Poplar Bluff

Poplar Bluff wrestling team gets pinned on Senior Night (1/29/20)

POPLAR BLUFF — Through four minutes, neither wrestler had scored any points in the 138-pound match Tuesday night. Poplar Bluff's Quinten Bell started the third period in the down position and quickly escaped for the point. Twenty seconds later the senior finally saw his opening...
Swimming Roundup, Jan. 28 (1/29/20)

The Poplar Bluff Mules breezed to a win in the girls swimming tri-meet winning 10 of the 12 events against the Notre Dame Bulldogs and Saxony Lutheran Crusaders.
Kennett hands Poplar Bluff road loss 66-59 (1/28/20)

KENNETT, Mo. — The Kennett Indians varsity boys basketball team proved it can play with the big boys yet again Tuesday night. Kennett, a Class 3 program, outlasted the visiting Poplar Bluff Mules 66-59 for its fifth victory against a Class 4 or Class 5 team this season. Kennett had previously beaten Class 4 Farmington, Class 4 Notre Dame, Class 5 Jackson, and Class 4 Sikeston...
MULES RECAP: Poplar Bluff wrestling team places 3rd at conference; Paige Bradley 2nd in dive for swim team (1/28/20)

JACKSON, Mo. — Gatlin Taylor and Justin Mitchell reached the championship match and five of their Poplar Bluff teammates earned wrestled for third place Saturday night at the SEMO Conference Tournament. With half the team earning all-conference honors, the Mules placed third in the standings, their best finish since 2009...
Jackson takes SEMO wrestling title for fourth straight year (1/26/20)

The pre-meet seeding led everyone to believe that Jackson would prevail in the SEMO Conference Wrestling Tournament and history indicated that, as well.
Swimming and Diving Roundup, Jan. 25 (1/26/20)

Jackson diver Hadley Wyatt dominated the competition this weekend at the 21-team City of Roses Invitational at the Central Municipal Pool and earned the lone first-place finish among area athletes.
All about family at SEMO Conference Wrestling Tourney (1/25/20)

It was a family affair for Jackson wrestlers named Wiseman and Horman in the first round of the 18-team SEMO Conference wrestling tournament Friday. In the 113-pound weight class, Riley Wiseman won both of his opening matches by fall - (0:52) over Shayne Vandegriff of Potosi, by (3:39) over Austin Hassell of Park Hills Central and (4:58) over Joe Hirst of Windsor...
Bess too much to handle, as Sikeston falls to Poplar Bluff (1/23/20)

SIKESTON — Scoring is one of Poplar Bluff senior Kiley Bess’ strong suits, and she put her full arsenal on display Thursday night when the Mules visited the Sikeston Field House. The Lady Bulldogs had no answer for the St. Louis University commit, as Bess scored 28 points on 11 of 19 shooting...
Eight Semoball teams included in state basketball rankings (1/23/20)

Six Semoball boys basketball teams and two Semoball girls basketball teams are ranked in the latest state rankings provided by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Delta (14-3), which is unbeaten in the month of January, is ranked No. 8 in the Class 1 boys poll...
Former opponent, Davion Steele looks to help new wrestling team climb SEMO Conference standings (1/23/20)

Wearing a Cape Central wrestling sweatshirt, Davion Steele stands out during practice with his Poplar Bluff teammates. “He wears it sometimes,” senior Quinten Bell said. “We’ve got to remind him he’s at PB now.” Steele said he doesn’t mind the attention his Tigers attire might attract...
Seeds set for SEMO Conference wrestling tournament (1/23/20)

SEMO CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT Seeds for the upcoming SEMO Conference wrestling tournament at Jackson High School with a wrestlers record, grade and school. Not all wrestlers are seeded and total number of wrestlers varies for each weight class. Pool matches start Friday with a double-elimination tournament continuing Saturday:...
Basketball Roundup, Jan. 21 (1/22/20)

The Bobcats held the Hornets to one point in the first quarter and never looked back as they picked up a 63-33 home victory.
Defense helps Poplar Bluff boys run away from Jackson (1/22/20)

POPLAR BLUFF — The Poplar Bluff boys basketball team turned defense into offense Tuesday night to pull away from rival Jackson. The Mules forced four straight turnovers to score eight consecutive points late in the third quarter, turning a tight game into a double-digit lead...
Swimming Roundup, Jan. 21 (1/22/20)

The Mules won six of the 11 events to score 157 points and pick up a tri-meet victory over the Indians and the Zizzers. Jackson edged out West Plains for second place by a single point 75-74.
Poplar Bluff seniors win final home swim meet (1/21/20)

In her final home meet, Poplar Bluff senior Paige Bradley won the shortest and longest races Tuesday afternoon, while helping a pair of relays win. Seniors accounted for seven top-three finishes in individual events as the Mules swept the relays and beat Jackson by 82 points...
Poplar Bluff defense leads to offense in win over Naylor (1/20/20)

Poplar Bluff didn’t allow a field goal until for the first 12 1/2 minutes. A pair of free throws in the first quarter was Naylor’s only points until Ebby Moman got a putback with 3 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter. The Mules meanwhile jumped out to a 23-2 lead and went on to win 63-30 Monday night at the Senior High Gym...
Poplar Bluff boys end slide with fast start; Kiley Bess reaches 1,900 career points in loss (1/19/20)

SEDALIA, Mo. — Kendrick Brown, Joseph Hardimon and the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team got off to a good start Saturday morning. Hardimon scored seven first-quarter points as the Mules jumped out to a double-digit lead and rolled past Foundations College Prep of Chicago 74-28 to place seventh at the McDonald's Classic at Smith-Cotton High School...
Poplar Bluff boys win team wrestling title at St. Charles; Grace Kearby's title leads girls to third place (1/19/20)

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Poplar Bluff didn’t have an individual champion but placed six wrestlers in the top three of their weight class as the Mules claimed the team title at the St. Charles Invitational on Saturday. Grace Kearby won an individual title with a pin and Katlyn Pickard reached the final as Poplar Bluff finished third as a team on the girls side...
Turnovers trip up Poplar Bluff boys in tournament loss (1/18/20)

SEDALIA, Mo. — Down just five at the end of the first quarter Friday, the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team turned the ball over on their first three possessions to start the second and found themselves quickly behind by double digits. “I think we had more turnovers than shots in the first half,” Mules coach William Duren said...
Poplar Bluff boys suffer another slow start in loss to defending Class 5 champs (1/17/20)

SEDALIA, Mo. — Another slow start put the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team behind double digits early Thursday night in the opening round of the McDonald's Classic at Smith-Cotton High School. Rock Bridge scored 10 consecutive points midway through the opening quarter as the Mules stumbled out of the gate in an 82-59 loss to the defending MSHSAA Class 5 champions...
McKenzie Smith signs to play softball at Blackburn College (1/15/20)

McKenzie Smith started her senior year at a new school and with new teammates playing softball. After recently signing her National Letter of Intent to play softball in college, the Poplar Bluff senior is looking forward to another new adventure. “Coming here was culture shock,” said Smith, who started her high school career in Puxico...
Poplar Bluff wrestlers 'hit criteria' in quad sweep (1/15/20)

Poplar Bluff went 3-0 in its quad meet against Jonesboro (Ark.), Notre Dame and Kennett to improve to 12-1. The Mules beat Notre Dame 78-6 and Jonesboro 72-6 and swept Kennett 77-0 with six pins out of eight matches to finish the night Monday at the Senior High Gym...
'Out of their comfort zone,' Poplar Bluff swimmers win home meet (1/14/20)

POPLAR BLUFF — Three of Poplar Bluff's swimmers were in the 500-yard freestyle for the first time Tuesday while the Mules that might normally swim the butterfly found they were doing the breaststroke instead. "We wanted to use this as a meet to get them out of their comfort zone and prove to them that they can swim everything from event one to event 12 because that's how we train," Mules coach Beth Lewis-Muse said. "There's no true speciality for them. Their speciality is every single event."...
Paige Bradley qualifies for state as Poplar Bluff swimmers place 2nd at meet (1/13/20)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Paige Bradley qualified for the MSHSAA state championships in the diving event Saturday as the Poplar Bluff senior placed second by a 1.5 points. The Mules placed second as a team and had their fastest times of the season in all three relays...
MISSOURIAN ROUNDUP: Notre Dame boys basketball wins in Springfield tourney (1/11/20)

The Notre Dame boys basketball dominated host Springfield Catholic from the outset Friday in the second round of the Houlihan's Invitational in Springfield, Missouri, and eventually won 67-58. The Bulldogs (11-4) took a 17-9 lead in the opening quarter, stretched it to 32-20 at the break, and never were threatened in the second half...
MISSOURIAN ROUNDUP: Notre Dame girls basketball team claims victory against Park Hills (1/10/20)

The Notre Dame girls basketball team used a strong second quarter to overcome a slow start in a 52-45 home victory over Central (Park Hills) on Thursday. The Bulldogs outscored the Rebels 19-9 in the second period to ovecome a six-point deficit ant take a four-point lead into halftime. Five players scored in the period for Notre Dame, which led 26-22 at the break...
Poplar Bluff finishes 2nd at Rec Relays (1/10/20)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Poplar Bluff swim team placed second in five of nine events and ended up six points ahead of Notre Dame for second in the team standings Thursday at the Rec Relays at Southeast Missouri State University. Cape Central won with 98 points by winning seven events while the Mules finished with 60 points, beating the Bulldogs who were first to the wall once...
Poplar Bluff girls run away in 3rd quarter to win conference opener (1/10/20)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Kiley Bess scored nine of Poplar Bluff’s 14 third-quarter points as the Mules ran away to a win in their SEMO Conference opener Thursday night. The Mules allowed just two points in the third and Bess finished with a game-high 20 points in a 41-29 win at Cape Central...
Poplar Bluff swim team tops Cape Central with help of relays (1/8/20)

The Poplar Bluff swim team earned 32 more points in the relays and took four individual races to beat conference rival Cape Central on Tuesday. The Mules took the top two spots in a pair of relays to account for the majority of the 113-57 margin at the Black River Coliseum Aquatic Center...
Poplar Bluff wrestlers use last-second pins to pad lead in wins (1/8/20)

POPLAR BLUFF — Time was running out in the opening period when Poplar Bluff's Justin Mitchell and Davion Steele finished off their matches Tuesday night. The pair earned consecutive pins for the Mules with just 2 seconds left against their opponents from Marion (Ill.). They needed a little longer against Sikeston, but those pins turned a 16-9 lead midway through the match into a runaway victory...
Missourian Roundup: Poplar Bluff gets past Cape in swim action (1/8/20)

Poplar Bluff captured first in 7-of-11 events to defeat the Cape Central 113 to 57 in girl’s swim action Tuesday at Poplar Bluff.
SD ROUNDUP: Sikeston girls wrestling picks up lone win at Poplar Bluff triangular; McClain leads all scorers as Kelly downs Twin Rivers (1/7/20)

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Cherei Jones added another pinfall victory to her total on Tuesday night, at a triangular match against Marion, Ill., and Poplar Bluff. Jones pinned Marion’s Haylie Nappier at 3:09, as the Bulldogs went on to win 18-6. Kate Grubbs also picked up a win, in 28 seconds, over McKayla Vavrik...
Poplar Bluff girls shut down Doniphan in second half (1/7/20)

POPLAR BLUFF — Following a back-and-forth first half, the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team shut down Doniphan's offense in the second half Monday night. The Donnettes were held to just three points in the second half until the final seconds as Poplar Bluff ran away for a 49-28 win at the Senior High Gym...
MULES RECAP: Poplar Bluff boys fall short in comeback bid at McCracken County (1/5/20)

PADUCAH, Ky. — The Poplar Bluff boys basketball team didn’t get its first basket until the final two minutes of the opening quarter and trailed by 23 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the first half Saturday. But the Mules rallied to within six with just under six minutes left before giving up back-breaking 11-2 run...
Poplar Bluff swim team returns from break with win (1/3/20)

POPLAR BLUFF — Jessica Rush had just gotten out of the pool, having swam the opening leg of the 200-yard medley relay. The Poplar Bluff senior didn’t have time to dry off before she was back on the starting blocks for the start of the 200-yard freestyle...
Poplar Bluff's Paige Earls places 2nd at wrestling tournament (1/1/20)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Poplar Bluff’s Paige Earls placed second Monday at the Cape Central Girls Tournament. The junior earned a pin against Notre Dame’s Jona Vercide before falling in the final to Lianna Ward of West Plains in the 130-pound division...
POPLAR BLUFF SHOWDOWN: Jackson Southside takes title, Poplar Bluff finishes 4th (12/28/19)

POPLAR BLUFF - The fourth quarter has been kind to the Poplar Bluff Mules at the 33rd Annual Poplar Bluff Basketball Showdown. Unfortunately, overtime was not during the Showdown’s third-place game against the Jonesboro (Ark.) Golden Hurricane on Saturday night...
Jackson Southside denies Poplar Bluff shot at Showdown three-peat (12/27/19)

The Jackson Southside Hawks showed the crowd at the 33rd Annual Poplar Bluff Basketball Showdown why they are one of the best high school basketball teams in west Tennessee — and in the process denied the Poplar Bluff Mules a shot at their third Showdown title in a row...
POPLAR BLUFF SHOWDOWN: 4th quarter lifts Poplar Bluff into semifinals (12/26/19)

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - Trailing Kansas City Kauffman by a point midway through the fourth quarter, the Poplar Bluff Mules got hot at just the right time in the first round of the 33rd Annual Poplar Bluff Showdown. Poplar Bluff scored 21 of the game’s last 30 points from that point in the final period to pull out a 67-56 win over the Kauffman Knights and advance to the Showdown semifinals...
Mules face tough road to defend Poplar Bluff Showdown title (12/23/19)

Through the first 25 years of the Poplar Bluff Showdown, the host brought home the title just once and reached the final six other times. More recently, the Mules have won three of the last five titles and enter this time as only the fourth two-time defending champ...
MULES RECAP: Poplar Bluff boys hold off Waynesville; Gatlin Taylor wins title at Tiger Classic (12/22/19)

By BRIAN ROSENER Sports Editor WAYNESVILLE, Mo. — A 17-point halftime lead was cut down to four and a third player had fouled out in the final minute, but the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team held on Saturday. Jeridon Young scored the last of his team-high 18 points and Joseph Hardimon split two foul shots in the closing seconds to give the Mules a 66-59 win over host Waynesville at the Route 66 Shootout...
Missourian Roundup: Scott City doubles up Greenville in hoop win (12/21/19)

Scott City improved to 5-2 in a tune-up before next week’s Southeast Missourian Christmas boys basketball tournament in defeating host Greenville, 65-33. The Rams held the Bears scoreless in the first quarter with three of coach Mark Dannenmueller’s squad reaching double figures on the night...
Kiley Bess scores 29, Mules don't allow 4th quarter field goal to beat Thayer (12/19/19)

Poplar Bluff didn't allow a field goal in the fourth quarter. The Mules took a small lead late in the first half and let it go briefly in the third quarter, but ultimately held on to beat Thayer 45-38 on Thursday at the Senior High Gym in Poplar Bluff...
Poplar Bluff's Hays, Kirkman voted Semoball Players of the Week (12/19/19)

Poplar Bluff's Gavin Hays and Olivia Kirkman were voted the boys and girls Semoball Players of Week, respectively, in balloting that concluded Wednesday night. Hays, who had 116 votes, won the 220-pound weight division at Parkway South's Patriot Classic. He collected four wins in that tournament and has started the wrestling season 6-0...
SD ROUNDUP: Jansen leads Kelly to 41-35 win over Leopold; Sikeston freshmen rout Poplar Bluff (12/18/19)

LEOPOLD, Mo. — Gavin Jansen scored a game-high 15 points, as Kelly defeated Leopold on Wednesday. Drew Dirnberger added 10 points in the Hawks 41-35 win. Bryce Morgan added eight points, while Joel McClain and Jay Noon each had four. Paul Deck led Leopold with 14 points. Connor Lincoln finished with six, while Cameron Abernathy had five, and Caleb Schaab and Kane Duncan each had four, and Austin Warner finished off the scoring with two...
Poplar Bluff wrestlers bring home hammer as Gatlin Taylor, Lucas Robertson place first (12/16/19)

CABOT, Ark. — Gatlin Taylor, Lucas Robertson and the Poplar Bluff wrestling team brought home a hammer Saturday while senior Quinten Bell earned a milestone victory. Taylor and Robertson each won their weight class as the Mules placed second in a tournament that featured teams for Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas...
Poplar Bluff girls struggle offensively in first half of loss to end SEMO Border Challenge (12/15/19)

By BRIAN ROSENER Sports Editor Poplar Bluff needed just eight seconds to score its first basket and had four points a little over a minute after tipoff Saturday in the final game of the SEMO Border Challenge. But the Mules went the next 12 minutes, 24 seconds without knocking down another shot from the field. By then they were down 19 points as Earle (Ark.) cruised to a 53-32 win over the host...
Poplar Bluff falls in second night of SEMO Border Challenge; Notre Dame rebounds (12/14/19)

Poplar Bluff's fourth-quarter struggles continued for a second straight night in the SEMO Border Challenge. After scoring five points in the final eight minutes in the opener, the Mules did it again Friday night. However, instead of leading at the start of the final frame, Poplar Bluff trailed and fell further behind in a 43-31 loss to Ozark at the Senior High Gym...
Future - and present - are bright for Jackson swimming (12/13/19)

Jackson — along with Notre Dame and Saxony Lutheran — trailed Poplar Bluff by a considerable margin in Thursday’s four-way girls swim meet at the Southeast Missouri State Student Recreation Center.
Poplar Bluff's Dylan Wells named to all-state team by coaches association (12/13/19)

Poplar Bluff senior Dylan Wells was named to the Missouri Football Coaches Association’s Class 5 All-State team as a third-team defensive lineman Friday. The nose guard recorded 73 tackles, including 16 for a loss and 1 1/2 sacks while forcing a fumble and recovering another for the 4-6 Mules...