In a season already full of comebacks and late-game drama, the Poplar Bluff football team made things more interesting Friday for Senior Night.
Backup quarterback Mason Libla threw for pair a touchdowns to overcome a 14-point, first-half deficit while Poplar Bluff stopped a pair of two-point runs before Isaiah Johnson completed another rally.
Johnson scored with 7 1/2 minutes remaining, then recovered a Hillsboro fumble as state-ranked Poplar Bluff edged the Hawks 21-20 at Mules Stadium.
"They just keep fighting, that's the great thing about them," Mules coach Mark Barousse said. "Down two touchdowns to Hillsboro, Jackson and Cape."
The Mules (8-0) earned their third 1-point win of the season and can complete the program's third undefeated, untied regular season with a win Friday at Festus. They will likely have to do it without quarterback Logan Bell, who injured his knee in the first quarter.
"We're going to work our tails off," said Libla, who completed 13 of 16 passes for 157 yards.
"I'm going to work my tail off because I know I've got some things I've got to improve on and we're just going to do great."
Things looked bleak for the Mules midway through the second quarter after Hillsboro's Micheal Keller scored his second touchdown on a 19-yard run for a 14-0 lead. On the 2-point attempt, however, Poplar Bluff's Tanner Dunivan and RaShawn McCain hit running back Joe Garner short of the goal line.
The Mules made another stop on a 2-point try after Luke Skaggs put Hillsboro ahead with a 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Junior lineman Kendric Gordon burst through to hit quarterback Tyler Isaacson as he attempted to hand off to Garner and the ball popped free with Dunivan landing on top.
"You just go out there, give it your all and hope for the best," said Dunivan who had 14 tackles.
The Mules missed a chance to pull ahead late in the third quarter when Hillsboro made a goal-line stand. Garner ran through the line untouched for a tackle that knocked Poplar Bluff back to the 12 before a false-start penalty, the first of the game for either team, and a fumbled snap made it third-and-goal from the 21.
After a pass interference call on the Hawks, Keller deflected a third-down pass at the line of scrimmage and Libla's jump ball to McCain at the back of the end zone was broken up as he fell to the ground.
"Huge momentum swing to get off the field there and had the opportunity to go up two scores there," Hawks coach Lee Freeman said. "Really needed to capitalize on it."
But the Hawks didn't as they were forced to punt seven plays later.
Faced with a fourth-and-2 at midfield, Johnson hit a hole on the right side of the line and ran through a tackle to pick up 11 yards. Two plays later, Johnson stiff-armed a defender and avoided another in the backfield, cut upfield and ran out of a tackle 15 yards later with the back of his jersey being pulled by two hands. The junior was finally brought down as he fell over the goal line for a 27-yard touchdown.
Johnson finished with 101 yards on 15 carries, his fourth 100-yard game.
"We were just doing our assignments and he kept breaking tackles and kept those feet moving," said senior guard Andrew Ellsworth.
Victor Rivera's third point-after kick put the Mules ahead for the first time with 7:36 remaining.
On the ensuing drive, Hillsboro converted a third-and-1 but two plays later Poplar Bluff linebacker RaShawn McCain knocked the ball free from the running back and Johnson recovered the fumble.
"That was big," Coach Barousse said. "Thought we were going to be able to close it out."
The Mules gave it back on a fumble recovered by Keller as Myanza McCain was fighting to convert a fourth-and-4. But they were able to burn all of Hillsboro's timeouts and 3:22 off the clock.
Needing to go 78 yards in 85 seconds, Hillsboro attempted just its fourth pass of the game. It fell incomplete and senior Makarius Bell broke up the next one to bring up fourth down. Andrew Dugas chased Hillsboro's quarterback out of the pocket and forced an intentional grounding penalty, turning the ball over to the Mules with just over a minute left.
"We just had to buckle down and get it done, make our reads and do our responsibilities," said senior Cameron Jones who had 16 tackles.
RaShawn McCain was in on 17 tackles while safety Myanza McCain had 10 and Dugas made eight as the defense was on the field for nearly 29 minutes.
"I thought down the stretch Tanner and Dugas really played well," Coach Barousse said. "They got off blocks and made plays."
Keller, who ran for 216 yards against the Mules last year, had 121 yards on 22 attempts. He capped Hillsboro's first drive with a 25-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-inches and put the Hawks up 14-0 on a 19-yard third-down run with 6:43 left in the half.
Bell attempted to come back and play with a borrowed knee brace but limped off the field four plays later.
"Everybody had their heads down," said senior Myanza McCain who caught eight passes for 104 yards.
It didn't last long as Libla hit Brett Barousse over the middle for a 30-yard touchdown with 4:19 left in the half.
Jones forced a turnover on downs when he tripped up Keller a yard short with 52 seconds left in the half. Coming out of a timeout two plays later, Libla threw a short pass to McCain who stiff-armed a defender then spun out of a tackle before avoiding a hit to reach the sideline for a game-tying, 56-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left.
"Mentally, that was big," Coach Barousse said.
Libla had never played quarterback before this season and completed one pass for 2 yards against Dexter while taking mop-up snaps in the first four games. The senior did, however, prepare to start prior to last week's game against Sikeston after Logan Bell suffered a foot injury in a comeback win over Jackson. Libla said that helped prepare him mentally and physically for Friday's emergency work.
"I knew that if he didn't get better soon it was my turn and I'm just glad I had that opportunity because the outcome may have been different," he added.
Bell, who suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee in the fourth week last year, injured his left knee running for a first down when he attempted to make a cut on Poplar Bluff's second possession.
"I've known that guy since he was a little bitty guy when I worked here before," Freeman said. "I feel bad for him. It's hard for anybody to get hurt, you don't want to see that for anybody."
Bell had thrown for 1,389 yards with 15 touchdowns to two interceptions in 127 attempts while running for seven touchdowns and 226 yards. He also returned to the defensive line on Hillsboro's first drive, making a tackle.
"It's going to be tough," Coach Barousse said. "He did some great things running the football and running the football team. Was a great leader.
"We'll dwell on it this weekend. It's like somebody punched you in the gut but we've got to move on."