Ticket punched: Hornets fight way back to playoffs as running game chews up victory over Wolves

MT. STERLING, Ill. — Tyce Fullerton couldn’t stomach missing the playoffs again.

In 2023, it was out of his control. A torn ACL kept the Brown County running back and linebacker out for the final seven games of the season. The Hornets finished the campaign 3-6 and failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2018.

“I had to watch that team not make the playoffs. It hurt,” Fullerton said.

On Friday, however, Fullerton and the Hornets controlled their own destiny. With a 4-4 record entering their final regular season game against Pleasant Hill/Western, all the Hornets had to do was beat the Wolves and they were in. Fullerton helped send the Hornets to the Class 1A postseason by rushing for two touchdowns in Brown County’s 34-14 win.

“Not getting in last year was definitely our motivation,” Fullerton said. “To punch that ticket really feels good.”

Fullerton’s first touchdown run came on the first play of the second quarter when he plunged in from a yard out to give the Hornets a 14-8 lead. His second score — again of the 1-yard variety — capped off a 10-play, 68-yard drive that chewed up the first 5 minutes, 55 seconds of the third quarter and extended Brown County’s advantage to 28-8. Tyce Fullerton’s brother, junior Trey Fullerton, ran for 29 yards on that possession.

“I was just trying to block and get us down to the goal line,” Tyce Fullerton said. “Trey’s a great fullback, so he gets us down there. I was really grateful that I got the ball there. With the line pushing up front, it felt really good.”

Brown County’s lead remained at 14-8 until less than a minute left in the first half. The Hornets received a jolt when junior quarterback Vince Little connected with senior tight end Maverick Henry on a 32-yard completion that set them up at the 3-yard line with 30 seconds left. 

“I knew the play was going to happen,” Henry said. “I saw the ball, and I knew it was coming right to me. The defender was all over me, and I just had to make a play. I was ready to score. I wasn’t celebrating or anything. We needed to score.”

The Hornets scored two plays later on Trey Fullerton’s second touchdown carry followed by Vince Little’s two-point conversion pass to Tyce Fullerton, which gave the Hornets a 14-point halftime cushion.

“We feel like anytime we get a double-digit lead, it’s a huge advantage to us,” Brown County coach Tom Little said. “To get that touchdown before halftime, you could see the kids were relieved, like, ‘hey we’re back into what we do best.’”

Another 10-play, five-minute-plus Hornets drive ended when senior Hayden Hurley found paydirt on a 2-yard tote to stretch the lead to 34-8 with 10:01 remaining in the fourth quarter. Brown County ran 10 plays and took 5 minutes, 40 seconds off the clock on that possession.

All told, nine different Hornets recorded a carry, and seven players had multiple carries. Trey Fullerton, who led Brown County with 12 attempts and was second to Tanner Sitze with 53 yards, said the Hornets’ ability to rotate in so many capable backs will continue to give their opponents fits.

“We have a lot of threats coming off the sideline,” Trey Fullerton said. “We have a lot of talent. I feel like teams are going to have to be worried not just about three or four running backs, but six or seven.”

Sitze broke off a 58-yard run on the Hornets’ first play from scrimmage, leading to Trey Fullerton’s 4-yard touchdown run two plays later.

“We got that first score, the momentum picked up, and we had more energy after that,” Trey Fullerton said. “It was awesome.”

The Wolves broke a string of 26 straight Hornets points when senior quarterback Brody Dolbeare found Tyler VanDyne for an 8-yard touchdown toss with 2:56 left.

This season, the Wolves (2-7) lost two games in overtime — 22-20 to Winchester West Central in Week Five and 54-48 to Unity/Payson in double overtime in Week Eight — and dropped their season opener to Triopia 8-6, giving credence to the theory that the Wolves had the makings of a playoff team themselves.

“I’d say if we had seven points back, we’d be a playoff team,” Wolves coach Mike Giles said. “There were some points where I thought we were right on the cusp of being something really special, but then we would shoot ourselves in the foot. This team had that much potential, but we just couldn’t get over that hump. We were competitive all year, and for that I’m pleased.”

Tom Little agreed, and he made sure the Hornets didn’t take the Wolves lightly.

“I feel like if they could have stayed healthy, they were that good of a football team and should have been on the verge of being a playoff team,” Tom Little said. “We told (our players) this is a playoff caliber team that we’re seeing.”

The Hornets (5-4) will learn their fate during the IHSA’s playoff pairings show at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Henry gave fair warning to whichever team Brown County draws.

“We’re one of the best 5-4 teams out there,” Henry said. “Everyone is going to be scared of us.”

Tyce Fullerton has unbridled confidence in this group.

“We’re going to get it done next week,” Tyce Fullerton said.