In the latest edition of the 54 Bowl, there was a lot of speed on the field.

Mexico at Fulton Photo Gallery

Mexico won the rivalry game against North Central Missouri Conference foe Fulton 63-42 for the 13th straight year and for the 14th straight meeting, including a playoff win in 2020. In the game’s final year within the NCMC, the Bulldogs (4-2, 2-1 NCMC) scored 21 unanswered points to build a halftime lead of 35-21 in a game with quick players scoring quickly.

The Mexico offense spread the ball to where four players had two rushing touchdowns, including Drew DeMint, Charlie Fisher, Connor Fisher and Marshall Ball. Head coach Steve Haag said the 54 Bowl game has featured a variety of contests like a back-and-forth shootout this time and a lower-scoring game decided by a tight margin, such as the one-point game two years ago decided by a two-point conversion.

“In Mexico, we’ve been blessed with great athletes and a little bit of luck,” Haag said. “Our guys get fired up. They’re passionate like Fulton players are passionate. You can be having a great season and lose the rivalry game and it will ruin your season or you can be having a bad season and win it and make your season.”

Mexico finished with 497 rushing yards and 569 total yards while Fulton (1-5, 0-3 NCMC) had 402 rushing yards and 436 total yards. Neither team wanted to lose the game as there were three ties in the first half and three times in the second half it turned into a one-possession game.

Haag said the key was that Mexico had to get out in front of the back-and-forth scoring and fumbling on the first play of the game that derailed the Bulldogs early. The way the game turned out, Haag said that might have been a touchdown eventually, but Mexico was forced to play catch up.

“It changes the dynamic of the game,” Haag said. “We’re able to run the ball and score as time expires (in the first half) and get up two touchdowns. That’s a little bit of breathing room.”

Mexico earned that breathing room after preventing Thomas Pittman, who finished with 217 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, from picking up the first down on a fake punt play on fourth down. Fulton was the one playing catchup from that point.

“They play a cut-style offense where they’re cutting people but got that chop block penalty, which backed them up,” Haag said. “They ran that fake punt there, and we stopped them by half a foot. That was huge.”

Mexico and Fulton traded big play after big play, but Haag said he had confidence the offense would be there all night as they averaged 16.6 yards per carry. Two of the Bulldogs’ touchdowns were by fewer than 10 yards, and the longest ones went for 80 yards by DeMint and Charlie Fisher.

DeMint finished with 208 yards on 13 carries, and Fisher had 134 yards on four carries. Those seniors are impact players every week for Mexico, but Connor Fisher showed some big-play potential, running for 95 yards on his two touchdowns. Connor Fisher is a sophomore who is embracing his bigger role on offense this season.

“I was nervous at the start playing these good teams,” Fisher said. “Now that I’ve played, it has gotten easier.”

Haag said Connor Fisher and another sophomore Ball add to the offense, and they have been doing well in their roles.

“We’re running toss and sweep outside,” Haag said. “They start running outside so you just run underneath. We ran motion so the motion looks like a running sweep and we ran underneath the tackle. Those guys are wide open.”

Mexico led by two touchdowns with more than two minutes left in the game. Still, since it was a touchdown flurry all night, the Bulldogs weren’t done. Charlie Fisher completed a 39-yard pass to James Matthews on third down to give Mexico a three-touchdown lead and bring the sign to its sideline.

Haag said Matthews and Korbyn Dorsey are blocking for others when they don’t touch the ball. Rewarding them, Matthews in this case, was a good way to finish off the game and squash a potential quick rally by Fulton that could be possible by a turnover or onside kick, according to Haag.

“I don’t like to score there, but anything could happen,” Haag said. “James is blocking his butt off and then he gets that touchdown. That’s what you want.”

Mexico plays at another conference rival Kirksville (3-3, 2-1 NCMC) at 7 p.m. Friday but is glad its most important rivalry ended in victory again this year.

“It’s great because I love to see my family, or my team, doing well on the field,” Connor Fisher said.