They might not have anything to show for it in terms of goals or wins, but the Poplar Bluff soccer team is hoping a string of tough games to end the regular season pays off next week.
The Mules suffered their fourth straight loss, losing 4-0 to Christian Brothers College of St. Louis on Thursday at Mules Stadium, to end the regular season.
"We didn't have anything to show for it goal-wise but the last time we played this team they beat us 7-1," Mules coach Rusty Crafton said. "I think we've improved. I think playing them good teams like that will help us in districts."
The Mules (4-16) will face top-seeded Seckman (13-10) in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill.
Poplar Bluff's district tune-up featured three teams that enter the postseason as top seeds and another that faces a defending state champion every day in practice.
The Cadets (19-2-3), who recorded their 11th shutout of the season, are the junior varsity team for a program that was the Class 4 title last year.
Poplar Bluff also faced Lindbergh, a top seed in Class 4 District 6, Farmington, state-ranked in Class 3, and Saxony Lutheran, which advanced to the Class 1 playoffs Thursday by winning a district title. The four teams are a combined 61-24-4.
"These games are getting us ready for districts so I hope we're going to go do good," said Mules senior Daniel Lozano who leads the team with seven goals.
Poplar Bluff had chances to jump ahead early against CBC.
In the 11th minute, the Mules got a push upfield started by Nik Rowland turned away before Elai Roll had a break thwarted by CBC's keeper. Two minutes later, Poplar Bluff got a corner chance and Lozano's kick was headed by Xander Martin but deflected to Roll who got off a shot that was stopped by a diving save.
The Cadets scored in the 15th minute when junior Jake Bruenning's shot on a break deflected off the hands of Poplar Bluff keeper John Smothers and inside the near post.
Smothers, who was making his second start for injured freshman Justin Moses, made 17 saves. Smothers also got part of Bruenning's shot that scored with 2:21 left in the half.
Smothers stopped a free kick by Blake Ruffino from 20 yards that bent around Poplar Bluff's three-player wall to keep it a one-goal game. The Mules headed out a free kick into the box in the 39th minute but CBC quickly got the ball back to Bruenning for his second goal.
"He knows he's got to step up to the challenge," senior defender Juan Ventura said. "It was really unlucky for us to lose (Moses) but we've just got to deal with it."
Ventura, fellow senior Walter Hickey and a pair of underclassmen kept the back line upfield for the Mules while CBC also played up, compressed the field into the middle 20 yards.
Poplar Bluff had a chance to pull even midway through the first half on Rowland's throw in from the right side. A pair of Mules couldn't redirect in front and the keeper got to the ball before Alex Ketcherside.
In the 31st minute, the Mules had a break by Roll stopped by a whistle for a yellow card to CBC. The ensuing free kick from 25 yards by Lozano was deflected by a defender.
Down 2-0 to start the second half, the Mules got a corner in the 45th minute after Hank Traxel's shot was deflected wide of the net. Lozano's corner found Traxel and the junior's shot was cleared off the goal line by a CBC defender.
"We had our opportunities," Crafton said. "Tuesday night we've got to put them in the back of the net.
"We did a great job transitioning. We had some great diagonal balls, through balls."
The Mules have not scored in their last three games, about 245 minutes, for their second-longest dry spell of the season after suffering five straight shutouts in mid-September. Poplar Bluff has scored 20 goals in 20 games, however, the Mules are 3-2 when scoring two or more in a game.
"It's a little bit frustrating," Lozano said. "We're trying not to let it get in our heads. We just play the game and try to win every game."
The winner Tuesday advances to the district championship game.
Seckman (13-10) earned the top seed with a 4-2 win over Jackson earlier this month and also beat third-seeded Northwest 6-0. The Jaguars ended the regular season with a 4-0 loss at Farmington, which had handed the Mules a 10-0 loss eight days earlier.
Both Poplar Bluff and Seckman were shutout by Lindbergh, 7-0 and 6-0, while both beat Union early in the season, with the Mules winning 2-0 and Seckman winning 10-0.
"I'm hoping the guys, we're not just prepared, but we also have to play with heart and dedication for districts," Ventura said. "We can be prepared as much as we want but at the end of the day what's going to matter is how hard we play."
The kickoff Thursday was moved up to 4:30 p.m. so that coaches and players could attend the visitation for one of three classmates killed in a car accident Saturday. A shirt made in honor of Linda Schulz, Camille McCain and Cody Logan was on the team bench.
During warmups, Poplar Bluff players ran a fire extinguisher to a crew working on the hill on the west end of the stadium when a small bulldozer overheated and caught fire.
CBC scored twice in the span of two minutes after Ruffino's goal in the 52nd minute before Collin Berra set the final score.
"I thought we played good despite the score," Crafton said. "These guys are playing year round, all the time, one of the best programs in the state.
"We'll prepare Monday, see what we can do."