PARK HILLS, Mo. — A pair of teams used to scoring in bunches last year struggled to move the ball early in the season opener Friday night.
Park Hills Central put together a 91-yard scoring drive for the only points before halftime, then used a blocked punt to score early in the third quarter before catching a tipped pass for a long touchdown.
The Rebels forced Poplar Bluff to punt seven times and made a pair of fourth-down stops to beat the Mules 29-7.
Mules coach David Sievers was more concerned with how the team reacted to adversity for the first time instead of how they play.
“I’ve never been so embarrassed with the way the team conducted themselves on and off the field,” he said.
“We just can’t control our emotions.”
It’s the first time Poplar Bluff opened the season with a loss since a seven-point loss to MICDS in 2019. The Mules will look to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2007 when they host Valley View (Ark.) on Friday.
Atari Amos scored Poplar Bluff’s lone touchdown on a 37-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The senior finished with 86 yards rushing on 13 carries.
Poplar Bluff’s offense managed just 60 total yards in the first half but only trailed 7-0.
On the first possession of the second half, the Mules were forced into a three-and-punt. Jeridon Young’s kick from his own 22 was blocked by 6-foot-3 senior Triston Stewart. Mason Williams picked up the ball on a bounce at the 5 and carried it over the goal line.
After forcing another three-and-punt, Central was backed up to its own 8-yard line when Jobe Bryant took a handoff up the middle for 67 yards. Two snaps later, quarterback Casen Murphy hit Bryant on a slant pass in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
Trailing 21-0, the Mules put together their longest drive, 10 plays, but it ended at Central’s 27-yard line on a fourth down pass that fell incomplete.
A short field after a three-and-punt set up Poplar Bluff’s lone score.
On a third-and-7, quarterback Mason West found Romeoh Wontor for a first down. Amos then took a handoff and broke a long run, hopping over the goal line with a defender on his legs.
The Mules trailed 21-7 with 10:30 to play but the margin was back to 21 points less than two minutes later.
On a third-and-7, Murphy’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage but Kannon Harlow hauled it in then turned up field. The junior scored on a 75-yard play and the Rebels went up 29-7 when a botched kick attempt turned into a two-point pass caught by a leaping Hakin Wagner.
The Mules blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt but committed the only turnover of the game on a fumble in the second quarter.
Young, Poplar Bluff’s starting quarterback, completed 4 of 6 passes for 18 yards. He also caught a pass for 6 yards from West, who finished 5 of 17 for 22 yards.
Darius Graham caught one pass for 12 yards, Wontor had 10 yards on two catches, Torrence Williams caught four passes for nine yards and Chris Matlock had one catch for three yards.
Last year the Mules set a program record for points in a season while Central averaged 51.2 points per game.
Both teams had players struggle with cramping issues in the second half.
The Mules were without three seniors who did not dress for the game.