Poplar Bluff quarterback Todd Bullington (7) looks at the North County defense before a snap Friday night at Morrow Stadium. In the background is a homecoming float featuring a pie. (Brian Rosener/DAR)

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor

With the exception of one play Friday night, Poplar Bluff couldn't have scripted a more perfect homecoming.

Four touchdown runs by four Mules led to a 28-7 win over North County, but the sight of quarterback Todd Bullington being carried off the field made it hard to celebrate.

"It's really tough," senior tackle Jacob Duvall said. "I really hope he gets back soon, he's a big asset to our team."

Needing a first down to ice the victory with 88 seconds left, Bullington kept the ball on an option play and ended up with ice on his knee after the game.

Mules coach Shane Kearbey said the seriousness of the injury was "up in the air" until Monday when results of an MRI might be ready.

"I'll spend my time praying that he's healthy and he's going to be back for us to run this football team because we need him," he said.

Bullington ran a season-high 64 yards, completed his only pass for 18 more and had the highlight of the night on his 35-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He sold a fake handoff to fullback Austin Williams so perfectly that the senior quarterback was able to walk into the end zone.

"I think he fooled everybody in the stadium because I know a lot of my coaches up in the pressbox, who have one of the best seats in the house, they thought the fullback had it too," Kearbey said.

Bullington's magic trick completed the first possession of the second half with the Mules already up 14-7 at the break. Pete Bryant added a 10-yard touchdown run on the next drive for the Mules to set the final score at the end of third.

Zach Ferguson ran for 121 yards, his third straight game over the century mark, while Williams ran for a career-high 51 yards and escorted the homecoming queen, Jasmin Sumrall. Bryant finished with 51 yards rushing while Greg Coble caught Bullington's long pass and converted a two-point try with a pass to Ben Knuckles.

Poplar Bluff defenders Michael Penney (51) and Josh Freeman (11) tackle North County running back Will Swofford (43) during the first half Friday night. (Brian Rosener/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

Mike Miller's 58-yard run in the first quarter set up Will Swofford's 1-yard touchdown run tied the game at 7-7 and helped the Raiders (2-3) avoid the shutout.

Miller led North County with 68 yards receiving and 71 on the ground, Swofford finished with 78 yards on 19 carries and quarterback Derek Gibson completed 10-of-14 passes for 97 yards.

Poplar Bluff's defense stopped the Raiders on two fourth-and-1's in the second half.

"They stuck it to us," North County coach David Leeds said. "That's the name of the game right there, they dominated up front on both sides of the football and the score reflects it."

Neither team turned the ball over and one of Poplar Bluff's two penalties came when the Mules were taking a knee in the closing seconds. Senior punter Josh Thompson, who had stitches on his nose from a soccer game Wednesday, pinned the Raiders inside the 10-yard line twice.

"Offensively, defensively, special teams, everything seemed to be working," Kearbey said. "When everything is firing on all cylinders, great things can happen."

Poplar Bluff opened the game by forcing a threeand-punt on defense then marched 64 yards in 13 plays to go ahead. On third-and-1, Bullington's keeper went for 23 yards to start the drive and Williams ended it with a 5-yard run for his first career touchdown with 4:10 left in the quarter.

Poplar Bluff's offense lost yardage on just two plays the entire night and finished with a season-best 310 yards of total offense.

"We played the type of football we want to play," senior guard Dylan Janes said. "Short yardage at a time, taking (time) off the clock, that's all we did."

North County tied the game 7-7 on Swofford's run with 48 seconds left in the first quarter but needed a 58-yard run by Miller and to convert a fourth-and-3 to get there.

It took Poplar Bluff all of 48 seconds to regain the lead.

Two snaps after the kickoff, Bullington faked a handoff to Williams and gave it to Ferguson, who bounced through the line, cut back right to the sideline and scored 59 yards later at the end of the quarter.

The Mules didn't pick up a first down in the second quarter on two drives, thanks to a penalty on one third down and lost yardage on the other. In all, Poplar Bluff converted 7-of-11 third downs and both tries on fourth downs.

North County couldn't pull even before halftime thanks to Thompson's punts, one going out of bounds at the 2 and the other pinning the Raiders at the 6.

"We're a second-half team," senior tackle Ward Watts said. "It's not good but if we can come out and be ahead at halftime, we can seal the deal."

The Mules did just that with their first two drives of the second half and finished the game with a 6-minute drive in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by three touchdowns at the start of the fourth, the Raiders marched 64 yards in 6 minutes but came up empty when the Mules defense stopped North County on fourth-and-1 at the 11.

"Last year we had a little bit of trouble with them, scary times," said senior guard Percy Garcia of last year's overtime win by the Mules. "But it feels good to come out and dominate like that."

Notes: Poplar Bluff did not commit a turnover for the first time this season. Last year the Mules did that three times, winning all three. … Having neither team produce a turnover is rare. The last time it happened against Poplar Bluff was at Blytheville in 1997, 109 games between occurrences. … The Mules have won six of the last nine homecomings. … Poplar Bluff begins SEMO North Conference play Friday at Cape Central.