Semoball

Poplar Bluff scores 35 unanswered points as Mules run away from Kennett

Poplar Bluff's Jacob Baller (5) and Nic Brumitt (24) celebrate Baller's touchdown during the first half Friday night, Oct. 15, 2021, at Mules Stadium in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
DAR/Brian Rosener

POPLAR BLUFF — Kannon Carr threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Poplar Bluff football team turned big plays into a big home win Friday night.

After a slow start in which Kennett extended a lead in the opening seconds of the second quarter, the Mules defense didn’t allow a point.

Poplar Bluff scored 35 unanswered points to beat Kennett 41-15 at Mules Stadium.

“A real sluggish start. We were kind of like we were playing in quicksand again,” Mules coach David Sievers said. “Once we got going, we did what we needed to do.

“It’s just frustrating but once we got going, kids played real well tonight.”

The Mules (6-2) turned a pair of takeaways into points and slowed a Kennett offense that came in averaging 41.1 points per game.

“Early I thought we would be able to and then they kind of took it away,” Kennett coach Andrew Webster said.

Kennett (6-2) missed a chance to extend an early lead after a blocked punt but Daniel Boatman’s interception did just that two minutes later, setting up a 9-yard scoring drive for a 15-6 lead seconds into the second quarter.

Poplar Bluff senior linebacker Hunter Jenkins recovered a fumble that set up the go-ahead scoring drive while junior Logan Davis returned a fumble for a score in the final minute of the third quarter.

Davis picked up what many assumed was an incomplete pass and ran down the sideline 15 yards to score. Because the quarterback threw the ball backwards it was ruled a fumble and no whistle was blown.

“I did not know what was going on,” Jenkins said. “I just saw him pick it up and they didn’t blow the whistle so everyone’s just celebrating.”

It was the second touchdown scored by the defense this season after a Week 2 fumble recovery in the end zone.

“To score on defense, that’s a big deal,” Jenkins said.

Davis, who missed the last five games with an injury, also helped shore up Poplar Bluff’s run defense at linebacker and had a sack.

“He’s a heck of a player,” Webster said. “He gave us fits all night.”

Carr threw for 304 yards completing 13 of 24 passes, including touchdowns to four different receivers.

Nic Brumitt caught a 79-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-15 on the opening possession and Jacob Baller hauled in a 27-yard touchdown on third-and-17 in the first half.

Short passes to Darius Graham and Atari Amos turned into long touchdowns as Graham went 79 yards for a score midway through the third quarter. Amos caught a pass running out of the backfield and scored 60 yards later midway through the fourth.

“I told Kannon he needs to be thankful for the fact that we got really fast kids because he threw the ball about 10 yards and got 100 passing yards out of it,” Sievers said.

Jordan Jarrett, who ran for 251 yards in Kennett’s 41-19 win over the Mules last year, finished with 96 rushing yards on 20 carries. Hayden Higgins led Kennett’s offense with 81 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Boatman scored Kennett’s first touchdown on a 14-yard run to cap an 13-play, 85-yard drive. Junior quarterback Tanner Pierce found Higgins for a two-point pass.

After the blocked punt put Kennett at the Poplar Bluff 20-yard line, Chris Matlock tackled a receiver in the backfield on third down and Baller broke up a fourth-down pass in the end zone.

Three plays later, Boatman’s interception put Kennett in business with a first-and-goal. Pierce scored on a 2-yard run before kicking the point-after attempt for a 15-6 lead.

The Mules answered three plays later when Carr scored on a 19-yard run set up by a 21-yard kick return by Calvin Anderson and a pair of runs for 30 yards by Amare White, who had a team-high 63 yards on seven carries. Carr’s pass to Graham cut Kennett’s lead to 15-14 at the 10:41 mark.

Jenkins recovered a fumble to set up a 42-yard scoring drive that ended with Baller’s fourth touchdown catch of the season for a 21-15 lead with 7:02 left in the half.

“We just had a missed tackle here, a good play by Poplar Bluff there,” Webster said of the big plays.

Kennett opened the second half with the ball but was forced to punt after 11 plays and the Mules extended their lead two snaps later on Graham’s catch-and-run down the sideline.

The Mules led 35-15 after Davis scored with 1:01 left in the third.

“Defense stepped up,” Sievers said. “The defense got after it.”

Injuries have taken their toll on Kennett, which did not have its point-after kicker Jose Flores while linebackers Quaddre Sanders, Harley Hamlett and Tanner Duncan did not dress.

Both teams came into the game looking to pad their resumes for the upcoming district playoffs with Kennett chasing Park Hills Central for the top seed in Class 3 and the Mules trying to secure another home game in the Class 5 district quarterfinal.

Poplar Bluff closes out the regular season at home against Hillsboro while Kennett travels to Sikeston.

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