ONE STEP AT A TIME: Mules football looks to improve during summer workouts

Newly named Poplar Bluff Mules football head coach Jeff Mannon talks with the players about being proud of the work they’ve put in during summer workouts.

DAR/D’Courtland Christian

The Poplar Bluff Mules football team hits the field for the summer, led by their recently appointed head coach, Jeff Mannon, who intends to take everything one step at a time.

Since the first day of summer training, the Mules have been going full steam ahead. They’re hoping this is the beginning of something extraordinary with the new staff and the return of a few key players.

“The numbers are up, and there’s some excitement throughout the team,” Mannon said. “There’s a lot of positivity in the program. I think all the kids are buying in. We're getting stronger in the weight room and cleaning up stuff out here on the field and we’re excited to see what we have for the upcoming season.”

The Mules are coming off a 5-5 season and will be without their two offensive threats Darius Graham and Romeoh Wontor, and defensive juggernaut Logan Hite. Despite the losses, Mannon is looking to see a significant jump in leadership with his seniors and encourages them to help those with little experience on the field.

Mannon said the football program is being revitalized through player leadership, focusing on kids stepping up and positively motivating their teammates. He also mentioned that a senior counsel is being created to provide guidance and support, and the team is taking things one step at a time to achieve their goals.

The Mules will put a lot of emphasis on creating a more cohesive and supportive team, with the ultimate goal of improving performance on the field.

“Before we even stepped onto the field, I gathered the staff and the entire team together because I wanted to ensure we had player leadership,” Mannon said. “We emphasized the kids stepping up and being leaders and motivating everybody in a positive manner. We kind of showed them how to do it from the get-go because I believe that’s some of the things we haven't done before. Sometimes, we assume that players are automatic leaders – sometimes, they need to be shown how and then they can run with it. With this senior counsel, we’ll be able to focus on getting them ready and I think it will help our program come together as a whole.”

Though Mannon has been in his new position for only a few short months, he’s interested in not only making the high school team flourish but also the junior high all the way down to the flag football league. He said the hardest part in the beginning was finding the proper blueprint and direction in which he wanted to go with the program.

“When I first started, I was so excited that I just tried to bite off too much at once by trying to change everything from top to bottom,” Mannon said. “I've just kind of focused one step at a time. We've got the entire team down to the peewee league running our stuff, and we’re going to have one offense and defense coming all the way up, so they’ll know it. The rest is just getting the community to buy in. I think we'll be good once I get the parents on board and fans in the stands. We've always had pretty good support, but the more support we get, the more people in the stands we can get; I think the excitement will return for Mules football.”