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The roles are reversed in more ways than one. The Mexico Bulldogs are hoping the outcome is different also.
For the second straight season, the Bulldogs take on the Sullivan Eagles in a Class 3 regional football game. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Wednesday at Hawthorne Heights.
Mexico (4-6) completed district play last week with a 3-0 record to take the District 8 title, while the Eagles (7-3) placed second in District 7 with a 2-1 mark.
This time last fall, it was Sullivan as district champion and first-round playoff host and the Bulldogs the runners-up. The Eagles beat Mexico 28-0 and advanced as far as the state semifinals, but graduated 18 seniors including nine on each side of the ball.
“Most of those guys who played us last year aren’t around anymore, so we expect to see some new things and new faces from them,” Mexico High School coach Devin Brown said today. “They’ve got their good running back (Chris Frye) back, but their quarterback and tight end are gone from last year and so is one of their top defensive linemen.”
Frye rushed for more than 1,500 yards last season and stands at 1,422 so far this year. He’s also a key member of the Sullivan defense at safety.
“We’re a little different from when we played them last year too,” Brown added. For one thing, his Bulldogs moved Kurt Loyd from running back to quarterback this season. Loyd, Weston Hitchcock, Jermaine Thompson and Dennis Hobbs are the Mexico captains this fall.
Loyd has been named first-team QB on the All-NCMC honor roll. Haylon Jacobs made second-team RB, Hitchcock second-team OL and second-team LB, Thompson first-team OLB, Brandon Acid second-team DL and Toby Bracht second-team DB.
Despite wet, windy and cold weather last Thursday at Kingdom City, the Bulldogs were able to rush for 340 yards in a 34-18 triumph over North Callaway. Loyd carried 17 times for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Jacobs ran 18 times for 88 yards and 2 TDs and Shia Miller 10 times for 98 yards and 1 TD.
All but one of those scores came on long breakaway runs, but Mexico also was able to control the clock and keep the NorCal defense on the field for a significant portion of the game.
“We’ve been searching for our identity all season and maybe we found it last game,” the MHS coach noted. “We did so well in adverse weather conditions, maybe I should be hoping for rain again.
“As far as this game is concerned, I expect it to be a close contest. We need to keep Sullivan’s offense on the sideline and grind it out just like we did last week.”
“I expect this to be a close, physical game,” Sullivan High School coach Patrick Burke agreed. “If we want to be able to have a chance at winning, we’re going to have to stop Mexico’s running game; if we can’t do that, then it will be a very long night.
“Coach Brown has done a really nice job with their program and has his kids believing they can win on any given night,” the SHS coach added.
Burke appreciates the advantage winning a district makes, having hosted a pair of playoff games in 2008.
“It really helps to bring the town and school together,” he said Monday. “The biggest advantage is you don’t have to sit on a bush for 2 1/2 hours and then play a tough football game.”
Wednesday’s winner will meet the winner of the Salem-Fulton regional in Monday’s sectional round. Salem handed Sullivan its only district loss.
“All our guys are excited and they’re playing with a lot of confidence,” Brown summed up. “But Sullivan’s a pretty good team again, so we can’t let up.”
The roles are reversed in more ways than one. The Mexico Bulldogs are hoping the outcome is different also.
For the second straight season, the Bulldogs take on the Sullivan Eagles in a Class 3 regional football game. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Wednesday at Hawthorne Heights.
Mexico (4-6) completed district play last week with a 3-0 record to take the District 8 title, while the Eagles (7-3) placed second in District 7 with a 2-1 mark.
This time last fall, it was Sullivan as district champion and first-round playoff host and the Bulldogs the runners-up. The Eagles beat Mexico 28-0 and advanced as far as the state semifinals, but graduated 18 seniors including nine on each side of the ball.
“Most of those guys who played us last year aren’t around anymore, so we expect to see some new things and new faces from them,” Mexico High School coach Devin Brown said today. “They’ve got their good running back (Chris Frye) back, but their quarterback and tight end are gone from last year and so is one of their top defensive linemen.”
Frye rushed for more than 1,500 yards last season and stands at 1,422 so far this year. He’s also a key member of the Sullivan defense at safety.
“We’re a little different from when we played them last year too,” Brown added. For one thing, his Bulldogs moved Kurt Loyd from running back to quarterback this season. Loyd, Weston Hitchcock, Jermaine Thompson and Dennis Hobbs are the Mexico captains this fall.
Loyd has been named first-team QB on the All-NCMC honor roll. Haylon Jacobs made second-team RB, Hitchcock second-team OL and second-team LB, Thompson first-team OLB, Brandon Acid second-team DL and Toby Bracht second-team DB.
Despite wet, windy and cold weather last Thursday at Kingdom City, the Bulldogs were able to rush for 340 yards in a 34-18 triumph over North Callaway. Loyd carried 17 times for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Jacobs ran 18 times for 88 yards and 2 TDs and Shia Miller 10 times for 98 yards and 1 TD.
All but one of those scores came on long breakaway runs, but Mexico also was able to control the clock and keep the NorCal defense on the field for a significant portion of the game.
“We’ve been searching for our identity all season and maybe we found it last game,” the MHS coach noted. “We did so well in adverse weather conditions, maybe I should be hoping for rain again.
“As far as this game is concerned, I expect it to be a close contest. We need to keep Sullivan’s offense on the sideline and grind it out just like we did last week.”
“I expect this to be a close, physical game,” Sullivan High School coach Patrick Burke agreed. “If we want to be able to have a chance at winning, we’re going to have to stop Mexico’s running game; if we can’t do that, then it will be a very long night.
“Coach Brown has done a really nice job with their program and has his kids believing they can win on any given night,” the SHS coach added.
Burke appreciates the advantage winning a district makes, having hosted a pair of playoff games in 2008.
“It really helps to bring the town and school together,” he said Monday. “The biggest advantage is you don’t have to sit on a bush for 2 1/2 hours and then play a tough football game.”
Wednesday’s winner will meet the winner of the Salem-Fulton regional in Monday’s sectional round. Salem handed Sullivan its only district loss.
“All our guys are excited and they’re playing with a lot of confidence,” Brown summed up. “But Sullivan’s a pretty good team again, so we can’t let up.”
