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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

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Poplar Bluff 'Jays fall to Blue Devils (11/30/08) The Charleston Bluejays failed to complete a Missouri sweep of the first round on Friday night, as they fell to the West Memphis Blue Devils 80-63. "The effort was there and we played hard," Charleston head coach Danny Farmer said. "We played a good team. I'm pleased with the effort."... 'Rumble on the River' set to return to New Madrid (11/25/08) NEW MADRID -- The 14th Annual NMCC Riverbend Classic is scheduled to begin on Friday afternoon in New Madrid and the teams attending this year's 'Rumble by the River' tourney include premiere in-and out-of-state squads. Byhalia, Miss., Pine Bluff, Ark., West Memphis, Ark. and Memphis Central, Tenn. headline the out-of-state teams while NMCC, Charleston and Scott County Central are the three returning in-state teams back in 2008. Making their debut in the tourney are Poplar Bluff and Pacific... Dexter's Kohlbaker runs down medal (11/09/08) By DAR STAFF JEFFERSON CITY -- Lizzie Kohlbaker of Dexter earned an all-state medal with her 12th place finish Saturday at the MSHSAA Class 2 cross country championships. The Lady Bearcats finished 14th as a team with 244 points while Herculaneum won the title at 102. Kohlbaker's time of 21 minutes, 26 seconds was eight seconds from cracking the top 10. Eileen Schwiess of Herculaneum won the race in 19:55... Central trips up Poplar Bluff in playoffs (11/05/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer JACKSON -- There wasn't any vote tallying needed to determine the outcome of the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 semifinal Tuesday night between Poplar Bluff and Cape Central. What was counted, however, was goal tallying and that's something the top-seeded Tigers has had success with all season long against the Mules... Blalocks qualify for state meet (11/02/08) By DAR STAFF ST. LOUIS -- The Blalocks are headed back to Jefferson City. The Poplar Bluff runners qualified for the MSHSAA Class 4 state cross country championships Saturday as Travis Blalock finished fourth in the sectional meet at Jefferson Barracks Park, while Hannah Blalock was seventh... Poplr Bluff soccer plays Northwest in opener (11/02/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer The Poplar Bluff Mules soccer team has to feel pretty good about its chances against Northwest come Monday in the first round of the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 tournament. First off, the Mules are coming off a near-upset of the third-ranked Notre Dame Bulldogs on Tuesday night. Poplar Bluff put together a solid defensive game plan that forced overtime against the Bulldogs, but came up short, 1-0... Poplar Bluff soccer falls to Notre Dame in OT (10/29/08) By DAR STAFF The Poplar Bluff Mules took the third-ranked team in Class 2 to the limit Tuesday night in the final game of the regular season at Whiteley Park but came up just short in overtime with a 1-0 loss to Notre Dame. Joda Holloway scored past a sprawling Jay Raulston with just three minutes to go in the first overtime to clinch the win for the Bulldogs... Playoff spot on line for Poplar Bluff-West Plains winner (10/29/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor C.J. Council and the Sikeston Bulldogs may have awoken a sleeping beast just in time for Halloween. After Council's interception return for a game-winning touchdown Friday night, Poplar Bluff coach Shane Kearbey saw it... Hillsboro down Lady Mules in Class 4 districts (10/28/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor FARMINGTON -- The Poplar Bluff volleyball team committed enough errors Monday night in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 quarterfinal to give away a game. Hillsboro's Kaylin Rasmussen nearly had enough kills to take another... Seniors lift Poplar Bluff soccer to sixth win (10/28/08) The Mules beat Sikeston 2-0 on senior night. 'Tremendous': SHS wins on C.J. Council interception return (10/26/08) SIKESTON -- Turnovers can win or lose football games. C.J. Council's fourth quarter interception did both. With the score tied at 28 and only three seconds remaining in regulation, the Poplar Bluff Mules (4-5) opted to line up on their own 25-yard line and take one last shot at a score instead of running out the clock and trying their luck in overtime... Still kickin' it: Josh Thompson pulls double duty at Poplar Bluff (10/24/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Ever since his brother Nathan played for Poplar Bluff back in the 90s, Josh Thompson wanted to do the same thing. In 1998, Nathan's senior year, the Mules lost in districts to Jackson. Seeing his brother upset about the loss is what triggered the fire inside of Josh to be the great soccer player that he is today. He knew from an early age that he wanted to be the leader of the Mules when he got older... Early scores key for Poplar Bluff against Sikeston (10/23/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor If the Poplar Bluff Mules want to finish their season strong, they'll need better starts in the two remaining games to reach the playoffs. Having scored twice as many points in the second half than the first, Mules coach Shane Kearbey said Wednesday, "I'm tired of being a second-half team, I want to be a four-quarter team."... Sikeston prepares for rival Mules (10/23/08) SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs football team will look to rebound from their loss at West Plains last Friday when they take on the Poplar Bluff Mules this Friday at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium in Sikeston. Sikeston head coach Kent Gibbs feels that his team did not play as well as it could last Friday in the 52-28 loss to West Plains... SHS drops district opener (10/19/08) WEST PLAINS -- The West Plains Zizzers proved that they have a tough schedule on Friday evening as they defeated the visiting Sikeston Bulldogs by a final score of 52-28. The Zizzers were coming off of a previous win in week seven where they defeated the reigning Class 5 state champion Waynesville by three points. Sikeston was fresh off of a victory over Kennett, but couldn't provide enough offense to match West Plains' 475 total yards from scrimmage... SEMO Conference cross country results (10/16/08) Results from Thursday's meet at Notre Dame (Central girls and Notre Dame boys won team titles): Jackson cashes in on fumble returns, beats Mules 16-6 (10/12/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Jackson's defense provided the points Friday night to beat Poplar Bluff, 16-6, at Morrow Stadium. Marcus Harris and Henry Williams each returned fumbles for touchdowns for the Indians, who got a 30-yard field goal by Morgan Johnson on their opening drive but no other points on offense... Saxony Lutheran's late goals sink Mules (10/14/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Sometimes a final score doesn't reflect how well a team really played. That was exactly the case Monday night at Whiteley Park for the Poplar Bluff soccer team. Tied 1-1 with just 7 minutes to play in the second half, Saxony Lutheran notched two quick goals by Andrew Etzold to bury Poplar Bluff, 3-1... Poplar Bluff tennis finishes season in district tourney (10/13/08) By DAR STAFF ST. LOUIS -- A few of the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules advanced Friday at the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 girls tennis tournament at Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park. But none made it past the third round, as Poplar Bluff finished the season... Cape Central rallies past Mules in 11th inning (10/12/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer This time, déjâ vu had a different ending for the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules. After winning an 11-inning affair earlier in the year against Cape Central, the Lady Mules had the tables turned as Central scored a run in the bottom of the 11th to win 6-5 and advance to the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 title game at Bacon Park... Eighth graders slip past Poplar Bluff; freshmen fall (10/10/08) SIKESTON -- The eighth grade Sikeston Bulldog football team defeated the Poplar Bluff Mules 18-13 Thursday night in Sikeston. "The eighth grade played pretty well tonight against the toughest team we've played all year," junior high football coach Brett Blackman said... DHS escapes with win, defeats Poplar Bluff (10/10/08) POPLAR BLUFF -- There's nothing more exciting in high school sports than a come-from-behind victory. For the third-straight match, Dexter High School has fallen behind early but managed to rally back to take the win, this time against Poplar Bluff in three, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, Thursday on the road... ROUNDUP: Kennett stops Poplar Bluff rally (10/07/08) By DAR STAFF KENNETT -- The Poplar Bluff soccer team was shorthanded Monday night against the Kennett Indians, but nearly came away with one. The Indians broke a 2-2 tie with two minutes to go as Blake Willbanks scored to lift Kennett to the win, 3-2... Poplar Bluff tries to avoid bad frame in softball playoffs (10/07/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor For the Poplar Bluff softball team to make a run at the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 title this week, the Lady Mules have a simple formula -- stay away from "that one bad inning." More then half of Poplar Bluff's 83 runs allowed this season have come in just 12 innings, and the Lady Mules (13-9) are 4-7 in games which they allow three or more runs in a single frame... Poplar Bluff wraps up a gift win vs. Twin Rivers (10/07/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor The Poplar Bluff volleyball team gave their coach a win on his birthday Monday night at Peters Gym but the Lady Mules may have aged Mike Berry even more in the process. With 20 hitting errors, the Lady Mules had to fend off Twin Rivers late in each game for a 25-21, 25-21 victory... Lady Bulldogs finish up with 14 wins on diamond (10/07/08) KENNETT-- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs softball team defeated the Kennett Lady Indians 3-1 in eight innings of play to wrap up their regular season Monday afternoon in Kennett. The Lady Bulldogs were once again led by Sarah Hopson on the mound and Mary Deason at the plate... Blalocks finish second at Notre Dame races (10/06/08) By DAR STAFF CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Poplar Bluff cross country team members competed Saturday at a meet in Cape Girardeau. The Mules had two runners finish second on the day. "The meet was quite the success," Poplar Bluff coach Beth Lewis said. Travis Blalock finished second overall with a time of 16:00 and Jason Keena finished 57th with a time of 20:01... Mules esCape: Poplar Bluff turns back winless Central's upset bid (10/05/08) 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... Poplar Bluff falls short at Lesterville (10/01/08) By DAR STAFF LESTERVILLE -- The Poplar Bluff volleyball team played a tough Lesterville squad Tuesday night, but came away empty-handed against the sixthranked team in Class 1. The Lady Mules gave Lesterville all they could handle, but still lost both games, 25-21 and 25-19... Poplar Bluff connects, knocks off Kelly (10/01/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Facing the same hard-throwing Kelly pitcher that shut them out with a one-hitter a week earlier, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules kept their winning streak alive with a 6-3 win Tuesday. Jerica Wawak's RBI single broke a 3-3 tie before a two-out, tworun single by Breanna Moore in the fourth inning for the Lady Mules, who have won three straight and eight of their last 10... Sikeston soccer and tennis teams fall (10/01/08) JACKSON -- The Sikeston Bulldog soccer team fell to 2-12 on the season with a 4-0 loss to the Jackson Indians on Tuesday. A breakdown in the second half was the back-breaker for the Bulldogs in an otherwise tight first half. It was 1-0 Jackson at half time but three goals in a span of five minutes proved to much for the visiting Bulldogs... Jackson beats Poplar Bluff with late goals (09/30/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer A telling statistic in soccer that usually indicates how much pressure one team is putting on the other is goal kicks. Monday night against Jackson, Poplar Bluff had 11 goal kicks to Jackson's one in the second half. Jackson handled the ball in the Poplar Bluff defensive zone a majority of the game and came away with a 4-2 victory... Lady Mules tennis team preparing for district play (09/30/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor With the MSHSAA district tournament looming, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules tennis team started the final week of the regular season with a day off. Facing a Caruthersville team that featured only three players, the varsity team watched their teammates sweep the Lady Tigers... Dexter, Bernie win at Arkansas State Playday (09/29/08) By DAR STAFF JONESBORO, Ark. -- Dexter won one of the four titles at the ASU Playday on Saturday night while Bernie won a consolation title. The Lady Bearcats beat Trumann, Ark. 25-21, 25-19 in the Silver Bracket final. After losing to West Memphis, Ark. in pool play Saturday at the Arkansas State University Tournament, the Mules got revenge later in the afternoon as they beat West Memphis, Ark., in a rematch for the Scarlet Division consolation championship... Bittersweet: Mules win homecoming but QB injured (09/28/08) 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... Fund-raiser highlights unbeaten 1990 Poplar Bluff team (09/24/08) By DAR Staff The time and location for the third annual Gridiron Grill, sponsored by the Claudia Foundation, has been changed due to a scheduling conflict. The dinner, which will honor the 1990 undefeated Mules football team, now will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday in a tent at the south end of Fred Morrow Stadium... SHS rally falls short (09/24/08) SIKESTON--The Poplar Bluff Mules soccer team outlasted the Sikeston Bulldogs for the 2-1 win Tuesday evening at the Sikeston Complex. Sikeston head coach Derrick Long was both pleased and frustrated at the same time after Tuesday's game. "I was pleased with our effort," Long said. "But, it's frustrating to come in knowing that you have a good chance to win the game, then to dominate so many aspects of the game, and not have the breaks go our way. That's hard."... Dock one-hits Poplar Bluff (09/24/08) BENTON -- If the Kelly Lady Hawks are ever in need of scoring runs they could wait until the later innings, especially the fifth inning. The Lady Hawks scored four runs in the fifth to give them a solid lead over the Poplar Bluff Mules on Tuesday that would seal the 5-0 win... ROUNDUP: Poplar Bluff wins volleyball battle of Mules (09/23/08) By DAR STAFF BERNIE -- Six different players had two or more kills for Poplar Bluff and the Lady Mules combined for 13 blocks in a 25-16, 25-20 win Monday night at Bernie. "A true team effort," Lady Mules volleyball coach Mike Berry said. Blake Talkington led Poplar Bluff (8-6) with five kills, while Jamie Fritts added four kills and three solo blocks and five block assists... Defensive gem lifts Poplar Bluff softball (09/23/08) Brandy Perry tosses 3-hit shutout in 4-0 win against Kennett. Poplar Bluff volleyball falls in tourney semifinals (09/21/08) By DAR STAFF PIEDMONT -- The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules volleyball team advanced to the semifinals of the Clearwater Invitational on Saturday, but came up short with a 25-22, 25-14 loss to Eminence. After a close score in the first game against the Redwings, the Lady Mules fell behind 9-0 in the second game and were unable to battle back... Mules get muddy, get moving (09/21/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor DEXTER -- With a big smile and plenty of the family business stuck in his facemask and on his jersey, Poplar Bluff senior Austin Williams soaked up the Mules' 38-13 win Friday night. "It feels great," said Williams, whose family runs a sod farm. "I hate nothing more than losing. I'm ready to get this season rolling like it should."... Mules run past 'Cats; (09/20/08) By JERRY JARRELL Daily Statesman Sports Editor Zach Ferguson rushed for 179 yards and scored four touchdowns as the Poplar Bluff Mules used a punishing ground attack to churn out a, 38-13, win over the Dexter Bearcats at Charles Bland Stadium on a rainy Friday night... Dexter, Poplar Bluff expect physical battle (09/18/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer The Dexter Bearcats are looking to avoid the program's first 0-4 start in 14 years, and they know it won't be easy when they host Poplar Bluff at 7 p.m. Friday. "We expect a physical football team," Dexter coach Aaron Pixley said. "They play hard all the time, they have good athletes. They have a lot of kids back and are very capable, they have played some tough schools."... Poplar Bluff's Knuckles doesn't get much rest (09/18/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Just about the only time Ben Knuckles comes off the football field on Friday night is when the Poplar Bluff Mules are kicking off. He's almost always out there -- offense, defense, punts, punt returns, kickoff returns and extra points -- and fans can easily spot No. 3 as one of the smallest guys on the field... Poplar Bluff softball rallies past Doniphan (09/18/08) By DAR STAFF The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules needed a rally Wednesday afternoon and they got one, scoring a run in the fifth and another in the bottom of the seventh to beat Doniphan, 3-2. "That one bad inning, today it was better," Poplar Bluff coach Dusty Benson said. "Our one bad inning only allowed one run a piece instead of four or five as it has in the past."... Poplar Bluff tennis team beats Dexter (09/17/08) By DAR STAFF The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules tennis team captured their fourth win of the season with a 7-2 victory over Dexter on Tuesday afternoon. Jenni Hubbard, Allie Poteet, Kelsey Olsen, Rachael Brodell and Emily Gilmore each won their singles matches by a combined average of four points per game over the Bearcats... Poplar Bluff earns split with Jackson in softball (09/17/08) Brandy Perry throws four-hit shutout Lady Mules hold back Farmington in softball (09/16/08) By DAR STAFF FARMINGTON -- Ashlee Mattox scored once and drove in a pair of runs Monday to help the Poplar Bluff softball team beat Farmington 5-4. The Lady Mules (7-6) held on to win for the fifth time in their last six games. Poplar Bluff led by five before Farmington scored four in the sixth inning... Calvert sets up Thompson's goals in Mules win against Kennett (09/16/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer It's really too bad that senior Josh Thompson will only be able to play one season with sophomore Dustin Calvert. Those who saw them play Monday afternoon in Poplar Bluff's 2-0 win over Kennett saw perhaps the development of a one-two punch on offense that will give the Mules a leg up on the competition the rest of the season... Chronister flying with his feet at Air Force (09/16/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Poplar Bluff native and Air Force Academy senior Brad Chronister wants to be a pilot, but right now, he is traveling with his legs. Chronister, who played junior varsity basketball for the Falcons his freshman year, decided to walk on to the cross country team this fall. He participated in a 10-mile team time trial and finished fourth. Chronister was happy to get on the squad... Poplar Bluff Junior High cross country teams win at Kelly (09/15/08) By DAR STAFF Both the Poplar Bluff Junior High boys and girls cross country teams won the Kelly-Benton Invitational over the weekend. The boys team nearly had a perfect score, which is when a single team places all five runners in the top five. Kortez Ellis won the race followed by Mark Keena and Bailey Davidson, who tied for second. ... Poplar Bluff soccer captain a leader off the bench (09/14/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Poplar Bluff senior co-captain Alex Burfield has some goals to accomplish before this season is over. When the home schedule finally opens for the Mules this Monday at Whiteley Park against Kennett, Burfield hopes that his team can bring it together after starting the season 2-4 after six straight road games... Lady Mules softball evens season record in tournament (09/14/08) By DAR STAFF WEST PLAINS -- At the West Plains softball tournament, all Poplar Bluff head coach Dusty Benson wanted was to get his team back at .500 on the season. He got his wish as the Lady Mules went 3-1 on the afternoon and played very well offensivley to even their season record at 6-6... Walking the plank: Pirates force five turnovers, beat Mules (09/14/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff's offense got going early Saturday afternoon at Morrow Stadium -- picking up a first down on the first play -- but the Mules had trouble holding onto the football. Five turnovers doubled the season total and led to 17 points for Hannibal, which beat Poplar Bluff, 31-21... Thompson nets goal, assist in Mules victory (09/12/08) By DAR STAFF FREDERICKTOWN -- The Poplar Bluff Mules soccer team grabbed its second win of season with a 3-1 victory Thursday night at Fredericktown. Dallas Berry scored his first goal of the season on a header off an assist by Josh Thompson. The Mules took a 2-0 lead into half after Fredericktown scored on its own goal later in the first half... Poplar Bluff blocks out Bloomfield for tourney (09/12/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor BLOOMFIELD -- The return of setter Kaci Tapp and libero Cierra Francisco gave the Poplar Bluff volleyball team a boost Thursday night, but hitting errors by Bloomfield put the Lady Mules over the top for a 25-21, 25-15 win... Poplar Bluff tennis sweeps Sikeston (09/11/08) By DAR STAFF The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules tennis team shut out Sikeston 9-0 Wednesday afternoon. Nos. 3-6-seeds Allie Poteet, Kelsey Olsen, Rachael Brodell and Emily Gilmore each blanked their opponents in the their respective seeds, 8-0, for Poplar Bluff (2-3)... It's back to basics for Mules offense (09/11/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Two weeks into the season, the Poplar Bluff football team has yet to score a first down in the first half, let alone a point. The Mules have been outscored 51-0 in the first half and managed just 1 total yard of offense before halftime last week at Union... Death of player rocks Hannibal football team (09/11/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Saturday will be more than just a football game for the Hannibal Pirates. The long trip to Poplar Bluff for a 3 p.m. kickoff at Morrow Stadium comes nearly two weeks following the death of Hannibal junior Colin Krigbaum... Soccer, tennis teams both fall in road games (09/11/08) KENNETT -- For the first time in school history, the Sikeston Bulldogs soccer team was defeated by the Kennett Indians in a 2-1 overtime game on Wednesday night. Sikeston (1-5) struck first at the 37 minute mark when Evan Underwood kicked one in on an assist from Hector Lemus. That score would stand at halftime with Sikeston leading 1-0... Mules net first soccer win (09/07/08) By DAR STAFF CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Poplar Bluff Mules soccer team ended the Notre Dame Soccerfest on a high note Saturday afternoon as they took home a 2-1, come-from-behind victory over Sikeston. The win concluded the tournament with Poplar Bluff placing seventh out of the eight teams involved... Kennett tennis beats Poplar Bluff; Mules suffer OT loss in soccer (09/09/08) By DAR STAFF Rachael Brodell and Emily Gilmore remained unbeaten as doubles partners and picked up Poplar Bluff's only win Monday in an 8-1 loss to visiting Kennett. Brodell and Gilmore beat Hope Sparks and Samantha Geary 8-4 in the No. 3 doubles match but Kennett took the other two before sweeping singles play... Sikeston soccer still in search of first victory (09/08/08) CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Sikeston boy's soccer team fell to the Poplar Bluff Mules in a 2-1 battle at the Notre Dame Soccerfest on Saturday. The Bulldogs (0-4) had a chance to tie the game at the 68 minute mark with a penalty kick try, but it was missed to seal the win for the Mules... Poplar Bluff gets caught in Webb (09/07/08) Union's senior quarterback contributes to seven TDs in 49-14 win over Mules. ROUNDUP: Campbell baseball holds off South Pem (09/05/08) By DAR STAFF STEELE -- The Campbell Camels jumped all over South Pemiscot with a six-run lead after four innings lead and went on to a 8-6 victory. Shortstop Zack Jackson had a great day at the plate for the Camels as he went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a triple. Jackson had three RBI on the day... Offense can be defense for Poplar Bluff (09/04/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor In the season-opening win Friday, Poplar Bluff's defense helped out the offensive unit with turnovers and good field position. This week when the Mules travel to Union, it will be up to the offense to help play some defense... In extra innings, Lady Mules get first win (08/31/08) By DAR STAFF DELTA -- Timely hitting and solid pitching earned the Poplar Bluff softball team its first win of the season Saturday afternoon, a 3-2 eight-inning victory over Delta. Haley Foust led the eighth inning off with a double and then stole third. With two down, she took advantage of a passed ball and gave the Lady Mules the go-ahead run... ROUNDUP: Doniphan softball slips past Twin Rivers (09/03/08) By DAR STAFF DONIPHAN -- Doniphan scored a run in four different innings as the Donettes moved past Twin Rivers 4-3 Tuesday afternoon. "I thought our kids were really focused," Doniphan coach Brad Phillips said. "In the past, Twin Rivers has really had Doniphan's number and we were fortunate enough to hang in there and battle and get the win."... Poplar Bluff volleyball rallies past Puxico (09/03/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor PUXICO -- There was plenty of confusion before and during the season-opening volleyball match Tuesday night, but a mixup in Puxico's lineup at the start of the pivotal third game gave Poplar Bluff the lead for good... 'Lucky to be alive' (09/03/08) Five days after wreck, five members of Poplar Bluff boys soccer team get back to work Comeback: Poplar Bluff rallies past New Madrid (08/31/08) Sophomore scores two late TDs for Mules Delta softball stumbles (08/31/08) The Delta softball team committed five errors Saturday to open the door for Poplar Bluff. The Mules emerged with the 3-2 win, with all three of their runs unearned. FULL STORY SHS uses good defense and key hits in 6-2 win (08/31/08) SIKESTON--The Sikeston Lady Bulldog softball team used stellar defense and sound hitting to surge past the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules in a 6-2 victory Friday afternoon at the Sikeston Sports Complex. With the win, the Lady Bulldogs improve to 2-1 on the season... Mules' first test is state-ranked New Madrid (08/28/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor At first glance, the matchup Friday night between the Poplar Bluff and New Madrid Country Central football teams is intriguing. One problem. The opening week of football season is not about matchups. "I could care less what Bluff does," Eagles coach Arlen Pixley said. "I don't care what they're doing over there, I know what our kids need to be doing and I know how they need to react."... Mule head is back on Poplar Bluff's helmets (08/28/08) By BRIAN ROSENER | DAR Sports Editor Shane Kearbey knew he wanted to change the logo on Poplar Bluff's helmets but the first-year coach wasn't sure what he wanted to do. "I was battling between the horse shoe, or 'PB' or a mule," he said sitting in his office with his old high school helmet nearby and a painted version on the wall with a different logo... NMCC will be tested by a physical Mule squad (08/28/08) NEW MADRID-- It will be a battle of speed versus brawn when the New Madrid County Central Eagles take on the Poplar Bluff Mules in New Madrid Friday night. "We're two contrasting styles," NMCC head coach Arlen Pixley said. "We do some things I don't think they are very good at, and they do some things that we're not very good at."... ROUNDUP: Royals turn triple play but fall to Camels (08/27/08) By DAR STAFF Twin Rivers fell to Campbell 8-2 Tuesday afternoon but did turn a triple play in the process. Campbell's Cody Huber popped up a bunt attempt and Royals pitcher Garrett Stockton made a diving catch and threw to Jon Stevenson at second who threw to first base to complete the play... Offenses rule on fall baseball's opening day (08/26/08) By DAR STAFF The Doniphan Dons got three runs in the first frame on the way to a five-inning 11-1 win over Van Buren. Travis Moe and Ethan King each had two RBIs for the Dons while Zack Swindle had one. "We scored runs, we kind of took what the pitcher gave us," Doniphan coach Jason Rose said. "I was pretty proud overall of how we swung the bats."... Runners wanted, no experience necessary (08/26/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff's cross country team is looking for a few good athletes. With not enough runners to make up a varsity team this fall, coach Beth Lewis wants to help students become better athletes. "We'll take anybody of all shapes and sizes and ability level," she said. "Even if they don't want to run the meets, we're willing to work with some of the athletes to get them in better shape like with morning practices with us."... Bullington shines in jamboree (08/24/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor FARMINGTON -- Poplar Bluff's old quarterback who's now the new coach turned his signal-caller loose Friday night in the preseason jamboree. Todd Bullington threw for 225 yards -- more than half his total from all of last season -- by completing 7-of-11 attempts against Cape Central and St. Clair... One team, one goal (08/22/08) Poplar Bluff tries to recover from trying season that included 10-game losing streak Poplar Bluff defense ready for tests (08/21/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor When the Poplar Bluff football team squares off in practice, the defense has a slight upper hand. "They play offense, too, so when (the offense) starts making checks, they know what we're checking in to," Mules coach Shane Kearbey said. "They know what's coming."... Cool customers (08/20/08) A cooler Peters Gym has allowed the Lady Mules to get more done in practices Study hall for the Mules (08/19/08) With a new coach and new starters, there's plenty to learn Poplar Bluff football team hopes to bring back 'Mule pride' (08/18/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Pick an offensive position. Doesn't matter which one -- quarterback, fullback or lineman -- the Poplar Bluff football team has somebody who has already started there before the 2008 season kicks off Aug. 29. Still, that doesn't mean everything is set in stone following the Mules scrimmage Saturday night at Bacon Park... Battle for spots open on Poplar Bluff tennis team (08/18/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff tennis coach Michelle Massey has a good problem and a bad one. More than 20 girls came out for the team this fall looking to grab one of the six varsity spots, but there's only two weeks between the first practice and first match at Fredericktown a week from today... Mules open fall practices (08/12/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Normally on the first day of practice, Poplar Bluff athletes are baking at Bacon Park or Peters Gym. That wasn't the case Monday. The high temperature was 82 degrees and by the time the Mules football team finished up at 8:30 p.m., Bacon Park was almost chilly... Changing faces: Poplar Bluff has several new coaches (08/10/08) Of the six fall sports at Poplar Bluff, there are five new coaches Edington finds place in Poplar Bluff Hall of Fame (08/08/08) By ALEX ABATE | DAR Sports Writer Tracy Edington didn't always know his position from one series to another during his days playing football for the Mules. Edington, a track, basketball and football standout at Poplar Bluff before his graduation in 1976, will soon have a secured position among the greats as he will be inducted to the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 9... Catching up with: Mary Kalich (08/06/08) Former college girls basketball player will be inducted to Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame. Catching up with: Billy Piper (08/04/08) By ALEX ABATE | DAR Sports Writer When Poplar Bluff running back Billy Piper graduated in 1959, he picked up where he left off. After earning 12 letters for three sports over four years, Piper headed off to the University of Alabama to play for legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. ... Giambelluca retires as museum chairman (07/22/08) By DAVID SILVERBERG ~ DAR Associate Editor Sam Giambelluca's love of sports and history led to the establishment of the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Poplar Bluff Museum seven years later. After serving 20 years as the first chairman of the museum board, Giambelluca recently turned the leadership over to Jay Githens, but he will continue to serve as a museum board member and chairman of the Sports Hall of Fame board... Giambelluca: Driving force behind Hall of Fame, museum (07/22/08) "I couldn't count the number of lives Sam has touched," said Jay Githens, who is the new board chairman at the Poplar Bluff Museum. Poplar Bluff 2008 football schedule (07/18/08) Aug. 29 -- at New Madrid County Central Sept. 5 -- at Union Sept. 12 -- Hannibal Sept. 19 -- at Dexter Sept. 26 -- North County Oct. 3 -- at Cape Central Oct. 10 -- Jackson Oct. 17 -- Farmington Oct. 24 -- at Sikeston Oct. 30 -- West Plains Mules qualify seven for state track meet (05/18/08) By DAR STAFF EUREKA -- Poplar Bluff qualified six boys and one girl for the state track meet as they competed in a sectional meet at Eureka on Saturday. "Overall I thought we did well," Mules coach Lance Bell said. "The kids we got through have a shot at placing pretty high."... Stonewalled again: Jackson stops Poplar Bluff 3-2 (05/14/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor HILLSBORO -- Having already been shutout three times by Jackson this spring, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules tried something different Tuesday in the MSHSAA Class 2 District soccer semifinal. The result, however, was the same -- another one-goal loss to the state-ranked Indians... Strong finish leaves Hillis fourth (05/14/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor REPUBLIC -- Trent Hillis stormed back Tuesday at the MSHSAA Class 4 state golf championship but the Poplar Bluff sophomore couldn't catch Kevin Kring. Hillis birdied two of his final three holes and finished with the only sub-par round of the day but ended up fourth, three strokes back... Bluff's Hillis in hunt for all-state honors (05/13/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor REPUBLIC -- Trent Hillis didn't like how he played the first round of the MSHSAA Class 4 state golf tournament Monday, so he was surprised to see his name among the leaders. The Poplar Bluff sophomore shot a 4-over 76 at Island Green Golf Course and is tied for 14th, five shots off the lead heading into today's final round... Lady Mules get another shot at Jackson today (05/13/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor HILLSBORO -- Missing graduation ceremonies Thursday night would be just fine to the seniors on the Lady Mules soccer team. They want to be playing for a district title. "Even though we'd have to miss graduation, we don't care," said senior Jackie LeGrand, who scored in a 4-0 win Monday against Hillsboro in the MSHSAA Class 2 District quarterfinal... Seckman takes advantage of Mules' miscues (05/13/08) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer JACKSON -- After making up a two-run deficit to pull even with Seckman in its MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 playoff game Monday, Poplar Bluff saw its season end with a 5-2 loss as a result of shaky late-game defense. The Jaguars snapped the tie with an RBI infield single by Corey Johnson in the fifth and added two insurance runs in the sixth after Jon Baer reached on an error to start the inning... Poplar Bluff trio heads to state golf (05/09/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor The MSHSAA golf championships will be much different this year for Poplar Bluff's Corey Poteet, Zach Stricker and Trent Hillis. Since the Mules didn't qualify as a team, the trio will play the twoday tournament starting Monday in Republic with a little less weight on their shoulders... Bhatt shoots for state tennis; Mules run in district (05/09/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Malay Bhatt played today for a third straight trip to the state tennis tournament while Poplar Bluff's track, baseball and soccer teams prepared for their district showdowns. The Poplar Bluff senior was scheduled to play Carlos Espinosa of Eureka this morning at the Creve Coeur Racquet Club near St. Louis with the winner advancing to the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 singles championship match... Dons hold off Poplar Bluff (05/02/08) By DAR STAFF The Mules rallied again Thursday afternoon against Doniphan but again, they came up just short. Poplar Bluff was down 11-7 entering its half of the seventh and scored three runs but was unable to tie the game as it fell 11-10. "I was telling the guys, as proud as I was of them yesterday with Sikeston and the way we battled in that game,... Lady Mules rally, take shootout for ninth win (05/02/08) Garner breaks season record for goals, as team ties record for wins in a season ROUNDUP: Cooter stymies Camels for tourney title (04/25/08) By DAR STAFF COOTER -- Cooter scattered seven Campbell hits as it moved past the Camels 6-0 Thursday in the championship of the Tri-County Conference Tournament. The Camels struck out 10 times as only three players had hits in the game. Cale Weeks got the loss for the Camels as he pitched five innings and allowed three runs on four hits... Esquival signs with new program at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (04/24/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ Sports Writer Poplar Bluff's Martin Esquivel has a desire to compete. He is looking to take the dedication to the next level as he recently committed to play soccer at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Okla. Esquivel is looking forward to the change of pace that the new place will bring... Poplar Bluff scores early, often against Lady Tribe (04/23/08) POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Like a lot of her teammates, Poplar Bluff freshman Allie Thomas was dealing with a cranky body part that was not looking forward to playing a second game in as many days. For Thomas, it was a sore knee. Her coach's advice? An ice bath... Lady Mules find net on second straight day (04/23/08) Two-day total: 14 goals in two victories ROUNDUP: Bluff's Hillis scores 32 at Ozark Ridge (04/23/08) Poplar Bluff baseball team beats New Madrid County Central Lady Mules snap scoreless streak (04/22/08) By DAR STAFF FREDERICKTOWN -- Chelsea Garner scored twice as the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules beat Fredericktown 5-1. Jackie LeGrand had a goal and an assist while Jenni Hubbard scored for the Lady Mules (4-4). "Injuries continue to mount so tonight may feature some new players to varsity," Poplar Bluff coach Mark Papp said... No love: Mules finish fourth; Bhatt falls short of title (04/20/08) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer Poplar Bluff's Malay Bhatt found an imposing opponent Saturday in Sikeston's Daniel Agung in the singles final of the Poplar Bluff Invitational, as he fell 8-2. The Mules finished fourth, earning four points, while Cape Central claimed first place with 12 1/2. Sikeston came in second with 8 1/2 points, while Farmington finished third with 6 1/2 and Dexter finished in fifth... Blalock runs away with two Poplar Bluff records (04/20/08) By DAR STAFF Poplar Bluff's golf team picked up its third tournament title of the season Saturday, while Hanna Blalock broke two school track records Friday. At the Potosi Invitational, Blalock won the 1,600-meters in 5 minutes, 16.84 seconds, breaking a record set by Mary Kalich in 1986 by 9.26 seconds. She later broke her own record in the 3,200, finishing second in 11:33.16, nearly 30 seconds faster than her previous best time... Jackson edges Mules with goal from the corner (04/18/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor Kasey Crowden did her best impression of David Beckham -- if Becks was left-footed -- to beat the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules. The Jackson midfielder scored from a corner kick in the 28th minute Thursday night at Whiteley Park to give the Lady Indians a 1-0 win... Caputo retiring after 13 years as Poplar Bluff AD (04/18/08) By TRACI WEISSMUELLER ~ DAR Staff Writer Like many other Friday nights, fans filled the bleachers for a Mules football game. As Poplar Bluff took on Kickapoo in the fall of 2000, the game looked to be a win for Kickapoo. By halftime, burgundy-clad fans left the stadium, heading home sulking in expectation of a loss. But the Mules fought hard to keep the pigskin in their grip. In a surprising reversal, Poplar Bluff came back to win the game by one point. It was the talk of the town the next day... Surprise attack: Mules start strong, fall short (04/16/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor As the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules stretched before their game Tuesday night, they were attacked by a mob of junior varsity teammates brandishing foam weapons. The surprise attack -- less brutal than a pillow fight -- had a message... Poplar Bluff runs away with title (04/16/08) By DAR STAFF STE. GENEVIEVE -- The Poplar Bluff Mules track team ran away with the title Tuesday at the Ste. Genevieve Invitational, beating runner-up Potosi by 64 points. Poplar Bluff won five events and finished second in seven others for 157 points... Lady Raiders sign Ferguson for softball (04/15/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Poplar Bluff standout Stefanie Ferguson has been a good leadoff hitter for the Lady Mules over the past four seasons and now she is ready to step into a new batter's box. Ferguson signed her letter of intent Tuesday to play softball at Three Rivers Community College next season... ROUNDUP: Sikeston tennis shuts out Mules (04/15/08) Staff Reports ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com POPLAR BLUFF -- The Sikeston tennis team blanked Poplar Bluff 9-0 on the road Monday afternoon. "I thought we played well today," said Sikeston head coach Brian James. "It's only our second match, so we're behind some of these other teams that have several matches in and maybe a tournament or two in... Miller's homer edges Mules (04/15/08) By DAR STAFF DEXTER -- Caleb Miller's two-run home run and his six innings of work on the mound led Dexter past Poplar Bluff 3-2 Monday. "Bob is a player," Dexter coach Brian Becker said of Miller, using his nickname. "No two ways about it. Even though he's just a junior, he's a big part of the leadership on this ballclub... Miller's bat, arm help 'Cats defeat Mules (04/15/08) Caleb Miller pitched six strong innings and added a two-run home run to help his cause as the Bearcats defeated the Poplar Bluff Mules, 3-2, Monday in SEMO Conference baseball action at Dexter's East Park ball field. The victory extended the Bearcats current win streak to three games after Dexter picked up two wins Saturday, defeating South Pemiscot, 12-2, and Twin Rivers, 6-1... Extra work: Mules beat Oran in ninth inning (04/14/08) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer More than three hours after the first pitch on a cold Saturday at Strenfel Memorial Field, Poplar Bluff's Todd Bullington ripped a ninth-inning single into left field to give the Mules a 9-8 win over Oran. Facing a hard thrower in Oran reliever Jayden Pobst, Bullington turned on an inside fastball and delivered the hit to drive in pinch runner Colby Geringer with the winning run... ROUNDUP: Bhatt reaches tourney quarterfinals (04/10/08) By DAR STAFF SPRINGFIELD -- Malay Bhatt reached the quarterfinals of the Springfield Invitational singles tournament Wednesday as the Poplar Bluff senior returned to the site of the state championships. Bhatt won his first two matches before losing to Brandon Champagne of Jenks, located in Tulsa, Okla., 8-4... Neelyville edges Poplar Bluff (04/09/08) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer Despite rallying to tie the game in the fourth inning, Poplar Bluff stranded a total of four runners on third base, including the final inning, as they fell short Tuesday against Neelyville, 5-4. Garrett Griffin provided a sacrifice fly for the Tigers that pushed the winning run across in the sixth inning... West's OT goal lifts Mules over Sikeston (04/08/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Alex West's overtime goal Monday night completed another come-from-behind home victory for the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules. West pounced on a cross in the 84th minute to beat Sikeston 2-1. "We wanted to get numbers forward," Poplar Bluff coach Mark Papp said. "We're not playing for ties and we're not playing to get to penalties, we're trying to win."... Mules golfers back on top (04/08/08) Poplar Bluff wins title by 22 strokes Mules edge Tigers in baseball; Poplar Bluff wins track title (04/06/08) By DAR STAFF Donnie Magruder came through in the clutch for the Mules at home Saturday against Cape Central, giving himself a win in the process. In the bottom of the seventh inning with the game tied, Magruder hit a single through the right side with the bases loaded to score Cameron Pickard and give the Mules a 6-5 win... ROUNDUP: Garner's four goals lead Poplar Bluff (04/02/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor KENNETT -- Chelsea Garner had a hat trick before halftime Tuesday -- no fooling. The Poplar Bluff senior scored four times in an 8-1 win at Kennett. "We had problems with her all day," Kennett coach Rick Bell told the Daily Dunklin Democrat. "We couldn't correct it and she took advantage of it."... LeGrand headed to Culver-Stockton (04/01/08) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer Poplar Bluff senior Jackie LeGrand signed a letter of intent recently to continue her soccer career at Culver-Stockton College. Culver-Stockton is an NAIA school located in Canton, Mo. LeGrand said the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the team as a freshman led her to choose Culver-Stockton over other schools... ROUNDUP: Bhatt, Gilberto win tennis brackets for runner-up Mules (03/31/08) By DAR STAFF FARMINGTON -- The Poplar Bluff tennis team placed second in the Farmington Invitational behind only the host team Saturday. Malay Bhatt and Anderson Gilberto picked up first place finishes for the Mules as Bhatt defeated Crystal City's Dustin Thode in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, and added a 6-3, 6-4 win over Farmington's Justin Arnold... ROUNDUP: NMCC softball wins two from Oak Ridge (03/28/08) Chaffee and Cooter claim wins in baseball while SHS soccer team rolls on the road. Chaffee's late rally tops Poplar Bluff (03/28/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Chaffee's Josh Steger found the holes in Poplar Bluff's defense while the Mules kept finding nothing but leather Thursday. Steger tied the game with a two-out single in the fifth, and drove in two more runs in the seventh with a single past a drawn-in infield to beat Poplar Bluff 3-1... Bluff's Hanna Blalock sets school record in debut (03/27/08) By DAR STAFF BONNE TERRE -- In her first high school track meet, Poplar Bluff freshman Hanna Blalock broke one record and challenged another winning two races Tuesday night at the North County Invitational. Blalock broke the school record in the 3,200 meters with a time of 12 minutes 2.34 seconds breaking Shawna Starnes' 1986 mark by over half a second. In the 1600, Blalock ran a 5:30.57 just 4.47 seconds off Mary Kalich's mark also set in 1986... Patience pays off for Lady Mules (03/26/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Patience be a virtue, but Tuesday may night it was also Poplar Bluff's best weapon. Chelsea Garner scored in the final minute of the first half just after West Plains had struck first and four different Lady Mules scored in the final 23 minutes of a 5-1 win at Whiteley Park... Mules baseball edges Kelly 4-2 (03/26/08) By DAR STAFF BENTON -- Brennen Moore's two-out, two-run single in the third inning gave Poplar Bluff a lead and a trio of Mules combined to pitch a three hitter Tuesday in a 4-2 season-opening win at Kelly. Cameron Pickard threw three innings for the win allowing one unearned run, while Todd Bullington and Taylor Boles each tossed two innings... ROUNDUP: Mules win title by two strokes (03/25/08) By DAR STAFF JACKSON -- Poplar Bluff defended its title Monday at the Notre Dame Invitational beating the host by two strokes. Trent Hillis tied for second to lead the Mules at Bent Creek Golf Course while Corey Poteet tied for eighth as Poplar Bluff edged Notre Dame 338-340... Clearwater softball field destroyed by flooding (03/23/08) Doniphan will probably go on the road for a while due to the flooding. Kearbey gets promotion to lead Mules football program (03/20/08) Poplar Bluff grad and longtime assistant hired to replace Robbins. SEMO Conference players honored for achievements (03/20/08) By Brad Hurt ~ SEMO News Service POPLAR BLUFF -- Some of the best coaches and players in Southeast Missouri shared the spotlight Wednesday night as representatives from the member teams of the SEMO Conference gathered in the student center of Poplar Bluff High School for the 50th annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Basketball Banquet... Dexter's Heil wins SEMO Conference post season honor (03/20/08) POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Some of the best coaches and players in Southeast Missouri shared the spotlight Wednesday night as representatives from the member teams of the SEMO Conference gathered in the student center of Poplar Bluff High School for the 50th annua Poplar Bluff Letter Club Basketball Banquet... TENNIS PREVIEW: Poplar Bluff seniors battle for starting spots (03/18/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Charles Harper has a tough equation to solve this spring. The Poplar Bluff tennis coach has 11 seniors fighting for six varsity spots. It's a good problem to have. "It's kind of a different dynamic," Harper said. "I know there's always going to be a next year and I've got some pretty good new guys coming in, (but) it's different... Sky's the limit: Lady Mules look to build off playoff win (03/18/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor With just about everybody back from a team that ended last season winning five of their last nine, including the program's first postseason game in nearly a decade, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules look to carry that momentum into this season... Hallacious comeback: Markers rally past Bluff (02/28/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor FARMINGTON -- The Lady Mules couldn't have dreamed a better start Wednesday to the MSHSAA Class 5 Sectional against ninth-ranked Nerinx Hall. The second half however, was a nightmare for Poplar Bluff. After scoring just two first-quarter points, the Markers used a 19-3 run in the third quarter to rally for a 56-39 win at the Farmington Civic Center... Poplar Bluff girls bank first district since 2005 (02/25/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor JACKSON -- Aereill Davis needed help getting to the locker room following the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship game. Davis' teammates were there for her after Poplar Bluff's leading scorer injured her ankle in the first quarter Friday night. The Lady Mules held off Jackson 48-40 then gave the senior a piggy-back ride off the court... Jackson girls fall to Bluff in district final (02/23/08) JACKSON -- Poplar Bluff's Jasmin Sumrall was unfazed when Jackson staged a late comeback against her team Friday night. The Indians, after trailing by as many as 12 points in third quarter, stormed back to make it a one-point deficit with 5 minutes, 45 seconds left in their Class 5 District 1 girls basketball championship game... Jackson boys repeat as district champions (02/23/08) JACKSON -- The Jackson High School boys basketball team anticipated a close game with Poplar Bluff. Why wouldn't the Indians? After all, when the squads met a little more than a month ago, Jackson won by five points. Nothing that happened in the first quarter of Friday night's Class 5 District 1 championship game suggested that the rematch would be any different... Robbins resigns from Poplar Bluff football post (02/22/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff became the latest SEMO North school looking for a new football coach Wednesday when Brian Robbins submitted his resignation after two seasons. Robbins was hired Tuesday night by Hillsboro. "It was a tough decision," Robbins said. "I went up and interviewed and didn't have any expectations that I would leave but they gave me a good deal. It was a family decision."... Poplar Bluff girls end Central's season (02/21/08) JACKSON -- Cape Central's upset bid stalled in the third quarter Wednesday night as top-seeded Poplar Bluff won 53-37, advancing to the Class 5 District 1 championship game. Central pulled within five in the opening minutes of the second half, but never got closer... Surging Mules get shot at district title (02/20/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor JACKSON -- Poplar Bluff is looking to spoil the party at The Pit. The Mules advanced to the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship game with a 79-61 win Tuesday night against third-seeded Hillsboro. Poplar Bluff (11-14) will face host Jackson (19-7) at 7 p.m. Thursday for the district title... Poplar Bluff, Hillsboro square off for spot in final (02/19/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff's roller-coaster ride can be summed up in the Mules' final two games of the regular season -- a 43-point loss to Notre Dame and a 16-point win against Charleston. "If we can figure out how to bottle that from game to game this team -- I'm not saying they can produce a miracle -- but this team will definitely surprise some people," said Mules coach Lamont Frazier of his team's effort against Charleston... Lady Mules not looking past first step (02/19/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff heads into the postseason on a roll, winners of their last 13 games, and as the top seed in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 tournament in Jackson. But to get a shot at their first title since 2005, the Lady Mules must not overlook Cape Central... Central may face Jackson for fifth time this season (02/18/08) The Jackson vs. Central rivalry game has been a common occurrence this winter. The two boys basketball teams have played each other four times. And there is still a chance for one more meeting in the Class 5 District 1 tournament this week. District action begins today at Jackson High School... A fresh start: Mules open senior night with 11-0 run (02/17/08) Chaligoj scores 30 points to lead Poplar Bluff past Charleston 73-57. Poplar Bluff's Swesey finishes third in state wrestling (02/17/08) By TOBY CARRIG ~ Southeast Missourian COLUMBIA -- Perhaps the hardest part of the MSHSAA Wrestling Championships for most wrestlers is dealing with that first loss. With the exception of the state finalists, it happens to everyone. It happened to Poplar Bluff senior Paul Swesey during Friday night's semifinals, when the 189-pounder was pinned by Carthage's Austen Heidlage in the first period... Senior moment: Poplar Bluff girls earn share of SEMO title (02/15/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff's seniors went out with a bang Thursday night. The Lady Mules earned a share of the SEMO Conference title and picked up win No. 20 on Senior Night by beating Doniphan, 63-20. "It was kind of sad to see it go, but we're not done yet," said senior Stefanie Ferguson of her final game at Peters Gym... Trio of Mules wrestlers stay alive at state (02/15/08) By DAR STAFF COLUMBIA -- Paul Swesey got off to a good start in his quest for another allstate medal. The Poplar Bluff senior advanced to the second round of the MSHSAA Class 3 championships with a pin Thursday in his 189-pound match. Swesey, who is making his fourth straight state appearance, finished sixth last season... Comeback trail: Poplar Bluff rallies to beat Dexter (02/14/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor DEXTER -- Poplar Bluff made up for a horrendous second half back in December by putting together a brilliant one Wednesday night to climb into the race for the SEMO Conference title. The Lady Mules rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Dexter 61-53, producing a three-way tie atop the SEMO standings with the Lady Bearcats and Jackson... Lady Mules surge past Dexter in second half (02/14/08) Poplar Bluff win forces three-way tie atop SEMO Conference Lady 'Cats fall at home to Lady Mules (02/14/08) A 10-point Dexter lead heading into the second half melted away like winter's ice on a warm day as the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules defeated the Lady Bearcats, 61-53, on Senior Night to grab a share of the SEMO Conference's regular-season championship. Poplar Bluff senior Aereill Davis spearheaded a furious third quarter rally that saw the Lady Mules turn a 27-17 deficit into a 41-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter... Notre Dame whips Poplar Bluff in first half (02/10/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A week before the end of the regular season, the Poplar Bluff Mules suffered their most lopsided loss of the season Friday night, losing to state-ranked Notre Dame, 81-38. "A humbling experience like this can do a lot for you," Mules coach Lamont Frazier said. "It makes you realize that you're not there yet and you still have some work to do."... Surque wins 112 district title in overtime (02/10/08) By DAR STAFF FARMINGTON -- Poplar Bluff qualified five wrestlers for the MSHSAA Class 3 Championships and finished sixth as a team Saturday night. Paul Swesey became the first Poplar Bluff wrestler to qualify for state in all four years, while Zach Surque became the youngest Mule to ever win a district title... Tribe takes its revenge on Dexter (02/10/08) The Kennett Indians remembered their last meeting with the Dexter Bearcats all too well. In that game, the Bearcats led by 15 points at the half before holding on for a six-point win at the SEMO Conference Tournament... Kennett hammers Dexter (02/10/08) KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Indians remembered their last meeting with the Dexter Bearcats all too well. In that game, the Bearcats led by 15 points at the half before holding on for a six-point win at the SEMO Conference Tournament. "We had a little thing against Dexter," Kennett junior Blake Parr said. "They beat us last time we played them this year and we felt like we needed to get revenge."... Lady 'Cats pass another physical test, lock up district tournament's top seed (02/10/08) If Dexter coach Chad Allen wanted his Lady Bearcats battle tested heading into district play he's getting his wish. For the third straight game, the Lady Bearcats have found themselves in a fast paced, physical game and for the third time they have passed the test with a win. The most recent game came Friday at home as Dexter defeated Perryville, 52-36, in a clash of Class 4, District 1 teams... Mules look to pin down trip to state (02/08/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor It's been two weeks since Poplar Bluff's last match so when the Mules open the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 tournament today will they'll be rested or rusty? "Every coach says something different," Mules coach Brian Wisdom said. "The way I see it, I think it makes them more hungry."... DIGEST: Poplar Bluff native to fight on Fox Sports Midwest (02/07/08) Poplar Bluff sophomore Trent Hillis competes in events in Florida. Injuries have not kept Sorrell from helping Poplar Bluff swimmers (02/07/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Laying in a hospital bed with a broken wrist and having just come out of surgery to repair her small intestine, Nancy Sorrell wanted to know when she could get back to the pool. Not in the water, necessarily, just around it and her teammates... Poplar Bluff's Klaproth signs with Southeast (02/07/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Poplar Bluff's Philip Klaproth took full advantage of the first day for athletes to sign Letters of Intent to particular programs on Wednesday. Klaproth will be attending Southeast Missouri State University in the fall after he signed his letter in the lobby of Peters Gym... Mules set tone with inside job (02/06/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Lamont Frazier's campaign strategy on Super Tuesday was simple for his Poplar Bluff Mules -- throw it inside early. Jay Raulston scored the first six points at Peters Gym and had 13 of his game-high 21 points by the end of the first quarter as the Mules beat Caruthersville 58-24... Sikeston boys cruise to easy road win (02/05/08) Risco boys, Portageville girls each claim victories Mules swimmers fall to St. Vincent (02/05/08) By DAR STAFF Poplar Bluff's Kayla Huett and Jackie LeGrand finished first and second in the 50-meter freestyle Monday but the Lady Mules finished second to host St. Vincent 142-97. "They just had more 'desire' at the end of races than we did," Poplar Bluff coach Beth Lewis said. "We also had about half the team sick either before, during or after the meet so illness was a huge downfall for us."... Poplar Bluff girls shake off rust, beat Kelly 64-28 (02/05/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor The Lady Mules gave Poplar Bluff's future cheerleaders plenty to cheer about Monday night. Aereill Davis had 10 steals, eight points and seven assists for Poplar Bluff, which forced a season-best 32 turnovers and beat Kelly 64-28... Jackson girls rally behind strong 'D' (02/05/08) The Jackson girls basketball team entered halftime down by six at Sikeston on Monday. The Indians decided it was time for some defense after the break. Jackson allowed one point in the third quarter and two in the fourth as it allowed three points in the entire second half. Jackson outscored Sikeston 28-3 in the decisive half... Sikeston blows past Poplar Bluff (02/03/08) Bulldogs use strong second half to put away Mules. Third time not a charm for Mules (02/03/08) In third attempt to topple Sikeston, Poplar Bluff loses track of Bulldogs in second half. New Madrid earns key conference win against Mules (01/30/08) Risco rallies in fourth quarter to knock off the North Pemiscot Mustangs New Madrid County surges past Poplar Bluff (01/30/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor Poplar Bluff's fortunes changed quicker than the weather Tuesday. Riding a three-game winning streak and building a double-digit lead in the first quarter, the Mules couldn't weather the storm of turnovers and missed rebounds in a 59-52 loss to New Madrid County Central... Perryville girls rout Crystal City (01/29/08) Perryville outscored Crystal City 24-6 in the second quarter to help secure the 62-34 road win in girls basketball action Monday. Ava Johnson scored 16 for the Pirates (15-4) to lead the way. Kendra Schilli chipped in 12, and Alicia Kueker netted 11 in the win... Mules' football schedule falls into place (01/28/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Bill Caputo compares the day MSHSAA releases the football district pairings to working the New York Stock Exchange. Poplar Bluff's athletic director had just two games set before the announcement Friday that the Mules will stay in Class 4 District 1 with Farmington, Sikeston and West Plains. By that afternoon, Caputo and Mules coach Brian Robbins were driving home with a full 10-game schedule for the next two years... East Prairie shocks state-ranked Hayti (01/27/08) Staff Reports ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com HAYTI -- The East Prairie Eagles stunned state-ranked Hayti " on the road Friday 66-49. "We are extremely pleased with the way our kids played tonight against a very good Hayti team," said East Prairie coach Matt Schonoff. "I think this is the best game we've played all year."... Poplar Bluff wrestlers end up second at De Soto (01/27/08) By DAR STAFF De SOTO -- Poplar Bluff had three wrestlers win their weight class and two more reach the finals Saturday night, but the Mules finished second as a team by the slimmest of margins. De Soto edged Poplar Bluff by half a point in the team standings... Party time: Poplar Bluff on a winning streak (01/27/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor The Mules got the party started early Friday night during homecoming. Poplar Bluff scored the first 12 points and held off a secondhalf charge by Cape Central to win 56-49 as the Mules put together their first winning streak in nearly two years... Central falls behind early, suffers 56-49 loss to Bluff (01/26/08) Poplar Bluff scored the first 12 points of the game against Central, but the Tigers boys basketball team refused to quit Friday night. The Tigers rallied behind a trio of 3-pointers by Anthony Watts in the third quarter, pulling within 41-36 heading into the final quarter, but the Mules held on for the 56-49 victory... Poplar Bluff pins Dexter for a third time (01/25/08) Seniors sent off in style with 59-22 victory. Poplar Bluff stays in Class 4 for football (01/25/08) New SEMO North member Farmington replaces Cape Central in Class 4 District 1. Mules approach fork in road at homecoming (01/24/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor After winning two of three games in Springfield, Poplar Bluff coach Lamont Frazier says his team has come to a fork in the road. "We've still got plenty of time to go either way," he said. "Friday night is going to tell us a lot about the direction we're heading."... Poplar Bluff's winning streak reaches 10 (01/23/08) Lady Mules surge in second half to beat Farmington 57-46 Puxico shakes slow start at Stoddard County tourney (01/22/08) By DAR STAFF Puxico overcame a slow start Monday night to beat Richland 55-45 in the Stoddard County Tournament. "They got off to a 6-0 start and we started pressing and we established ourselves," Puxico coach Josh Dowdy said. "I felt like it turned the game around."... Lady Mules rally for overtime win against St. Louis Notre Dame (01/20/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Poplar Bluff's only field goal of the fourth quarter came just in time Saturday. Tori Williams scored from the paint with 12 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, and she capped a 6-0 run to start overtime with two free throws as the Lady Mules rallied to beat St. Louis Notre Dame 56-48... Poplar Bluff girls too much for Sikeston (01/18/08) Lady Bulldogs fall into old habits with unforced turnovers Trip to Springfield starts with loss for struggling Mules (01/18/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor When Poplar Bluff won its first state title in 2004, it wasn't until after a trip to Springfield for a three-day tournament that the Mules, who were 8-5 when they left, started clicking. Having not won a game in 2008, these Poplar Bluff Mules are not on a vacation this weekend in Springfield... "Sluggish" start can't slow Poplar Bluff (01/18/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor SIKESTON -- Here's a scary thought for teams about to face the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules -- they turned in their best defensive performance of the season and didn't play that well. "I thought we were a little sluggish in the first half," Lady Mules coach Kirk Chronister said. "We didn't play with much intensity and a little lackadaisical."... Poplar Bluff wrestlers ready for test at SEMO meet (01/17/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor After a disappointing weekend in a tournament that featured many of their district opponents, the Poplar Bluff Mules will try to get back on track at the SEMO Conference championships. The two-day tournament starts Friday at Sikeston... Treat for Leet: Jackson senior leads Indians past Poplar Bluff (01/16/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor With the game tied midway through the fourth quarter Tuesday night, Jackson's Jake Leet knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Less than a minute later the senior did it again, leading a late Indians charge at Peters Gym... Poplar Bluff pins New Madrid 72-6 (01/16/08) By DAR STAFF NEW MADRID -- The Poplar Bluff Mules got ready for the upcoming SEMO Conference tournament by dispatching New Madrid County Central 72-6 Tuesday night. Three of Poplar Bluff's eight pins were in under a minute as the Mules bounced back from a tough weekend... Leet stays hot as Jackson boys top Bluff 69-64 (01/16/08) Jake Leet was the hero for the second straight game as the Jackson boys basketball team picked up another victory. Leet poured in 32 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, as the Indians slipped past host Poplar Bluff 69-64 Tuesday night. Jackson improved to 13-5 overall and 4-0 in SEMO Conference play. Poplar Bluff is 5-10 and 1-1... Early run has Poplar Bluff back in SEMO Conference race (01/15/08) The Mules raced to a 21-6 lead en route to a 58-33 victory against Notre Dame on Monday night. Mules' stubborn defense derails ND (01/15/08) POPLAR BLUFF -- Most teams that face the Notre Dame girls basketball team know by now that slowing sophomore center Jane Morrill is a top priority. Poplar Bluff became the first team in a month to be able to execute that strategy. The Mules jumped on Notre Dame early and cruised to a 58-33 victory in a meeting of two of the hottest teams in the SEMO Conference... Notre Dame's Brumitt quite familiar with Poplar Bluff (01/15/08) POPLAR BLUFF -- Notre Dame junior Emily Brumitt is no stranger to the members of the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team, and that made Monday night's outcome an especially difficult one. Brumitt, who grew up in Poplar Bluff before moving to Cape Girardeau before her freshman year, expects to get some ribbing from her Poplar Bluff friends... Lady Mules rally from 11 down to beat Parkway South (01/13/08) By DAR STAFF ST. LOUIS -- Poplar Bluff rallied from an 11-point, second-half deficit Saturday afternoon to beat Parkway South, 57-51. The Lady Mules won their sixth straight game by hitting 29-of-40 free throws and outrebounding the Patriots 35-18. "We really crashed the boards well," Lady Mules coach Kirk Chronister said. "Best job all year of keeping the opposition off the boards."... Royals win Butler County battle (01/13/08) Twin Rivers scores in closing seconds to upend Poplar Bluff 71-70. Malden clobbers Bloomfield; Royals slip past Mules (01/13/08) High School Roundup Three-pointers lead Poplar Bluff past New Madrid County (01/11/08) Davis goes 5-for-5 on 3-pointers. Poplar Bluff, Twin Rivers ready for battle of Butler County (01/10/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Twin Rivers hasn't beaten cross-country rival Poplar Bluff in 10 years. The Mules, meanwhile, have lost three straight games. The annual battle of Butler County teams may turn into a war Friday night at Peters Gym... Doniphan freezes Mules with 50-34 win (01/09/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor DONIPHAN -- Charles Wilson sat on the Doniphan bench with four fouls midway through the fourth quarter Tuesday night when Poplar Bluff pulled within four. Dons coach Jason Andrews had seen enough. He called a timeout and put the 6-1 senior back on the court... Poplar Bluff wrestlers try to pick up intensity (01/09/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor PARK HILLS -- Following a second-place finish over the weekend in which they missed the tournament title by eight points, the Poplar Bluff Mules returned Tuesday night to Park Hills Central. The Mules, who took six matches by forfeit, got four pins and a technical fall to win 65-15... Lady Mules trap Twin Rivers 64-38 (01/08/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Twin Rivers had the ball up two in the opening minutes Monday night at Peters Gym when the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules sprung their trap. After forcing five turnovers in the Lady Royals' next six possessions, Poplar Bluff led by double digits in the first Battle of Black River since 1994. In all, the Lady Mules forced 20 turnovers and won 64-38... Lady Mules regroup after loss of senior (01/06/08) Nancy Sorrell sustained season-ending injuries in a car accident. Defensive pressure lifts Bluff past Parkway West (01/06/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff turned up the heat Saturday afternoon at Peters Gym. The Lady Mules forced 22 turnovers in the first half alone and cruised past the Parkway West Longhorns 58-33. "They had a big size advantage so we felt our advantage was a little bit of quickness," Lady Mules coach Kirk Chronister said. "We tried to put a lot of pressure on them in the full-court press and the half-court trap."... Defense helps Poplar Bluff girls overcome slow start (01/04/08) Lady Mules dominate Zickfield-less Cape Central 57-27. Steffens leads Saxony to 10-point win (01/04/08) Bret Steffens went to work early, scoring eight points in the first quarter, to help lead the Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team to a 57-47 victory at Oran on Thursday. Steffens finished with a team-high 17 points and 12 rebounds. Max Wieser added 12 points and Ben Courtois 11. Austin Kwikkel chipped in 13 rebounds for the Crusaders (9-2)... Farmington rallies past frosty Poplar Bluff (01/03/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor FARMINGTON -- After a hot start Wednesday night, Poplar Bluff's shooting touch turned frosty and the Mules were left out in the cold as Farmington rallied for a 66-56 win. "We didn't guard well, we shot the ball well," Mules coach Lamont Frazier said. "Consequently, when shots don't fall and the defense hadn't been there, then you've got problems."... Sikeston downs Mules for fifth place at Poplar Bluff (01/02/08) Bulldogs use the free throw line in win, hit 22-of-24 Mules respond with tourney win following 'mental' practice (12/30/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor Following a 30-point loss to start the Poplar Bluff Showdown, Poplar Bluff coach Lamont Frazier told his team to change into their practice uniforms. "We were nervous going to the Junior High thinking about that he was going to run our shoes off," senior Jeremy Mitchell said... Johnson's free throw lifts Mules to third at Dyersburg girls tourney (12/30/07) By DAR STAFF DYERSBURG, Tenn. -- Ruthie Johnson hit the second of two free throws to lift the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules to a 47-46 win Saturday in the third-place game of the Dyersburg Tournament. "It's good to get two wins out of that tournament," Lady Mules coach Kirk Chronister said. "It's a strong tournament."... Mules end up in sixth at their showdown (12/30/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff's roller-coaster season continued Saturday with a sixth-place finish at the 21st annual Poplar Bluff Showdown. In the three-day tournament, the Mules lo