There was something missing for Mexico football this summer: hitting other people.

The Bulldogs had the opportunity to make contact with five other schools in a scrimmaging event they hosted on Thursday at Hawthorne Heights. They faced Camdenton, Mark Twain, California, Southern Boone and Louisiana.

Head coach Steve Haag said Mexico has scrimmaged in the summer for at least eight years in Quincy across state lines in Illinois. He said it was possible to bring the event to Mexico thanks to United Credit Union donating insurance — because the school doesn’t cover it — and Beck’s and Dale and Donna Mudd donating food for the kids. 

“It’s just getting out here and having some fun,” Haag said. “We learn what we need to do to get better and hit some people. It was a good crowd and good that everybody could come out. Hopefully, we get to do it next year.”

It was two hours of nonstop action where offensive and defensive units rotated on and off the field. Coaches for all six schools shouted instructions constantly to their players as the kids tried their best to make plays weeks before the season begins.

Haag said it is beneficial for the kids to make contact with other schools to start getting acclimated to it before opening day. There are plenty of chances for younger players to show what they can do and also chances for the coaches to put in “a couple new wrinkles” and see them executed on the field.

“It gives kids a lot of reps,” Haag said. “You get a lot of people in and get a lot of reps and see how they’re going to react. We have guys that haven't been on a varsity football field. It gives some opportunities to see that.”

After weeks of camp and Friday’s scrimmaging, Haag said it is clear Mexico is strong in the backfield with experienced kids. He said those kids, including Drew DeMint, Korbyn Dorsey and Charlie Fisher, stood out on Friday night.

“Those guys, they know what they’re doing,” Haag said. “You can see the maturity in them when they were playing. We’ve got a couple fullbacks who are going to be able to fill in there. We do have some positions that you want to see a little bit more out of, but our defensive backfield and our offensive backfield are positives.”

Haag said he would like to see holes filled up front on the offensive line before the first game so Mexico can block and allow its backs to create offense. 

As is the case with any year, summer brings scorching temperatures and a swath of younger guys looking to make a good first impression. Haag said he likes how his team has approached practice this summer and has improved every day.

“The young guys all show up,” Haag said. “We’re getting pretty consistent showing up for practice. I would like to have more numbers, but they work hard and they want to get it right. It’s sometimes harder for those younger guys because they have the ‘deer in the headlights’ look. It’s new to them, and we’re (at) a little bit of a faster pace.”