(Photo credit to Eric Mattson)
Mexico Bulldogs and Centralia Panthers delivered on the excitement of the return of high school football with a game that went down to the final seconds at Hawthorne Heights at the Mexico High School on Friday, August 30, 2024.
The Panthers won the coin toss and chose to receive.
Centralia would score on a four-yard rushing touchdown from junior Rex Bryson on their first possession.
The Panthers would convert on a two-point conversion making it 8-0.
Mexico would answer back on their first possession going 65-yards on 12 plays.
The drive was capped off by a 1-yard-touch down run junior Drew DeMint.
Mexico was unsuccessful on a two-point conversion and trailed the Panthers 8-6.
The Bulldogs would stop the Panthers on a fourth and two to get the ball back with just under eight minutes to go until half time.
Mexico would cash in with a one-yard run from senior running back Hunter Cuno with just four seconds left until halftime.
Mexico senior running back Peyton Hoover ran the ball in for a successful two-point conversion.
Mexico took a 12-8 lead into halftime.
Centralia reclaimed the lead in the third quarter on 20-yard rushing touchdown from Rex Bryson.
The Panthers converted on a two-point conversion making it a 16-12 Centralia lead.
The Bulldogs offense had one more scoring drive in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard rushing score from junior Korbyn Dorsey with just 3 minutes and 58 seconds left to go in the game.
The Centralia Panthers had one last chance and drove the ball down to the seven-yard line.
With just one second left on the clock, Centralia’s Rex Bryson threw a pass to a receiver in the end zone that was broken up by junior defensive back Charlie Fisher to preserve the win for the Bulldogs with a final score of Mexico 20 and Centralia 16.
Up next Mexico travels to Ashland for their first road game of the season in a game with the Southern Boone Eagles on Friday, September 6, 2024.