Mules dominate on Senior Night

The Poplar Bluff Mules soccer team had a ton of leadership heading into the season with nine seniors. In Thursday’s matchup against St. Paul Lutheran, many gathered to honor those players on senior night.

After a 1-3 loss against Jackson in their last contest, the Mules looked to get back on track with a dominant performance. Only one-half was needed as the Mules defeated St. Paul 12-0 to improve to 12-4 on the season.

Senior midfielder Bryden Fuemmeler said the win was eclectic in front of family and friends. He believes they will have a good shot at districts if they can keep this momentum going. Fellow senior Cody Dearborn said it felt great to have everyone come and support them for senior night and was happy to bounce back with a win.

With only four losses this season, the Mules have put themselves in a perfect position to make some noise at districts, and Dearborn is excited as they continue their strong run.

“It feels great to have such a positive season so far,” Dearborn said. “I’ve been having so much fun this season just playing with my boys. We’ve got a great chance of doing some great things in the playoffs, but overall, everything has been going really well with the team.”

The Mules didn’t waste any time building a comfortable lead as Dearborn kicked off the run with the first goal for the Mules. Senior Blaise Rowland connected with another goal in the next play to set the tone for the night.

The Mules would continue to run up the score with multiple goals, ending the game in the first half.

Head coach Rusty Crafton said this game was important to him because he wanted to honor the seniors but also give seniors who don’t get much time on the field an opportunity to shine in front of their family and friends.

“Everyone played very well,” Crafton said. “It was a special night for the guys, and I hope they enjoyed it. Our team chemistry has been the key to our success this season. This is a great group of athletes and seniors, and I just hope we can keep on cruising ahead.”