Fulton visits Mexico for annual Highway 54 Bowl

Members of the Fulton Hornets celebrate last Friday after their 62-14 romp against Southeast at Robert E. Fisher Stadium in Fulton. The Hornets travel to rival Mexico tonight for the annual Highway 54 Bowl.
Members of the Fulton Hornets celebrate last Friday after their 62-14 romp against Southeast at Robert E. Fisher Stadium in Fulton. The Hornets travel to rival Mexico tonight for the annual Highway 54 Bowl.

FULTON - The Fulton Hornets will take whatever works on any particular night.

Though their record doesn't show it, the Hornets have the prowess at the skill positions to run off a slew of big plays. But that same bevy of ball catchers and carriers can also grind away at the opposing defense if it's geared toward big-play prevention.

In the case of Fulton's most previous victory, the methodical approach won out.

"If we're hitting explosive plays, I love doing that," Fulton coach Trey Barrow said. "But if we're able to control the ball and have long, sustained drives and keep our defense off the field, that's a formula for success."

Slow and steady may be on the menu for Fulton in tonight's return to North Central Missouri Conference play. The Hornets will go on the road to face the rival Mexico Bulldogs in the annual Highway 54 Bowl. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Fulton (2-5, 1-3 NCMC) enters tonight's contest fresh off perhaps its most complete team performance of the season in a 62-14 drubbing of the Southeast Knights of Kansas City last week. The points scored and allowed were both season bests for the Hornets, but it was a relentless run offense and defense that helped pave the way.

Fulton broke out for a season-high 467 yards rushing, the bulk supplied by running back Zaylin McNeil. The senior ran for a career-best 377 yards and six touchdowns, more than doubling Southeast's offensive output (166 yards) by himself.

McNeil - who scored on runs of 2, 16, 4, 2, 50 and 2 yards - did his damage on a career-high 33 carries, maintaining possession by running around, through and - sometimes - against the Knights.

"He's shown flashes like that all season," Barrow said. "The thing is, he doesn't look like a bruising back, but he finishes runs really well. He's really good in space, but he's also good after contact and I think that showed a lot."

The Hornets resolved to run the ball all night against Southeast. Freshman quarterback Courtland Simmons rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown himself, but attempted just two passes.

The Knights gifted Fulton advantageous field position on a number of drives, but Barrow allowed McNeil and Simmons to run behind the Hornets' front line that was more than happy to push and slog on a sloppy playing surface.

"It just depends on the matchup because in that game, we were able to do that and felt in control for a lot of it," Barrow said. "Southeast is a very explosive team and, for the most part, we were able to control that. The old adage is if they don't have the ball, they can't score - and I like that feeling."

Fulton limited the Knights to just 30 plays, including eight rushes for 1 yard as a team. Southeast surprised the Hornets with their offensive look, a wishbone formation they saw Hannibal succeed with the week prior.

Barrow commended his defense for not only identifying the curveball, but also switching its assignments toward the scheme.

"We did a good job adjusting on the fly, knowing where to go, and making tackles," he said. "Shutting down the first drive helped us keep them from having success.

"They thought they could exploit our defensive line, but when we came out and matched them, they abandoned (the wishbone) early."

Where Southeast adjusted its offensive approach early on, Mexico (3-4, 1-2 NCMC) will likely show no such flexibility tonight. The Bulldogs run often and successfully, averaging 254 yards per outing.

Mexico's ground game is paced by a quartet of ball carriers, led by junior running back Dante Billups.

Billups - who gained 304 yards in an NCMC loss to Marshall earlier this season - leads the Bulldogs with 749 yards and 10 touchdowns on 127 carries (107 yards per game).

"He's a great running back and they're a physical line," Barrow said. "They always seem to have that mentality that they're going to stuff it down our throat and we have to stop it.

"We have to play assignment football this week because Billups is a tough running back."

Junior quarterback Ty Prince guides the Mexico offense, adding 287 yards rushing and 428 yards passing to go with eight total scores. Sophomore Isaiah Reams is Mexico's second-leading rusher with 408 yards, but has done so by averaging more than 8 yards per carry.

The Bulldogs' offensive scheme is no mystery. For Fulton, a rivalry win tonight will come down to committing to the pace of offense that yields results. In the case of Mexico, the Hornets' best offensive approach could be keepaway.

"I think we are mentally there and everyone knows it's a big game," Barrow said. "We have to prepare mentally and prepare physically, but there's always something extra when playing Mexico.

"And this comes down to which team shows up for us."

Related Media: Fulton Hornets Football Podcast [Mexico preview, Oct. 18, 2019]