we can show a lot of people we're the real deal and we're still the Raiders."

BHS coach Rigo Schmelzer likes what he's seen from the Raiders, particularly a rebuilt and undersized offensive line which was the big question mark entering the season.

"We are playing well and doing good things," Schmelzer. "I think people who truly watch and see who you have and know what you have coming back might say this is the year maybe Bloomington is down a little bit, but we lost to a good Community team and that's going to happen.

"I think people can get spoiled, and at the same time it's kind of a great problem to be living with and it's a great challenge for our kids."

While not as explosive as in past years, the Raiders are averaging 31.6 points per game behind senior running backs David Simmons (568 yards) and Valshun Powe (357 yards). Senior quarterback Brent Holtz, who directed last year's title run, has thrown for 184 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 155 yards in the Raiders' option attack.

Schmelzer praised the play of his unsung line comprising junior center Andy Malinowski (6-foot, 230 pounds), senior guards Tyler Cain (5-8, 186) and Tom Niebur (5-8, 166), and junior tackles Steve Perkins (5-8, 191) and Doug West (6-0, 190).

"For the most part all of the linemen have been pressed into positions where maybe a year ago of those five I only expected one or two of them to be starters for us," Schmelzer said. "They are a scrappy bunch. They are hard-nosed and they have given us everything they can.

"We are finding a way to utilize what we've got in the best manner possible. With the line not as large as we're used to, we have to do things a little differently from the past."

The Raiders will be tested on both sides of the ball by Centennial, which is led by standout sophomore running back Mikel Leshoure. The 6-1, 215-pound Leshoure has rushed for 773 yards behind a veteran line.

"They have as good of a sophomore running back as I've ever seen," Schmelzer said. "What makes him so good is not just his power but his ability to shift his body in the backfield and find the open hole.

"He reads holes well, finds them quickly and he can accelerate fast. When you consider what he has done so far, he is a very good high school running back and he still has two more years."

Centennial's defense has posted two shutouts while allowing an average of 7.6 points behind standout linebacker Matt Moore. The Chargers also won't have to worry about Simmons, who is serving a two-game disciplinary suspension.

"They're very big and physical, and those are the kind of things that will hurt teams such as us who have a disadvantage in the line," Schmelzer said. "They can get into your front five and disrupt everything going on in the backfield. We need to take care of the football and find a way to move the ball offensively."

The Raiders hope to feed off what promises to be a large crowd and a festive atmosphere.

"We need to win this game. This is a turning point in our season," Kernes said. "If we lose we're looking at third (place) at best maybe in the conference. There's no room for any mistakes if we want a shot at winning the conference championship."

Senior wide receiver-cornerback Dustin Kelly has confidence the Raiders will meet the challenge.

"We know our capabilities and we know we can play," Kelly said. "The offense needs to step it up a little bit more, and our defense needs to keep going strong like it has been the last couple of games.

"(Centennial) looks pretty tough, but if we come out ready to play we can get 'em. As long as we aren't scared and we bring it, it should be a pretty good game."