Wide receiver Josh King was the first one there. Running backs Thomas Harrison and Jeff Allison weren't far behind. In fact, Fulton's six other seniors weren't lagging either, especially considering the object they were pursuing.
It was the Highway 54 sign. Yes, all this hustle for a road sign. But it was a sign these seniors hadn't had in their possession since they were freshmen. The sign doesn't erase what has been an otherwise meek four years, but it helped nonetheless.
"All this week down on the practice field, I told them I want you to visualize what it'll be like holding that sign up at the end of the game," Hornets head coach Pat Kelley said. "... That was our emphasis this week."
Fulton's ground game did most of the damage and the defense stood strong three times inside its own 20-yard line as the Hornets earned their first win of the season with a 35-19 North Central Missouri Conference triumph over the rival Mexico Bulldogs on Friday night at Robert E. Fisher Jr. Stadium.