The Summer Grind: Mules football begins summer workouts

School is out for the summer, but the Poplar Bluff Mules’ football team isn’t taking any breaks as they work on their strength and conditioning training.

With a lot of pieces headed into the upcoming football season, the Mules are utilizing the summer to put together the perfect lineup, but first, they must get back into shape.

For the past month, the Mules have primarily been in the weight room as the focus hasn't shifted to the gridiron, but head coach David Sievers said the action is about to pick up in the next few weeks.

“We've had a good summer with good numbers,” said Sievers about summer workouts. “Getting many players to summer workouts can be challenging with vacations planned, but for the most part, a lot of kids have made it a priority to be here.

The kids are getting stronger, and we're in pretty good shape right now. We'll really screw down on the football aspect of starting next week, and hopefully, everyone will be ready to work.”

Coach Sievers enters his 36th year as a coach and his sixth as the leading man for the Mules. Known as the offensive lineman guy for many years, Sievers doesn’t take his role lightly at the head position. He’s grateful for the opportunity and will continue his efforts to take the Mules to the next level.

Coach David Sievers enters his 36th year as a coach and his sixth as the leading man for the Mules. He�s grateful for the opportunity and will continue his efforts to take the Mules to the next level. D'Courtland Christian/DAR

“Being the head coach is something I've dreamt about,” he said. “I've had the opportunity to lead the program, and I've been lucky to have a lot of good assistants to work with. I’ve coached many good kids, and it's still something I really enjoy doing.”

Compared to previous summers, the Mules decided to hit the weight room earlier than they have in the past. Coach Sievers said getting the players in shape was a top priority as he felt the team wasn’t physically prepared at the start of last season.

The Mules finished (6-6) last season but had a rough (0-4) start due to injuries. Sievers said he wanted to take a different approach this offseason by getting the team into the weight room early to have them physically ready for the season.

“I really stressed to them the importance of working out and how it keeps us healthy throughout the season,” Sievers said. The old theory of just playing into shape is out the window. We will start in shape; hopefully, last year’s mishap will not happen again. I think we weren't ready physically or mentally and overall not ready to play, so we're going to make sure that doesn't happen again.”

Senior defensive end Josh Alcorn is gearing up for the Poplar Bluff Mules� football season by getting in a few reps Thursday during summer workouts.D'Courtland Christian/DAR

Sievers believes the Mules’ football team is in a very beneficial position with the many pieces they have for the upcoming season. Though they have the pieces, the summer is the perfect time to figure out who will go where with having multiple kids that can play multiple spots.

Having the talent isn't the concern for Coach Sievers, it’s putting all those pieces into the right puzzle for a stronger offense and defense that can help them succeed this season.

“I think we've got a real good mix this year,” Sievers said. “I think we're going to be big and strong up front and have some pretty good speed defensively. We will be aggressive and try to set the tempo from the jump. We will start our on-field training soon and compete in a few 7-on-7 matchups. Overall, our goal for the remainder of the summer is to get better and stronger.”