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Mannon reflects on first season at Mules’ helm
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.
In those five games, the offense only produced an average of 15.2 points per game, while the defense gave up an average of 39.2 points per game. That disparity did not make supporters optimistic for the Mules’ prospects.
But better times were ahead for the Maroon and White, however.
In the last four games of the regular season, they went 3-1, with their only loss a close overtime game at home against West Plains. Meanwhile, they racked up three road wins and improved their points-per-game average to 32.5 on offense and 22.3 on defense.
The “Road Warriors” opened the Class 5 District 1 playoffs in Farmington with a 56-21 dismantling of the Knights, then fell to Cape Central in the semifinals 28-21, a significant improvement over the results of their regular-season game against the Tigers.
Mules head coach Jeff Mannon provided a look back at the ebbs and flows of their 5-6 season and looked ahead to what promises to be a bright future for Poplar Bluff football.
Sanders: Your team fought hard against a good Cape Central team. In the aftermath, how do you feel about your squad and how they performed?
Mannon: Although we came up just short against Cape Central, I couldn’t be prouder of the effort and heart our team showed. The kids fought to the end against a team that had beaten us by a big margin (49-6) earlier in the season.
Cape’s been to the state semifinals the last two years, and we gave them a run for their money. We gave up a few big plays defensively early that came back to hurt us, but we responded well and held them to just seven points in the second half.
The offense did a great job moving the ball against a solid defense. Our players genuinely believed they could win, and they gave it everything they had, which is all I could ask for as a coach.
Sanders: From preseason to postseason, how much progress did the team make this year?
Mannon: The team made huge strides this year, especially as we found our rhythm around the season’s midpoint. Once things started clicking, we became a solid unit.
Our seniors played a major role in this, laying the foundation for what this program can be in the years to come. They set a family-oriented culture and led by example, showing the younger players what it means to be leaders and teammates. Their impact will be felt well beyond this season.
Sanders: How has what you learned this year going to carry over into next year? What will you keep? What will you try to change?
Mannon: Next summer, we’re aiming for more live, competitive action to build on the foundation we’ve set.
Last summer focused heavily on installing our schemes, but with the fundamentals now in place, we’ll shift to reinforcing and executing.
We’ll continue to preach our core principles and build on the progress we’ve made, focusing on momentum and refinement rather than starting from scratch.
Sanders: What did you and your coaching staff do well this year, and in what ways do you plan to improve?
Mannon: I can’t thank my staff enough for the dedication they’ve shown. They put in countless hours, seven days a week, not just to help our kids win games but to develop them as people.
I think we did a great job laying down the base for our schemes and building a positive team culture.
Looking forward, our goal is to keep reinforcing what we’ve started and find ways to continue growing together as a team and coaching unit.
Sanders: How will you replace your senior leaders, especially at quarterback?
Mannon: We always approach the team with a “next man up” mentality. While it’s tough to replace a player and leader like Jay (Edmundson) at quarterback, he’s done a tremendous job teaching others how to lead.
Our younger players will follow in his footsteps and grow from what he’s instilled in them. We’re focused on developing our next generation of leaders who can build on the foundation this senior class has established.
Sanders: What are your plans for offseason and summer development?
Mannon: The offseason will be all about weight room strength and fundamentals. We need to get physically stronger as a team to compete in our conference.
Summer will bring more opportunities for live competition, including a few 7-on-7s and contact camps.
We’ll work within MSHSAA guidelines to get as many competitive reps as possible, giving our players a chance to strengthen their abilities and confidence in game-like situations.
Sanders: How will the program try to build excellence below the varsity level to develop the teams of the future?
Mannon: I’m excited about the progress at the lower levels this year. We aligned the entire Poplar Bluff football program — from flag to varsity — under the same offensive and defensive schemes.
This approach helps us focus on fundamentals because our players already understand the playbook as they move up.
It’ll take time to see the full impact, but we’re already seeing increased numbers at the lower levels, which is encouraging for the future.