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Defending state champion Cardinal Ritter joins Mules, Cape Central in C5D1
The Poplar Bluff Mules football team will face a stiff challenge when district play starts in November.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association released district assignments for all fall sports except for cross country on Friday — and the Mules learned they will be joined in Class 5 District 1 by not only two-time defending district champion Cape Central, but also by defending Class 5 state champion Cardinal Ritter.
Joining the Mules, Cardinal Ritter and Cape Central in District 1 will be SEMO North rival Farmington, plus Mehlville, St. Mary's South Side Catholic and Webster Groves.
Mules coach Jeff Mannon said the Mules are in “a solid district.”
“Ritter is the returning two-time state champ and Cape is coming off semifinal runs the last couple of years,” Mannon said. “Farmington is a well-coached football team that knocked us out last year. Mehlville and Webster Groves have made a lot of improvement the last few years, making them tough outs for somebody — and St. Mary’s won state championships in 2022 and 2021.
“We just tell the kids the other teams all have 15, 16, 17 and 18-year-old kids just like us. It doesn’t really matter who we’re playing in the end. We just expect our kids to give 100% effort on the field and see how the chips fall.”
Meanwhile, the Dexter Bearcats will be in Class 3 District 1 with Kennett, Park Hills Central, Fredericktown, Herculaneum, Potosi and Ste. Genevieve, while the Malden Green Wave will be in Class 1 District 1 with Charleston, Chaffee, Crystal City, Hayti, Louisiana, St. Vincent. Van-Far and Veritas Christian Academy.
“A coach told me a long time ago that those district alignments and assignments don’t matter in the grand scheme of things,” Dexter coach Chad Jamerson said. “When it’s all said and done, if you want to advance, you have to win. While we want to know who the opponent is, it’s really out of your control. I believe most coaches probably take the same view as us — we just want to focus on what we can control.”
The Malden Green Wave will be in Class 1 District 1 with Chaffee, Charleston, Crystal City, Hayti, Louisiana, Perryville St. Vincent, Van-Far and Veritas Christian Academy, while Class 2 District 1 will feature Caruthersville, New Madrid County Central, East Prairie, Kelly, Portageville, Scott City and Valle Catholic of Ste. Genevieve.
Sikeston will be in Class 4 District 1 with Perryville, DeSoto, Festus, Hillsboro, North County and Windsor of Imperial, while, Jackson will be in Class 6 District 1 with Fox, Lindbergh, Oakville, Seckman and Northwest of Cedar Hill.
VOLLEYBALL
The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules volleyball team will be in Class 4 District 1 with Cape Central, Sikeston, Farmington, Hillsboro, North County, DeSoto and West Plains, while Twin Rivers and Malden will be in Class 2 District 1 with Portageville, Senath-Hornersville, East Prairie and Caruthersville.
Puxico will be in Class 2 District 2 with Woodland, Kelly, Scott City, St. Vincent and Charleston, while Clearwater and Greenville will be in Class 2 District 3 with Arcadia Valley, Kingston, West County and Grandview of Hillsboro.
Dexter and Doniphan will be in Class 3 District 1 with Kennett, Notre Dame, NMCC and Saxony Lutheran, while Class 1 District 2 will feature Bernie, Bloomfield, Campbell, Clarkton, Gideon, Richland and Risco.
SOFTBALL
Poplar Bluff will be in Class 4 District 1 with Sikeston, Cape Central, Notre Dame, Farmington, DeSoto and North County, while Naylor and Van Buren will be in Class 1 District 1.
Twin Rivers, East Carter and Neelyville will be joined in Class 2 District 1 by Chaffee, Jefferson of Festus, Kelly and St. Pius X, another Festus school, while Doniphan will be in Class 3 District 1 with Perryville, Saxony Lutheran, Fredericktown, Lutheran South, Herculaneum, Hancock and Notre Dame of St. Louis.
OTHER MULES TEAMS
The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules tennis team will be in Class 2 District 1 with Cape Central, Notre Dame, Farmington, Festus, Mehlville and St. Pius X, while the Mules' boys soccer team will be in Class 3 District 1 with Cape Central, Notre Dame, Sikeston, Farmington, Hillsboro, North County and DeSoto.
In boys swimming and diving, the Mules will compete in Class 1. Meanwhile, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules girls golf team will be in Class 3 District 1 with Cape Central, Farmington, Sikeston and 10 other schools, most of which are in the St. Louis area.