For the first time this season, Poplar Bluff coach David Sievers expects the Mules to have to play all four quarters to beat Sikeston.
"They are definitely going to be our biggest test of the year, by far," Sievers said. "If we jump up and score the first four times we have the football and it is 28-0 I'm going to be the happiest guy in the stadium, but I don't expect that to happen ... I'm anxious to see how the kids are going to respond to having to play four quarters."
Poplar Bluff did in fact score on its first four possessions against Sumner with Transportation and Law in week 1 and was up 42-0 at the half. Last Friday, Poplar Bluff ran back the opening kick for a touchdown against Riverview Gardens and was ahead 33-8 at halftime. It was then that Sievers told the team it needed one stop and one score to put the game away.
However, the Mules had a slow start to the second half, Riverview scored 12 quick points to cut the lead to 13, and Poplar Bluff didn't get its needed stop and score until midway through the fourth quarter.
In the first half combined, the Poplar Bluff defense has allowed one touchdown, forced one turnover on downs, three fumbles, and 10 punts while not allowing a single first down. Riverview's solitary first-half score was a 27-yard pass on the first play of the drive.
"We've got to be prepared because I know they will be. Coach Gibbs does a really good job with those kids," Sievers said. "They are not going to quit. We will have to play four quarters."
After beating Vashon 64-0 to open the season, Sikeston lost 7-0 to McCluer North in what Sievers described as an uncharacteristic game for the Bulldogs.
Specifically that the offense committed three turnovers.
Sikeston also gained just 98 yards, including 52 rushing yards on 30 carries.
The Bulldogs are led by Gage Rowling at quarterback, who was 7 for 19 passing for 46 yards and two interceptions last week and is a threat to run the ball, as well.
"They've got a couple running backs who can go. Their quarterback is a playmaker," Sievers said. "Even when the play is breaking down, he has shown he can do some stuff."
Sievers is also concerned about slowing down Sikeston defensive tackles.
"Right now the biggest thing from an offensive standpoint, the biggest thing we have to worry about, is their interior kids play really, really hard," he said. "If we don't play well up front it could be a long night."
Tyreke Jamison led Sikeston with 90 tackles, including 23 tackles for loss and six sacks last season.
On tape, he added its hard to pick up on much of anything because Sikeston doesn't complicate the plot.
It will run the same 4-4 defense and the same couple of double wing offensive formations all game long.
"They don't do a whole lot out of their formations but they do it well and they play hard," Sievers said.
The Poplar Bluff coaches came out of their weekend meetings with a lot of things to implement against the Bulldogs and immediately found themselves removing aspects of the gameplan after both Monday and Tuesday's practices. They were ultimately asking too many people in new spots to do too much.
"We threw a lot at them," Sievers said. "We are probably going to be pretty elementary this week and see how it goes."
Offensively, he added that Steven Pierce is likely to start at quarterback this week after Josiah Kilgore started the first two weeks, but the team has both run and pass packages in place for both guys.
"Having two quarterbacks is useless if we get too predictable," Sievers said.
Through two weeks, Kilgore has 362 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns. He is 3 for 4 passing with a touchdown, has run 12 times for 153 yards and another score, and has nine catches for 209 yards and four touchdowns, making him Poplar Bluff's leading receiver and third-leading rusher. He also returned the opening kick last week 81 yards for another score.
Pierce is 15 for 24 passing for 242 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions for a 128.4 QB rating.
Isaiah Johnson leads Poplar Bluff in rushing with 224 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries, most of them in the second half against Riverview.
Shemyron Townsend has 154 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries, giving him and Kilgore better than 12 yards per carry.