Poplar Bluff

BROSELEY — The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team tried to make a last-ditch effort to send the third-place game of the Lady Royal Christmas Classic into overtime, but the Hail Mary inbound and 3-point try fell short as Neelyville took third with a 48-45 win over the Lady Mules...

Twenty years after the Poplar Bluff Mules defeated Vashon for the Class 5 state boys basketball championship, the Wolverines got some revenge Saturday afternoon. Vashon sprinted out to a big early lead and never let up as it rolled to an 81-28 win over the Mules in the finals of the 37th Poplar Bluff Showdown at Mules Gymnasium...

BROSELEY — The Doniphan Donettes put the pedal to the metal and didn’t let up against Poplar Bluff in the semifinals of the Lady Royal Christmas Classic on Friday, taking the contest 57-26. Throughout the entire 32 minutes, Doniphan displayed its signature style of pressuring the ball in the backcourt...

The Poplar Bluff Mules are moving on to the championship game of the 37th annual Poplar Bluff Basketball Showdown. In front of a roaring home crowd at Mules Gymnasium, the Mules advanced to Showdown finals with a hard-fought 50-43 victory Friday night over the Izard County Cougars of northern Arkansas...

Down by seven points going into the fourth quarter, the Poplar Bluff basketball Mules faced the prospect of losing in the first round of their home tournament on Thursday, but the Mules were resilient as they came from behind for a 57-53 win over the Urbana Tigers of Illinois in the 37th Annual Poplar Bluff Showdown. The Mules (5-3) will take on Izard County from northern Arkansas in a semifinal contest at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Cougars downed McCracken County, Kentucky in overtime in Thursday's first contest...

This year’s 37th edition of the Poplar Bluff Showdown will feature a blend of old and new. Four new teams — Trinity Christian from west Tennessee, Kansas City Staley (who is receiving votes in Class 6) and a pair of Arkansas schools in Maumelle and Izard County Consolidated — will join five-time Showdown champion Vashon (the No. ...

The Poplar Bluff Mules Booster Club has named Wren Cotrell and Owen McDaniel of Poplar Bluff High School the November Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. McDaniel, a senior swimmer, set a new school record of 1:04.14 last month in the 100-yard breaststroke while placing 25th in the state competition, as well as 23rd as a member of the 200-yard medley relay team with a time of 1:47.11...

BROSELEY — The quarterfinal round of the Lady Royals Christmas Classic featured a wild one between Poplar Bluff and East Carter on Monday afternoon and the Lady Mules came out on top 51-48 in a close back-and-forth game. “I’m proud of the team,” Poplar Bluff coach Soley Dugas said. “I’m just proud of the girls believing and trusting in me and executing.”...

Twin Rivers beats Malden 60-49 in the Lady Royals Christmas Classic opener, advancing to the winner's bracket.

BROSELEY — The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team came into the Lady Royal Christmas Classic on Saturday with some swagger as the Lady Mules routed Holcomb 53-27 in the opening round. Jadyn Brandon led the Lady Mules’ offense with 11 points, while Allie Johnson was right behind her with eight in the game. The Lady Mules struggled from the charity stripe going only 6-for-14...

BROSELEY — Since its inception in the late 1990s, the Lady Royals Christmas Classic at Twin Rivers High School has become one of the premier holiday tournaments in Southeast Missouri. This year’s tournament tips off Saturday and concludes next Saturday, with three days off — Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after Christmas...

SIKESTON — The Poplar Bluff boys basketball team turned it on in the second half of the consolation final at the SEMO Conference Tournament. The Mules did so by powering past New Madrid County Central 58-35 on Friday at the Sikeston Field House. Poplar Bluff ended up going 2-1 in the tournament after dropping the opening round to Notre Dame, then winning consolation contests over Dexter and NMCC...

Doniphan, Neelyville, Portageville and East Carter are the top four seeds at the Lady Royals Christmas Classic, which tips off next Saturday (Dec. 21) at Twin Rivers High School in Broseley. Top-seeded Doniphan and No. 2 Neelyville have first-round byes...

Chase O'Neal was synonymous with Poplar Bluff Mules football this fall as a starter on both the offensive and defensive lines and also as a team leader. Now, that success is paying off for him, as he has signed to be a preferred walk-on at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau...

The Poplar Bluff basketball Lady Mules continued their winning ways on Thursday with a 44-34 win over the Scott County Central Bravettes, improving their home record to 2-0 and their overall record to 5-2 on the season. “I thought we played hard,” Poplar Bluff coach Soley Dugas said. ...

SIKESTON – The Poplar Bluff High School boys basketball squad starts just two seniors and its key reserves are a junior and a sophomore, but the Mules played more like a seasoned group on Wednesday, as the Mules held off a rallying Dexter team 43-38 in the consolation semifinal round of the SEMO Conference Boys Basketball Tournament at the Sikeston Field House.

SIKESTON — Tuesday’s opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament was a tough one to swallow for the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team as the Mules dropped a tight one against Notre Dame 41-37. “It comes down to that we need to grow as team,” Poplar Bluff coach William Durden said. “We didn’t execute down late and they did. Our inexperience kind of showed a little bit, but we’re going to get better.”...

The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team held its home opener on Monday — and there wasn’t much to complain about for Lady Mules fans as the team took care of Bloomfield/Richland 66-20. “We played really good defense,” Poplar Bluff coach Soley Dugas said. “We came together and communicated really well. There are just a few little things that we’ve been trying to emphasize and it goes to show that once those little things come together good things happen as it did tonight.”...

CAPE GIRARDEAU — December has been good to the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules basketball team so far. The Lady Mules improved to 3-1 for the month and 3-2 overall when they defeated 50-37 on Friday night to take fifth place at the SEMO Conference Tournament...

The Poplar Bluff Mules boys basketball team lost to the Ladue Horton Watkins Rams 70-49 Friday night at the Mules gymnasium. Both teams came into Friday’s game undefeated, with the Mules at 1-0 and the Rams at 3-0. The Mules dropped to 1-1, while Ladue improved to 4-0 on the season...

The Mules Booster Club has named Olivia Thetford and Alex Bedell of Poplar Bluff High School the October Athletes of the Month. The award is presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Bedell, a senior soccer player, scored 14 goals with 11 assists for the season. ...

The Poplar Bluff Mules boys varsity basketball team opened up its season at home with a 60-53 victory over the Caruthersville Tigers on Tuesday night at Mules Gymnasium. The Mules picked up their first win of the season to start 1-0, while the Tigers remained winless at 0-3...

The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules swimming and diving team won eight of 12 events to defeat Notre Dame 99-71 in Monday’s home opener at the Black River Coliseum pool. In the 200 medley relay, the team of Keira Willis, Lily Gregory, Abby Bledsoe and Hannah Bledsoe won with a time of 2:10.56 to set the tone for the meet...

St. Vincent's playoff run ends in the state semifinals, while Jackson tops the Semoball 2024 football rankings. Discover the top 10 teams and standout players of the season.

SEMO NORTH FIRST TEAM OFFENSE QB — Brett Drye, Farmington, sr., 6-1, 180; QB — Jay Edmundson, Poplar Bluff, sr., 6-0, 178; RB — Keyshawn Boyd, Cape Central, jr., 6-0, 190; RB — Jaylon Hampton, Jackson, soph., 5-7, 165; RB — Zai’Aire Thomas, Cape Central, sr., 5-6, 165; WR — Hunter Clifford, Poplar Bluff, sr., 6-1, 166; WR — Kai Crowe, Jackson, sr. ...

Steven Edwards is known to many in Southeast Missouri for his successes on the baseball diamond — first as a player at Poplar Bluff High School in the mid-1990s and later as a successful coach, first at his alma mater and now at Dexter. However, there is another sport Edwards is passionate about — golf. When he is not coaching and teaching at Dexter, Edwards has begun playing on the Veterans Golf Association Tour...

Several local players were represented when the SEMO North Conference recently released its all-conference squad. Two Dexter players — Kate Nichols and Cali White — earned first-team all-conference honors, while two Poplar Bluff players, Ireland Gowen and Morgan Cisne, were named second-team all-conference, as was Dexter’s Avery Riley...

The story of the 2024 Poplar Bluff football Mules, to paraphrase Charles Dickens, could be titled, “A Tale of Two Teams,” but with a reversal of Dickens’ famous opening line, “It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.” The worst of times was the start of the season, which saw the Mules begin the first half of their schedule 1-4 with home losses to Farmington and Cape Central...

The 2024 MSHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships began on Thursday, Nov. 14, in St. Peters, starting with the Class 2 preliminary heats. Jackson competed as a team in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Jackson senior Wade LaValle placed 19th in the 200-yard freestyle and finished 16th 500-yard freestyle to qualify for the finals on Friday...

The Poplar Bluff football Mules have earned a well-justified reputation as road warriors this season. All five of the Mules' wins entering Friday's district semifinal at Cape Central have come on the road, including a three-game winning streak that includes wins at Kennett, Hillsboro and last week's district opener at Farmington...

It wasn’t exactly in the short-term career plans for Poplar Bluff graduate Madison (Moore) Brannon. But things are shaping up nicely. Brannon, a 2021 graduate of the Mules, has accepted the district’s offer to become the girls swimming assistant coach, as she formally accepted the offer on Oct. 9. She hopes to help the team build off last year’s 11-3 record...

The Poplar Bluff football Mules will follow up their 56-21 postseason victory over Farmington last week with a Class 5 District 1 semifinal showdown at Cape Central this Friday. Poplar Bluff improved to 5-5 on the season with a dominating road victory, with all five wins so far coming on the road...

Poplar Bluff surges with a key win, setting the stage for a major clash between Caruthersville and East Prairie in the postseason. Discover who's climbing the Semoball Area Football Power Rankings.

Fifteen years ago, Tara Porter was a first-team all-state basketball player at Greenville High School. Porter now finds herself on the other side of the bench as she is in her third season as the team trainer for all sports, including football, at Poplar Bluff High School...

FARMINGTON — The Poplar Bluff football Mules continued their Road Warriors tour in the 2024 season with a 56-21 trouncing of the Farmington Knights Friday night in the opening weekend of the Class 5 District 1 playoffs. The Mules improved to 5-5 on the season, with all five of their wins coming on the road, but none of the others were as dominating or decisive of their win at Farmington...

Seeing standout Poplar Bluff girls golfer Olivia Thetford sign her letter of intent to play at the collegiate level was a “bittersweet moment” for Lady Mules head coach Tyler Davis. “She was one of the first golfers that I've had,” Davis said. “When I first started coaching, my first year was with the girls golf team, and she was one of my first six — so it means a lot having her finally get through the program and going off to the next level and playing golf. ...

The Poplar Bluff football Mules are riding high after a 3-1 finish to the regular season into a Class 5 District 1 showdown with Farmington this Friday. Following a 36-28 road win at Hillsboro last week, the Mules finished 4-5 on the year with a 4-1 road record. Considering the Mules went 0-4 at home, Poplar Bluff may feel more comfortable as the visitors in Farmington...

The Poplar Bluff Mules boys soccer team ended the regular season with a bang Monday night when the Mules shut out North County 8-0. More than that, senior Alex Bedell scored three goals to record the hat trick for the Mules (12-7-1), while Landen Deaton also had a pair of goals...

Get ready for postseason high school football in Southeast Missouri as Jackson holds the top spot after a dominant win over Festus. Discover the final regular season top 10 rankings and key matchups.

HILLSBORO — The Poplar Bluff football Mules racked up nearly 400 yards of total offense and rallied from a double-digit first-half deficit to pick up a big 36-28 road win over the Hillsboro Hawks on Friday night. With the win, Poplar Bluff ends a three-game losing streak against the Hawks...

HILLSBORO — Brothers Preston and Payton Brown have become synonymous with excellence during their careers on the football field. Both Browns helped the Hillsboro football Hawks reach the Class 4 state championship game last fall — and that success has continued in 2024...

Following a dominant 39-0 road shutout at Kennett last Friday, the Poplar Bluff football Mules hope to close out their regular season strong this Friday on the road against the Hillsboro Hawks. The Mules improved to 3-5 on the season, while Hillsboro fell to 4-4 with a 62-35 loss at Chaminade. The Mules beat Chaminade on the road 14-12 in week two...

The Mules Booster Club has named Poplar Bluff High School athletes Hannah Kee and Jay Edmundson as the September Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Edmundson, who is the Mules starting quarterback, has amassed 1,283 passing yards and 493 rushing yards this season, as of the recognition, for a total of 1,206 career rushing yards...

ST. LOUIS — The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules tennis team saw its season end in the Class 2 state quarterfinals on Monday with a 5-0 loss to MICDS. “Our girls played solid tennis today but came up short,” Poplar Bluff coach Michelle Massey said. “Many of their games went to deuce, which shows our girls hung in there. I’m proud of their season and how they stayed strong all season.”...

East Prairie dominates Charleston, climbing rankings as Poplar Bluff reclaims a spot. Jackson and St. Vincent hold top positions in Southeast Missouri's Week 9 football power rankings.

KENNETT — The Poplar Bluff football Mules scored early and often to roll to a 39-0 victory over the Kennett Indians Friday night at Metz Cherry Stadium. The Mules (3-5) jumped out to a 33-0 lead after the opening period and never looked back as Kennett fell to 0-8...

Poplar Bluff shuts out Kennett 39-0 on Senior Night, scoring five touchdowns in the first quarter.

Editor's note: This the second part of a two-part story. Part One ran in the Oct. 12 edition of the Daily American Republic and can be found online at semoball.com Current Poplar Bluff assistant football coach Mark Barousse has a legacy with the Mules that goes beyond the 77 wins and two district championships he racked up in 12 seasons at the program's helm from 1997 to 2001 and 2011 to 2017...

It was a great day to be a Jackson Indian at Thursday’s SEMO Conference cross country meet. The Indians and Lady Indians easily claimed both team titles in the annual culmination to the regular season at Ozark Ridge Golf Course in Poplar Bluff — but it was a pair of Notre Dame runners who won individual titles to take momentum into the postseason...

The last time the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules won a district title in tennis, none of their current players had been born yet. The Lady Mules defeated Notre Dame 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon at the Poplar Bluff High School tennis courts to wrap up the Class 2 District 1 championship, their first district title since 2003 — and just the third in school history. Poplar Bluff also won a district title in 1989...