Fulton embracing rematch against Moberly

Fulton defensive tackle Emarieon Clark returns a fumble for a touchdown during last Friday night's game against Missouri Military Academy in Fulton.
Fulton defensive tackle Emarieon Clark returns a fumble for a touchdown during last Friday night's game against Missouri Military Academy in Fulton.

FULTON - In the six weeks since their last encounter with the Moberly Spartans, the Fulton Hornets have had to make great strides to establish a true identity.

During that Sept. 14 meeting, the Spartans were the more healthy, efficient and physical unit. The Hornets - for their part - had chances, but ceded short fields and scoring opportunities en route to a 55-6 North Central Missouri Conference loss at Moberly that night.

"I thought that at times in that game, we matched up well with them physically," Fulton coach Trey Barrow said. "I mean, throughout the entire game I thought that they were more dominant, more physically dominant than we were and they won the line of scrimmage a lot in that game."

The Hornets (1-8) enter tonight's Class 3 District 4 first-round game against the Spartans (6-3) looking slightly different. They're armed with momentum and key pieces back in place at a few key spots and at one position in particular for this rematch, scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. in Moberly.

When the the two teams previously squared off, Fulton senior wide receiver Garrett Johnson was in his second straight start at quarterback in relief of senior starter Evan Gray and junior backup Tyler Sayler. Johnson completed all six of his passes for 63 yards, having his best chance at a touchdown throw undone by a pick-six with the Hornets driving on the game's opening possession.

Johnson will return to the perimeter tonight while Sayler will make his third straight start at quarterback. After going without a passing touchdown in each of its first six games, Fulton has thrown for at least one score in three consecutive contests.

Sayler's emergence and return from early-season injury issues has produced a more wide-open, varied offense, one that generated five touchdowns in last week's 48-6 home win against Missouri Military Academy.

"I think having a quarterback that can at least have some threat of taking the top off of a defense, that's something that we kind of missed at Moberly," Barrow said. "And also, Tyler's a little bit more comfortable running the offense than Garrett and (senior wide receiver) John (Holtkamp) were because they hadn't taken as many reps as he had.

" I think that'll be a big, big difference this week."

Fulton's recent success with the downfield passing game - aided by Sayler's burgeoning chemistry with junior wide receiver Zaylin McNeil - takes some of the onus off the Hornets' running attack that Moberly could sell out for previously. The Spartans surrendered 126 yards rushing to senior running back Taeon Logan in that Week 4 encounter despite stacking the line of scrimmage.

Logan sprung loose for 190 yards and two scores on just 12 carries (17.3 avg.) against MMA and is running behind a confident line that will have its own addition that was missing when these two teams last tangled. Senior Tyrese Vaughn will be on the right side of a Fulton offensive line facing a Moberly defense that didn't yield much on the ground in last week's 34-7 NCMC win at Mexico.

Mexico's duo of Dillon Nichols and Tyler Talley combined for 243 of the team's 417 yards rushing against the Hornets in the Bulldogs' 49-14 NCMC victory Oct. 12 in Fulton. Moberly limited the that same two-some to just 74 yards.

"Well, they have a big strong defensive line, you know - their interior guys are very physical guys," Barrow said. "If they get their hands on you, they're going to move you and then they're going to make a tackle.

"Also, their (line)backers - their two inside backers at least - are very downhill and their outside backer does a great job containing. They just are very disciplined, physical defense."

When the Hornets defend tonight, it'll be against a Moberly offense that'll try to make work a little harder for its points than last time. Fulton allowed four non-offensive touchdowns in the last meeting, giving up a kick return, a punt return and defensive scores by way of a fumble and an interception.

That gave the Spartans all the cushion they needed despite accumulating just 199 yards of total offense.

"Moberly is a great team," Barrow said. "We had a couple of good drives down the field, we won some matchups, and then shot ourselves in the foot, and part of that is Moberly's speed and athleticism, and toughness."

The Hornets have one more new identity entering tonight's game - spoiler. By virtue of its record, nobody expects Fulton to come away victorious.

That's a freeing feeling for Barrow's squad.

"It's us against the world, in my mind," he said. "We need to go out and prove it, and surprise people. Play well, you got nothing to lose, go out and give it your all, take your shots when you got them, go make plays."

Related Media: Fulton Hornets Football Podcast [Moberly preview, Oct. 26, 2018]