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Mules close regular season with win at Hillsboro
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.
The Mules (4-5) scored 22 straight points to open the second half to turn a 15-14 halftime deficit into a 36-15 lead after a five-yard rushing touchdown from Devin Ferguson — his third TD of the night — with 9:24 left in the contest.
However, Hillsboro (4-5) — who was missing two-way standout and North Dakota State commit Preston Brown — was not done yet.
Karson Campbell hauled in a 10-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Braxton Chazelle with 3:26 left to cut the Poplar Bluff lead to 36-21. The Hawks then recovered an onside kick and needed just 77 seconds to drive 49 yards, finding the end zone on Chazelle's 14-yard scoring toss to Ian Phillips to make it a one-score game at 36-28.
Hillsboro had one final chance when it forced the Mules to punt on their next possession, getting the ball back with 22 seconds left. But the Mules' defense stepped up and sealed the win.
The Hawks took an early 12-0 lead when Chazelle capped a 15-play, 80-yard drive with a four-yard quarterback keeper, but Poplar Bluff came alive from there.
The Mules needed just 92 seconds to go 63 yards, finding paydirt when Ferguson scored on a five-yard run with 4:26 left in the first half. Hunter Clifford kicked the point-after touchdown to cut the deficit to 12-7.
After holding the Hawks to a three-and-out on their ensuing possession, quarterback Jay Edmundson hit Hunter Clifford on a 42-yard TD strike with 1:45 left in the first half to give Poplar Bluff its first lead of the night. Clifford added the PAT to make it 14-12 in favor of the Mules.
Hillsboro retook the lead as it headed to the locker room when Caleb Arnold nailed a 22-yard field goal as the first half ended for a 15-14 edge at the intermission.
The Mules' opening drive of the third period ended on a red-zone interception, but Hillsboro fumbled the ball away two plays later to set the Mules up at the Hawks' 18-yard line. Edmundson then hit Dereck Burton on an 18-yard scoring toss to put Poplar Bluff back in front 21-15 with 8:23 left in the third period.
After forcing a Hillsboro punt, the Mules put together a 13-play, 91-yard drive which was capped by Ferguson's second TD run of the night, a one-yard jaunt with 1:02 left in the third. Edmundson hit Clifford for the two-point conversion and a 29-15 Mules lead headed to the fourth quarter.
Edmundson finished the night 23-for-39 passing for 319 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Clifford hauled in seven passes for 141 yards and a score, while Logan Slack had a game-high nine catches for 113 yards and Burton finished the night with 42 yards and a TD on four catches.
Ferguson led the Poplar Bluff ground game with 35 yards and three TDs on 11 carries, while Caden Jenkins added 29 yards on seven carries.
Chris Duncan paced the Hawks with 124 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Chazelle was 16-for-25 passing for 171 yards and two TDs. Keiten Pipkins led the team with 93 receiving yards on five catches.
With Friday's win, the Mules jumped ahead of Webster Groves in the Class 5 District 1 standings and are tentatively slated to open district play next Friday at Farmington.