Poplar Bluff falls to Farmington in district semis

The Poplar Bluff Mules found themselves in a similar position on Friday as they faced off against Farmington in the Class 5 District 1 semifinals.

The Mules needed a near-perfect second half to advance to the district championship, but Farmington Knights had other plans and walked away with a close 28-21 victory.

After a first-round bye, the Mules entered the game with fresh legs to take on a hungry Farmington squad that recently captured a first-round win over Webster Groves, 22-16. The Mules have won the last two matchups against the Knights but would have a tough one ahead of them to move on to the next round.

As both teams traded field positions for most of the first quarter, Farmington would capture the first touchdown of the night by utilizing their defense to land a punt block inside the endzone for a 7-0 lead.

The Mules found their groove late in the second quarter as they marched down the field with a few short route passes from Jay Edmundson to Darius Graham. They eventually landed in the perfect spot to score with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Edmundson to senior receiver Romeoh Wontor to even the score.

The Knights would strike back with a touchdown of their own only seconds before the half with a two-yard run from Brett Drye. Similar to the regular season matchup, the Mules went into halftime trailing 14-7. After being in this position and escaping with the win before, one would assume that the Mules could pull it off again.

The Knights came back after the half with the same energy, looking to put the game away with a quick 10-yard run touchdown from Connor Rice. The Mules wouldn’t stay silent as they responded with an 11-yard rushing touchdown from Edmundson, proving they were not done yet.

Despite being down 28-14 late in the fourth, the Mules continued to fight down the field, giving them multiple opportunities to take the game back. Edmundson would add more passing yards to his stat line with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Hall to bring the Mules within seven.

Though the Mules came alive in the last few minutes of the game, the clock wouldn’t be on their side as Farmington took the final knee to send them home.

Edmundson threw 19/35 on 260 with two passing touchdowns while leading the Mules in rushing with 50 yards and one touchdown. Romeoh Wontor led in receiving with 117 yard on six catches and one touchdown, and Dylan Hall added with 26 yards and one touchdown.

Farmington will play Cape Central in the Class 5 District 1 championship next Friday.