The Hornets scored their first offensive touchdown in three games Friday at Sweet Springs.
The seven points didn't grow as the game wore on as Fulton allowed another game to run away from it, losing 37-7 in the regular season finale.
The Fulton offense stumbled against a defense that went into Friday allowing 16.9 points per game before it was able to run in with junior Tyreion Logan near the end of the first quarter. The Greyhounds, though, had 14 points before the quarter break.
Digging themselves in this early hole had an adverse effect on the Hornets (0-8), head coach Dana Chambers said, and could have been avoided if Fulton cut down on self-inflicted wounds. Both Sweet Springs touchdowns in the first quarter came off early Fulton turnovers - with one being scored by the Greyhound defense off an interception - and the Hornets didn't stop giving away possessions as they finished with five.
"Those two early turnovers lead to 14 points, and we don't very well when we're behind," Chambers said. "Our guys got down, and we had some issues getting going after that. We got a turnover late in the third quarter on a forced fumble and they get it right back because we fumbled. Do one thing good and then do two or three things bad ends up hurting us."
Sweet Springs (6-3) scored with 6:20 left in the first before the defense added another about a minute later on the interception return. It was the fourth interception for the Hornets in two games.
Fulton's offense drove to the Sweet Springs four-yard line with 1:36 left in the first before Logan was initially stuffed on third and goal before his second effort made the Hornets' deficit 14-7.
Logan's score was Fulton's first rushing touchdown in five games as he scored the previous one at Moberly in Week 5. Chambers said the Hornets had flashes of a potent running attack as they had some big runs, including a 54-yard one from junior Josh Reams that was part of his 90 yards on 10 carries, but that level of production wasn't maintained against the aggressive Sweet Springs defense.
"Offensively, we couldn't block consistently for the run," Chambers said. "We had some pretty good runs here and there. (Sweet Springs) played tough football, coming downhill and hitting you in the mouth, and we didn't respond."
The Greyhounds then used two long balls - a 57-yard pass and a field goal - to take a 23-7 lead at halftime. Sweet Springs scored two more touchdowns with seven minutes left in the third and with 6:27 left in the fourth.
Despite the Greyhounds' productive night on the scoreboard, Fulton ran 63 plays to Sweet Springs' 48 and only had two more yards of total offense at 219 than the Hornets had but had four more turnovers and 11 penalties that added up to 100 yards. The 2021 regular season campaign for Fulton football didn't produce any wins but flipping that script starts with limiting the self-inflicted errors that have followed the Hornets all season long, Chambers said.
"We're just where we want to be as a team right now," he said. "Offensively, defensively, special teams, we just aren't getting it done. We just have to the mindset of a new season (going into districts). You look at each week as a new season so we'll watch film, make corrections and get ready for whoever our first district opponent is."
Fulton is the No. 7 seed in Friday's Class 3 District 5 first round game at No. 2 seed Boonville (7-2).