Poplar Bluff's Pete Bryant (5) tries to pick up extra yards after being hit in the second half Friday night at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau. (Brian Rosener/DAR)

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Just about nothing went right Friday night for the Poplar Bluff, but in the end that was a good thing for the Mules.

Kyle Bader's 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired sailed just left of the goal post as Poplar Bluff held off Cape Central, 21-20, at Houck Stadium.

"I just turned around and looked, (saw) that it was wide left (and) everybody else just started jumping up and down celebrating," Poplar Bluff senior Dylan Janes said. "I was too tired. I was just kind of like, 'Thank God it's over.'"

In a game that featured two turnovers on one play and Central scoring twice in the span of 11 seconds, it figures that the difference ended up being a missed extra-point kick from 25 yards.

The Mules (4-2) scored three times in the second quarter after falling behind 14-0, but the Tigers (0-6) scored late in the third quarter. Needing an extra point to tie the game, a penalty pushed Central back and Bader's kick missed to the right.

"It wasn't a pretty win at all," said Janes, who recovered a fourth-quarter fumble. "Mistakes right and left all night. The intensity level wasn't where we needed it to be, that's why we only won by one."

The Tigers stopped Poplar Bluff on two fourth-quarter drives, one coming up short at the Central 9-yard line with 1:57 left to set up the final drive.

"I guarantee that first quarter and the last part of that game I dang near had a heart attack," Mules coach Shane Kearbey said.

Poplar Bluff quarterback Zach McAnulty tries to get off a pass while being dragged down by a Cape Central defender in the second half Friday night. McAnulty threw two touchdown passes in his first varsity start. (Brian Rosener/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

Central jumped out to a 14-0 lead with 2:13 left in the opening quarter when Cantrell Andrews finished a 50-yard drive with a 7-yard run. On the ensuing kickoff, Greg Coble fumbled and Central's Keilon Moore scooped it up and scored 28 yards later.

The Mules, who punted on their first two possessions, responded with a 21-point rally.

Zach Ferguson scored all three touchdowns for the Mules, finishing with 156 yards on 30 carries and touchdown receptions of 13 and 44 yards, Zach McAnulty's first two completions of his varsity career.

Ferguson made a sliding catch in the end zone for his first score and later made a leaping catch in front of two defenders before running away to put the Mules ahead with 1:33 left in the half.

It was the fourth straight game in which Ferguson has run for over 100 yards as he moved past Todd Tinsley into 13th place in Poplar Bluff's all-time career rushing list. The junior needs 146 more yards to reach 2,000.

"That's just a guy that wants to win, that wants to make a play, and he does," Kearbey said. "There's no doubt he's special."

Central's defense took special interest in Ferguson in the second half and was able to hold the Mules to 78 yards after the break. Poplar Bluff had drives stopped on fourth down at the Central 40 30 and 9-yard lines. ,

"They put a lot of guys in the box," Ferguson said of Central's halftime adjustment. "They figured out what we were doing and they stuck a bunch of guys in the box. They knew how to stop us. They slowed us down."

Pete Bryant ran for 32 yards on 12 attempts including all seven runs following Janes' fumble recovery with 5:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Austin Williams, a senior linebacker and fullback, left with a knee injury midway through the second quarter after rushing for 16 yards on four attempts.

"Big loss right there," Janes said.

With starting linebackers Colby Geringer and Aaron Ellis already out, Kearbey said the injury to Williams made for a hectic night trying to find the right mix of personnel on defense.

The Mules already started the game without starting quarterback Todd Bullington, who did not dress after suffering a knee injury last Friday. In his place, McAnulty was 2-for-7 for 57 yards passing and ran for 13 more, including a 24-yard run and an 11-yard sack.

"I thought he came out and basically did what he had to do to win the football game," Kearbey said. "We needed a couple of big throws and found a way to get the ball to Ferguson and make some things happen."

Notes: Ben Knuckles intercepted his third pass of the season in the first quarter while Ward Watts picked off his first career pass in the fourth. But after a 5-yard return, he fumbled and Central's Jeremy Lamb recovered. … After throwing the 44-yard pass to Ferguson, McAnulty told Kearbey that it was probably his worst pass he's ever thrown. … Poplar Bluff won at Houck Stadium for the first time since 2000. In their last visit, a 23-20 loss, the Mules scored twice in the final 3 minutes as their rally fell short. … Kearbey said he'll know more about Williams' injury on Monday after an MRI is done. … The Mules continue SEMO North Conference play Friday night when they host Jackson.