LIVE from Morrow Stadium, NMCC vs. PB

Teams are warming up. The Mules are in full pads on the south end of the field while New Madrid is going through plays without jerseys and pads. After 12 straight days of practice, coach Arlen Pixley might be trying to conserve some energy.

A few scratches for the Mules. Linebacker Michael Penney is out with an illness and Dalton Bilderback, also a linebacker, has left the team. That's not good news for Bluff's 5-linebacker defense. Especially on a humid night to start the season.

New Madrid will start G'Darius Stevenson at quarterback tonight.

The teams come out of the locker room and we're about ready to start. Will update after the first quarter.

Moment of silence for Raymond Tindle, who died on Aug. 12, before game. There was a yellow 59, Tindle's number, painted on the field at the 35-yard line facing the New Madrid sideline.

7:26 left in the first quarter, Kony Ealy catches a 23-yard TD pass from Stevenson, Stevenson run for 2, 8-0.

7:11 left, Eljie Johnson's first run up the middle, touchdown, pass fail, 8-6 NMCC leads

PB -- Coble 75 fun (Ferguson run), 3:08. Kerey Smith fumbles, Greg Coble picks up and goes the distance.

NM -- JJones 80 pass from Stevenson (Meese run), 2:54.

END OF FIRST

New Madrid leads 16-14

Wild game, NMCC up 22-20 with 8:39 left in half.

HALFTIME, Mules up 27-22.

FIRST QUARTER RECAP:

Central scored on its opening drive, overcoming fourth-and-4 along the way. Ealy put the Eagles on the board when he hauled in a 23-yard pass from Stevenson 4:34 after the kickoff.

The Mules answered 15 seconds later when, on the first offensive snap of the season, Johnson rumbled 71 yards up the middle for a touchdown. Poplar Bluff's 2-point try fell incomplete and the Eagles still led, 8-6.

Stevenson then picked up 63 yards as he tip-toed the left sideline to the Mules 17. However, the Poplar Bluff defense stopped Central on fourht-and-3 at the 10.

Facing a third-and-15 at their own 21, the Mules turned to Kerey Smith, who fumbled, but the ball bounced right to Coble. The senior picked it up on a hop and finished the 79 yard run for a touchdown. Ferguson ran in for 2 and the Mules took a 14-8 lead with 3:08 left in the opening quarter.

On the next snap, Stevenson hit Jamareia Jones with a pass to the left side and the junior hugged the sideline for an 80-yard touchdown. Austin Meese ran in for 2 and a 16-14 Central lead at the 2:54 mark.

Six seconds later, the Eagles got the ball back when Johnson fumbled and Lamonte Nelson recovered at the Poplar Bluff 19. The Mules stopped Central in four plays as Stevenson's two throws into the end zone fell incomplete.

Teams trade scores again, it has started to rain.

Bluff up 33-30 with 7:00 left in third.

It's raining cats and dogs. End of third, PB up 33-30

Kenyan Francis forces overtime with a 26-yard field goal, his first career attempt, with 2:45 to go in the fourth quarter.

On first play of overtime, Stevenson runs in a 25-yard TD but the Mules stop the run.

Central stops Mules on four straight, ballgame.

NMCC wins 42-36.

Great game but it only gave me 20 minutes to write the story. Pick up a DAR to see how bad it reads. I'll do a follow-up for Monday.