When the Missouri 8-man football championship game kicks off this morning at 9:30 at the Edward Jones Dome, it will feature a pair of familiar foes.

The Mound City Panthers (10-1) and St. Joseph Christian (10-2) Lions met in last year's title game — won 48-16 by undefeated Mound City — and have met in regular-season games the last four seasons.

In that time, St. Joseph Christian had one victory — in a junior varsity game.

"They're a championship-level program, so we have a pretty good idea of what we're up against," said St. Joseph Christian coach Mark Juhl, whose team opened this season with a 34-0 loss at Mound City. "They're still very good, but their team last year was really something special. In last year's title game, we made some mistakes and had some turnovers and they were able to take command of the game.

"This year, we're hoping for something different. We've come a long way since that first game and we know that Mound City is better, too. But I have a group of seniors who believe and who really want this thing. There's no question we're the underdog, but I know our guys are looking forward to the challenge.''

So, too, are the Panthers, who completely dominated 8-man football a year ago, when they finished 13-0 and outscored opponents by a whopping 791-40 margin.

"Last year, we just had so many weapons; our skill people were incredibly athletic," Mound City coach Brian Messer said. "We're not nearly as explosive this year, but our overall numbers are better because we've had to play more full games. This team is more balanced and we play more of a power game than most 8-man teams. In some ways, I guess you could say we're a little boring for an 8-man team, but you can't argue with the results."

Mound City is 4-1 in title-game appearances, winning in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2008 and finishing second to Worth City in 2000. St. Joseph Christian won the championship in 2006 and finished as runner-up in 2004 and 2008.

The 8-man game, which made its first appearance at the Dome last year, features schools with enrollments of fewer than 200 and is played on a field condensed to 80 by 40 yards. It is a wide-open and usually high-scoring game.

"If you've never seen it, it's definitely entertaining," said Messer, who made the switch to an 8-man coaching last year after nearly 20 years of coaching the 11-man game. "It's all about the space on the field and trying to create one-on-one matchups. But really, it still comes down to the fundamentals."