Menu
West Plains sinks Mules in OT
The Poplar Bluff football Mules lost a heartbreaking overtime thriller to the visiting West Plains Zizzers 35-28 on Friday night in their final home game of the football regular season.
In a game marked by both teams matching each other with gritty scoring offset by turnovers and penalties, Poplar Bluff (2-5) played perhaps its best game so far this season despite the losing outcome.
“I’m proud of the kids,” said Mules head coach Jeff Mannon. “We’re starting to execute a lot better, and going back to the fundamentals is paying off. There are still some small things to work on. The turnover bug bit us tonight, and we gave up a few big plays on 3rd down, but I’m really proud of the way our guys played tonight.”
The first half was evenly matched, with each team trading punts on their first possession of the game, then trading first quarter touchdowns.
West Plains scored first, driving the ball down the field on a long drive that culminated in a short touchdown run from the Zizzers’ Rhett Erickson, who powered his way across the goal line through two would-be Mules tacklers.
Poplar Bluff responded on its next series with Jay Edmundson leading the way with his feet and his arm, finally connecting to a wide-open Hunter Clifford in the end zone to tie the game at 7-7 with 31 seconds left in the first quarter.
West Plains drove the ball down to the Mules 20 but coughed it up with a fumble after a pass reception. Poplar Bluff returned the favor two plays later with an Edmundson interception that gave the Zizzers the ball back at the Mules 32-yard line.
The Zizzers used their power run game to break off five and six yard runs at at time, with quarterback Isaiah Jones diving for a one-yard touchdown run with 5:41 left in the second quarter.
The Mules responded with their own long-distance drive, running out most of the time in left in the half. Devon Ferguson finally took the ball to the house with a one-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds remaining.
The point after attempt was blocked, however, and West Plains led 14-13 at the half.
Fireworks and turnovers marked the third quarter.
West Plains took the opening kick deep into Mules territory, but a holding penalty pushed the Zizzers back, and a Mules sack of Jones on fourth-and-16 gave the ball back to Poplar Bluff.
Edmundson hit Clifford with a pass all the way down to the West Plains 25, but Dylan Hall fumbled it away at the West Plains six-yard line. The Mules defense, however, held West Plains to a three-and-out and a punt.
Edmundson then hit Clifford again, this time with a 52-yard touchdown pass followed by a two-point conversion, again to Clifford, to give the Mules their first lead of the night at 21-14.
The lead lasted only as long as West Plains’ next drive, a 60-yard march that ended with another Jones one-yard touchdown dive, tying the score at 21 with 2:36 left in the third quarter.
West Plains broke the tie with 7:42 left in the fourth quarter when Jones hit receiver Jacob Moore on fourth-and-six with a 31-yard touchdown pass and run. Mules defenders missed several tackles that could have kept Moore out of the end zone, and they trailed 28-21.
Poplar Bluff had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth with a first-and-goal on the West Plains 6, but Edmundson’s fourth-and-goal pass deflected off his receiver and was picked off in the end zone by a Zizzers defender with 3:30 remaining in the game.
The Mules defense, however, stepped up again, forcing a three-and-out deep in Zizzers territory and forcing a punt that gave their offense one more chance to tie the game with 2:47 left.
Edmundson delivered with help from a big catch-and-run to Colt Clifford that led to a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Hall. The PAT tied the game at 28 with two minutes left to play.
With West Plains driving as the clock wound down under 30 seconds, Poplar Bluff defender Xzavir Jones sent the game into overtime with an interception at the Mules’ 10-yard line.
West Plains scored first in overtime with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Moore, with the PAT putting the Zizzers up 35-28.
Poplar Bluff drove the ball to the West Plains five-yard line, but both their final passes were knocked away by the defense in the end zone, leaving the Zizzers with the hard-fought victory.
“We’re a real young team, and I told the guys we just got better from that game,” Mannon said. “We’re just going to focus on fixing the things we’re still seeing and just keep working on getting to be a better team.”
Edmundson was 26-for-46 passing on the night for 369 yards and three scores, while Hunter Clifford had 10 catches for 166 yards and two TDs, Colt Clifford added five catches for 70 yards and and Hall added five catches for 67 yards and another score.
The Mules are at Kennett (0-7) next Friday.