Poplar Bluff Mules seek redemption against Jackson Indians after tough loss

The Poplar Bluff Mules will try to avoid dropping three straight games as they prepare to travel for an SEMO Conference contest against the Jackson Indians.

The Mules took a tough 49-6 loss in their last game against the undefeated Cape Central Tigers. With the trouble of picking up more yardage than their previous game, the Mules had a hard time keeping up with the Tigers' swift game scheme.

Mules coach Jeff Mannon said the team has maintained positivity and trust among the players, emphasizing growth over the season. He mentioned that Cape Central had many weapons and must do a better job of finding a balance on the field.

“We just got a lot of stuff to clean up,” Mannon said. “We still haven’t gelled as a team yet, but I believe we'll be okay as soon as we play three phases of football. I think the issue is having the right footing yet. It’s either the offense getting things done, the defense carrying the offense or something happening on special teams. We’re just working on cleaning up everything so we can finally execute a complete football game.”

Cape Central recorded 427 yards on the Mules and gave them a tough time on the ground game by collecting 314 yards rushing. Despite the Mules getting fewer penalties than the Tigers, the turnovers took a toll on them, making it difficult for them to find a rhythm offensively.

Regardless of the Mules being unable to move the ball, Mannon credited the Tigers for being ready and sharp with their execution.

“They got two of the best backs in the conference, if not the state and those guys are pretty legit,” he said. “We had some tackling issues and some alignment issues that we've worked on and focused on this week. Hopefully, we can take that away moving forward throughout the season.”

With Jackson High School up next, Mannon said, as soon as Cape was done, they looked towards watching film and moved on. The message remained the same: to take everything one game at a time. Regardless of who the Mules are playing, he said the team has to come out and give him their best effort and the chips will fall where they need to.

As the team looks to avoid another loss, Mannon said the focus is on keeping the team excited and ensuring they trust the process, especially as the regular season progresses. He stresses the importance of keeping practices fun and loose to maintain team morale.

“We've shown growth over games, and we just have to keep that going,” Mannon said. “The biggest thing with the kids is to keep them excited and hope they trust in the process. The regular season is important, but It matters when it gets to the playoffs. As long as we get firing in week 10, I think we'll be good to go.”

With a new coaching staff on his hands, he said everyone is still learning and adjusting, with many new members. He said the learning process is ongoing, but the team is starting to see improvements and better coordination.

Mannon believes that once the coaching staff and players are fully aligned, the team will be ready to perform at a higher level.

“All the guys are good,” he said. “Everybody's still learning everything and it's been a process for everybody. I think it's finally starting to click. Once we get going coach and player-wise, I think we're going to be ready to roll.”