C5D1: Mules, Tigers have long history

Poplar Bluff travels to Cape Central on Friday for the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship game for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday.

The winners advances to the state quarterfinal next week against the District 2 champion, either top-seeded Eureka (9-1) or second-seeded MICDS (10-1).

The Tigers are seeking their first district title since 2016 while Poplar Bluff last won it in 2000.

The longtime conference rivals last met with the district title on the line in 2003 but this is the first time since 1922 they have met a second time in the same season. Poplar Bluff, known at the Yellow Jackets at the time since they wore jerseys with yellow and black stripes, won the first meeting 3-0 and lost the second meeting at the end of the season 14-6.

From 1953-59, Poplar Bluff and Cape Central played each Thanksgiving to end the season. The winner got a trophy of a rubber boot painted silver, the heel of the boot outlined and the team’s mascots positioned as they are on the map. The trophy was retired after the Mules won three straight years. Today, it is on display at the Poplar Bluff Museum.

The Tigers lead the all-time series 53-40-5 after winning earlier this year 14-7 at Poplar Bluff.

The Mules had won five of the previous six meetings but two of those wins were by a combined three points.

Poplar Bluff won 28-12 at Cape Central last season. It was on the second win there since the Tigers moved into their on-campus field in 2011. The Mules, now 2-4 at Central, also won 29-28 in 2017.

This will be the first district playoff between the two teams since 2007. From 1988 to 2007, the teams split 18 meetings.

Poplar Bluff clinched the 1998 district title with a 28-27 win in triple overtime at Cape Central.

In 2003, the Mules were undefeated and ranked sixth in Class 4 when they met the Tigers at Morrow Stadium. Central won 49-28 to advance to the state playoffs.

Under the current playoff format, which started in 2012, this is Poplar Bluff’s first appearance in the district final. Central last played in the 2019 final, losing 45-35 to Farmington, and won four straight district titles from 2013-16, finishing second in Class 4 in 2014.

Both teams had their season end last year with a loss to Seckman, which beat the Tigers 25-0 in the quarterfinal before a 35-34 win over the Mules in the semifinal.

Tickets may only be purchased online at the Cape Central High School website, which can be accessed with this link, https://bit.ly/FBdistrictTix while admission is $6.

Central announced Wednesday that veterans will be admitted for free and recognized at halftime.

The game will be broadcasted online at www.mshsaa.tv for $10.