VERSAILLES, Mo. - Fulton overcame a sluggish start to emphatically deliver Blake Logan with his first win as head coach of the Hornets.
After Versailles took a 15-14 late in the first half, Fulton rolled off 26 unanswered points and blitzed the Tigers 47-23 on Friday night.
"It feels great to get this first win, and I knew Versailles would give us more than people were giving them credit for," Logan said. "They punched us in the mouth kind of early, but I was proud of how the boys responded.
"There were a lot of bright spots to be proud of."
A week after the Tigers erupted for more than 500 total yards in a 51-30 shootout win over Knob Noster, it was Logan and defensive coordinator Teneil Stevenson's defense that excelled. The Hornets stifled the Versailles offense most of the night, holding the Tigers to just more than 200 total yards.
After Versailles opened the game with a 73-yard touchdown drive, Fulton quickly buckled down. The starting unit would only allow eight more points the rest of the game, which came off a turnover by the Hornets.
The defensive front seven flexed their muscles throughout the game, continually stuffing the Tigers' running game. Versailles senior running back Taylor Dobbins was rendered ineffective after rushing for more than 250 yards last week. The Hornets limited Dobbins to 21 yards on 16 carries and was just one of the many ways the defense dominated Friday night after a rough start.
"It was one of those things in the first half where we didn't have all 11 guys doing their job at the same time," Logan said. "I think (Tigers) Coach (Broc) Silvers called a great game plan on the other side of the ball. I honestly don't think they even played as good as they did last week, but I'm proud of their effort and in the second half we definitely cleaned it up and played a lot better."
One way Silvers was able to keep the Hornets off-balance was the way he designed plays for sophomore quarterback Coby Williams. Formerly a wide receiver, Williams pestered Fulton all night by using his legs to convert third-and-long situations and showing poise by finding his receivers even when he was under duress.
Williams generated most of Versailles' offense, accounting for 155 of the Tigers' 207 yards and was a thorn in Logan's side until a crucial second-half adjustment.
"Him and (Versailles senior wide receiver Kooper Wilson), they were both good. We knew that if we could stop them, we could stop their offense," Logan said. "For a sophomore kid he was pretty heady and made some plays with his feet and his passing game.
"I think he's got a bright future for sure."
While Logan was quick to heap praise on the opposing quarterback, he was just as quick to send senior outside linebacker Nazir McClain up the middle to harass Williams.
McClain was identified as one of the Hornets' most explosive players in the offseason and he put his athleticism on display. He sacked Williams twice, recorded numerous tackles for losses, and even added a 20-yard touchdown catch at the end of the first half.
After years of not playing football, Friday night's game provided McClain with his own coming-out party as his swagger and charisma had an obvious impact on his teammates.
"He started off pretty slow, but when we started bringing him off blitzes - you have to remember this is his first time playing football since freshman year," Logan said. "He's a fast and explosive kid, but this is new for him.
"Reading and reacting can be tough sometimes, but when we bring him on those blitzes you see the athleticism on display and he's able to go downhill, which is right up his alley."
Offensively, the Hornets didn't need the ball long to make their mark on the outcome. Six of their seven scoring drives took six plays or less.
Fulton's offensive line turned in another strong outing as it constantly opened up gaping holes for senior quarterback Cameron Vaughn and sophomore running back Taeon Logan. As a team, the Hornets rushed for 290 yards and a staggering 8.5 per carry.
Vaughn topped Fulton with 135 yards on only 12 carries, while Logan finished with 93 yards and a touchdown in 13 attempts.
The Hornets were able to keep the Tigers honest on defense due to Vaughn's improvement through the air. After only completing 50 percent of his passes in last week's 32-26 opening loss to Osage, Vaughn was poised and confident in the pocket Friday night.
He completed 10-of-12 passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception. Vaughn's best drive came when it mattered most, with just a minute before halftime when the Hornets needed a score. Vaughn orchestrated a crisp six-play, 58-yard drive that ended with his touchdown pass to McClain with 5 seconds to go.
The Hornets took a 20-15 lead into the half and were never threatened again. Vaughn also displayed a growing rapport with senior wide receiver Makygh Galbreath, who led Fulton with eight catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Galbreath also added an interception from cornerback position in the fourth quarter.
"Vaughn was better than last week - I think he was a lot calmer back there. The game is going to slow down for him, he's getting comfortable back there and he'll always make big plays," Logan said.
"Makygh's another great athlete and intelligent kid. He's playing with a lot of confidence on both sides of the ball," Logan said. "He understands the game and he's playing different positions for us, so he knows what we're trying to do.
"He's just a kid we have to get the ball in his hands."
With the Hornets returning home this week to face Father Tolton, Logan has a conundrum on his hands - how does he spread the ball among all his playmakers?
Not only did Vaughn, Galbreath and Logan have big nights, but senior wide receiver Tre Vaughn was reliable with three catches and 27 yards, and is just waiting for his breakout game. Sophomore tailback Zaylin McNeil also showed his game-breaking speed with 44 yards and a touchdown on just two carries.
Maximizing the opportunities for such a loaded cast of skill guys is a problem most coaches would love to have and it's a challenge Logan is eager to tackle as the Hornets move deeper into the season.
"With Makygh, Naz, Tre and Zaylin we have a lot of athletes and one of our toughest things on offense is to balance out the touches," Logan said. "We know it'll be hard to keep it balanced, but we have a touch chart we monitor.
"It's kind of hard to hit all those goals with each kid when we're becoming such a quick strike offense."
Tolton dropped to 0-2 on the season after a 22-2 loss at Lutheran St. Charles on Friday night.