David Sievers has been a Poplar Bluff football coach for 31 years. He's seen some stuff. At this point, he doesn't even need to see it.
"If I close my eyes and I can't tell the tempo of the play, we've got a problem. A good crisp football play just sounds different," Sievers said. "Practice was just quicker yesterday.
"I've been here for (31 years). We've had groups come through where you can't get them to practice worth a darn, but then when those Friday night lights are on, they will just play like champs. Then we'll have kids who practice great and on Friday night they just can't handle the big stage. If that's the way it is going to be, I'd rather have laid back kids who play great. It is just frustrating because you want both."
In Poplar Bluff's lone jamboree loss to Waynesville, Sievers saw a problem in the Mules' overall team speed, a problem he hopes doesn't resurface when the Mules host Sumner with Transportation and Law on Friday.
"We just didn't respond to Waynesville's tempo real well, which is kind of troubling. Just watching Sumner on film, defensively they play a lot like Waynesville. They just want to run downhill and cause problems. That's what we worked on this week, just to play faster was our biggest thing," Sievers said.
Out of central St. Louis, Sumner is making its first trip to Poplar Bluff. What scouting the Mules have, they got from Sumner's jamboree.
If the tape repeats itself, Poplar Bluff's defensive backs could have a quiet night and fans might be heading home a bit early.
Offensively, Sievers anticipates Sumner to line up traditional formations like the double tight, I formation he saw on tape, and run the ball a lot. Nothing fancy.
Defensively, he expects Sumner to bring lots of pressure.
"They are athletic, they've got some skill guys up front and they have some kids who can fly," Sievers said. "They want to run the football, they don't throw it much. Now they may try to come down here Friday night and air it out all over the place. Their jamboree, they were very run oriented.
"They walk their linebackers down, they bring them a lot. From what we've seen ... they are counting on their athletes being athletes."
Sievers needs that improved speed and leadership he saw during Tuesday's practice to continue.
"They are starting to get a little squirrely. I think they are ready to go. The tempo and atmosphere of practice was a little different (Tuesday)," he said. "We're not a bad football team when we play fast. When we don't play fast, we're very average ... We are not physically gifted enough to show up and make things happen."
Junior Josiah Kilgore takes over at quarterback for Poplar Bluff after Logan Bell and Mason Libla started for the Mules last year. Shemyron Townsend, a senior, will start at running back with Quinten Bell (junior), Chris Barker (senior), Chad Casey (junior) and Xzavier Bartlett (senior) at wide receiver.
The offensive line will be Luke Wellborn (left tackle, senior), Kendric Gordon (left guard, senior), Ben Norwood (center, senior), Steven Jackson (right guard, senior) and Wyatt Lazalier (right tackle, senior).
Lazalier and Barker will also start at defensive end with Gordon at defensive tackle and Dylan Wells (junior) at nose guard.
Cole Laws (junior) will start at middle linebacker with Cameron Sweeney on the weak side and Cole Christian on the strong side.
Bell and Barlett will start at corner with Townsend at free safety and L.J. Thomas at strong safety.
LEADERSHIP
On the first day of practices, team leadership was Sievers' biggest concern. Poplar Bluff lost 22 seniors, returns two starters and has 13 seniors this season. Sievers was waiting for guys to step up and into those roles, whether it be physically or vocally.
"If your older kids are dragging around, the younger kids are dragging around. The younger kids are going to feed off of the older kids," Sievers said.
INJURIES
Nobody is on the injured list just yet, but Poplar Bluff does have some players who are banged up. Sievers said a few players who were initially pegged to play both ways will now just play on offense or defense, which may have the hidden benefit of keeping team stamina up in the August heat.
WHITE OUT
Friday night will be a "White Out" game for the Mules, with fans encouraged to wear white instead of maroon. The Mules will be wearing their road white uniforms.
BIG SIDELINES
The Poplar Bluff freshmen will dress for the season opener, as well, putting some 70 Mules on the sideline. While Sievers said he doesn't anticipate playing any of them, he said the Mules are thin at linebacker and defensive back, and injuries could create a situation where somebody from the freshman class could play.