This year’s Mexico Bulldogs have been through a lot together.

Mexico vs Hallsville District Title Game Photo Gallery

Many wins have been earned through this group of seven seniors, and they won their third district championship after defeating Hallsville 82-61 in Friday’s Class 4 District 8 championship game in Moberly. Mexico won its second straight district title and fourth in five years.

Jaydon Eldridge led Mexico (22-6) and the floor with 27 points along with eight rebounds, five assists and four 3-pointers. Eldridge is one of the team’s many seniors to be on three district championship teams, and the moment of victory was still as sweet as the first.

“It feels great,” Eldridge said. “This feeling never gets old. This is all the work and commitment we put in this year. Our coaches have pushed us to be the very best we can be, and we displayed it here tonight.”

Kaden Benne was the first of the other three Bulldogs to score in double figures with 20 points and four 3-pointers, Charlie Fisher followed with 17 points and three 3-pointers, and PJ Perkins added 10 points and seven rebounds. Mexico nailed 12 3-pointers to counter nine by Hallsville (21-6), including five as part of a team-high 17 points by Cameron Cox.

Head coach Darren Pappas said he has been “grateful” to be with his players, coaches and staff during this run and knew the Bulldogs had to earn this championship against another 20-win team Hallsville, who Mexico last defeated four years ago during the team’s first district title season of this five-year stretch.

“That’s not an easy team to beat,” Pappas said. “They’ve got shooters, they’ve got great rebounders and are a well-coached team. We knew we had to be better defensively. and we knew we had to hit some timely shots. I thought we did that.”

Hallsville fell behind 41-27 at halftime, but that wasn’t the end for the Indians. After some Mexico turnovers, Hallsville eventually decreased its deficit to five points, bringing the Hallsville half of the gym to its loudest level all night.

Eldridge said Hallsville couldn’t be allowed to go “downhill” too much and hit too many shots from the perimeter. The Indians had three 3-pointers in the first half but became a bigger threat from out there in the second half. 

Mexico, however, pushed the margin to double digits by the end of the third quarter. Fisher nailed two of his 3-pointers in the third quarter and thought he felt good when he hit a corner 3-pointer early in the second half. 

“My teammates found me from there,” Fisher said. “I found them, and we all started hitting. Once we all start hitting and get hot, there’s not much you can do to stop us.”

Benne said all of the work in the summer and preseason “paid off” and the Bulldogs were well-conditioned for a strong response to Hallsville in the second half. Though, it is not just the past year.

The Bulldogs have built a chemistry over the years that has allowed them to make pinpoint passes to open shooters. Whether it was a kick out from interior traffic or a cross-court pass, Mexico had the open looks and didn’t miss them.

“We’re all really connected and are great friends,” Benne said. “We’re always on the same page. That’s how we find each other.”

When Hallsville’s defense broke down, the Bulldogs were bound together as they found open shot after open shot. Pappas said that helped win this one title game but is only possible after years.

“That’s the chemistry,” Pappas said. “That’s those guys playing with one another since they were younger and just knowing where guys are going to be on the floor. This group, they don’t care who scores. They just want to get the win and get the job done.”

Pappas complimented his starting lineup, including the timely shots by Fisher and Benne, the effort and leadership by Eldridge, the energy and rebounding by Perkins, and “the icing on the cake” that was Holden Aulbur’s two-handed dunk to put Mexico's score to 80 in the fourth quarter. Preparing for and defeating a well-rounded team like Hallsville needs an entire team.

“The bench guys, they do a lot of stuff that people don’t see,” Pappas said. “During practice, they run a lot of scout stuff. We assign them a specific role as the scout team, and they run their stuff. They play a critical part in what we’re trying to do.”

Mexico plays its sectional game at state No. 10 and District 8 champion Orchard Farm (22-6) at 7 p.m. tonight. 

“I honestly think we can beat anybody if we play to our ability,” Eldridge said.