PB wrap up football season, look for growth in offseason

What was supposed to be a long run in the playoffs ended with a state of shock around Mules Stadium.

The chances of returning to the district championship were stripped away as a rollercoaster football season came to a close at Poplar Bluff High School.

The Mules finished with a 5-5 record on the season and had their playoff run cut short after a 28-21 loss last Friday to the Farmington Knights in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 1 tournament.

Earlier in the season, head coach Dave Sievers emphasized that the Mules would be a solid team to beat if they focused on the basics. Unfortunately, when the game mattered the most, early miscues would hurt them in the long run.

“We just made way too many mistakes,” Sievers said. “ We didn’t do the little things right and didn’t play well collectively on offense or defense. It was a disappointing night, but Farmington is a good football team. We found ourselves in a similar position, trailing at the half, but our fortunes got flipped this time. Despite loss, you can’t take anything away from the season. The kids played hard all year, but it ended unexpectedly.”

Sievers said the team was happy to land a first-round bye, but it could’ve been the reason for coming out flat. He won’t make any excuses about the loss. Instead, Sievers is proud of how the team turned their season around and felt they accomplished a lot.

The Mules will lose many key seniors next season with the loss of Logan Hite, who led the defense with 101 tackles, receivers Darius Graham and Romeoh Wontor, who combined for 1,406 yards with 10 touchdowns and Landon Park and DJ Hubrins, who held strong on the offensive line.

Though the Mules will have to fill some gaps for next season, Sievers looks forward to the many who will return to fill those shoes.

“Every year, we have to make way for the next group of young and hungry players,” he said. “I will be entering my seventh year as the coach here, so I’ve adjusted to losing key players, but I enjoy watching those young guys work for their spot. We had some really good seniors this season who put up great numbers and were accountable for many wins. We’re losing some key guys but will have some who can take their place, which is great.”

Key returners for the Mules next season are quarterback Jay Edmundson, who completed 1,690 yards with 14 touchdowns and led the team in rushing with 626 yards and seven touchdowns of his own. Also returning are receivers Hunter Clifford and Dylan Hall and Connor Stevens and Lincoln Warren on the defensive side.

As the Mules head into the offseason, Sievers said the summer will be about maturity as he aims to get the younger guys to step into their leadership roles.

“Our main goal during the summer is allowing our kids to grow,” Sievers said. “I told them we’re returning to work soon because our opener against Valley View will be here before they know it. It’s just a matter of getting the kids who are on the borderline of taking the next step to be ready. We’re losing a bunch, but we got a lot coming back.

I want those kids who contributed this year to step up and accept their starting roles and encourage the kids from this year who didn’t play much to step up and become better football players. We’ll be back on the field in nine mouths, and we’ll see how good a job we’ve done getting our guys ready for the season.”