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The defining play of the Osage Indians' football season may have already happened.

And as you probably know, the season hasn't started.

"It looked real innocent," Osage coach Dan Henderson said. "He broke a tackle (during last week's Jamboree) at about the 20 and that's when he got hurt, but he still ran it down to the goal line."

He is senior Donald Hudlemeyer, a returning all-state player. Hudlemeyer suffered an ankle/top of the foot injury and has an MRI scheduled for later this week.

"It's just one of those things," Henderson said. "He got up limping; he couldn't push off or do anything on it.

"Of course, he's a kid who thinks he's going to be back next week. But in the best-case scenario, he's out two weeks; the worst-case scenario, we'll lose him for the year."

That would not be good.

The 6-2, 215-pound Hudlemeyer earned all-state honors last year on the offensive line. This year, he's been moved to running back --- that shows you what kind of athlete he is.

Then again, you figured a guy with "hudle" in his name would be pretty good.

"He may be the most explosive kid I've ever had," Henderson said. "He runs a 4.6 in the 40, cleans 350 and benches 340. He's just a specimen.

"We need to get him back on the field."

Hudlemeyer's injury is even more magnified when you consider the Indians are trying to replace 17 seniors from last year's 13-1 state semifinal team.

They only have two starters back on both offense and defense --- and Hudlemeyer was a two-way starter.

"We've got some guys who are going to have to grow up in a hurry," Henderson said. "We need to get a break or two early to maybe get us jump-started."

Last year's senior class jump-started the entire program.

"We took some lumps when they were sophomores, but just for that year," Henderson said. "We gambled on them when they were sophomores and we learned a lot of things from that."

Two years ago, the Indians went 8-4 and won the school's first playoff game in 25 years. Yes, 25 years.

Last year's team went undefeated in the regular season and won three playoff games, before falling to John Burroughs in the semifinals.

"It was a special team, a special senior class," Henderson said.

Henderson --- 38-21 as he enters his sixth season with the Indians --- still has some weapons at his disposal, including talented quarterback Bo Dean, a 6-1, 190-pound junior.

In limited playing time last year, Dean rushed for over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns, and also passed for 10 scores.

"He's got great arm strength, he's got great vision and he can run," Henderson said. "He's pretty versatile with what we do and he knows our system."

Senior linemen Tyler Winn and Brian Urwiler should provide spark on both sides of the ball. But they really need Hudlemeyer back in the huddle.

"We need to get healthy," Henderson said. "We're good enough to 10, 11, 12 games again. At the same time, we could only win two or three. There's not a team on our schedule we can't beat, and there's not a team on our schedule that can't beat us if we don't come out and play.

"We'll just have to see how it plays out."