Mules football: The undefeated years

The Poplar Bluff Museum tells many unknown tales of our community. I want to tell you some of those hidden tales found within the museum walls.

Poplar Bluff is a football town. Its first team was formed as an independent team in 1898. The coach was Fred Lohner. In 1906, the high school organized it’s own team called the Yellowjackets. When World War I erupted, football was postponed. The sport was resurrected in 1920.

Coach E.T. Peters led the Poplar Bluff High School team to its first championship in 1926. In a game against Jackson, Frank Case kicked a 35-yard field goal winning the game and championship 3-0. The team was so grateful for the leadership of Coach Peters that they renamed the team in honor of him. They chose the name of his former alma mater, the Mules. With other star players on the team like Otis Esary, Peters was able to lead his Mules to four more championships.

In 1966 the Mules had their first undefeated championship season (with no ties). With all star players like John Brown, Eddie and Leroy Moss, Coach Jim Lohr’s team posted four shutouts and didn’t allow more than 14 points scored against them per game. The Mules opened the season with a 42-0 win over Caruthersville, beat Kennett 16-6 and Perryville 34-0. They opened conference play with a 48-14 win over Jackson, beat Sikeston 35-6 and Cape Central 35-0. Following a 27-13 win over Dexter, the Mules beat Charleston 33-13 and Jefferson City 13-0 in a snow storm for the championship. Poplar Bluff’s win streak stretched into the following season with 21 victories.

Poplar Bluff’s second undefeated season was in 1990. It began with the Mules coming off a 3-7 losing season. This was Coach Paul Webber’s first season leading his alma mater. With all star running back Austin Tinsley, the Mules won 10 games in the regular season to claim the conference title and the district championship. They opened with a 26-0 win at Dexter ending a five-year losing streak against them. They beat Blytheville 12-6 and Kennett 14-0. After a 26-6 win over Rolla, the Mules edged past Jackson 20-19. This also ended a six-year losing streak against the Indians. They beat Lebanon 48-13 and New Madrid Central 39-22. The Mules opened district playoffs with a 52-21 win over Vianney and then a 24-18 victory over Sikeston. The Mules won the district title with a 24-21 victory over Cape Central. They beat Mehville 25-22 in the state playoffs before losing to Parkway Central 32-24 in the state quarterfinals.

The third undefeated season occurred in 2017. Coach Mark Barousse’s Mules opened with a 34-14 win over Riverview Gardens. They beat Dexter 35-12 for the 24th time in 25 years. The Mules followed with a 45-7 victory over St. Charles. They defeated Farmington 50-21 when quarterback Logan Bell threw a 60 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game. Bell later ran for four more touchdowns. The Mules squeaked by Cape Central 29-28 when a blocked punt set up the winning score. Another last-minute victory occurred when Brett Barousse returned an 82-yard interception with 3:14 left on the clock. This clinched the conference title for the Mules. Poplar Bluff beat Sikeston 27-0 with another Barousse interception and a 90-yard return for a touchdown. Logan Bell also threw a 78-yard touchdown pass. During the narrow victory over Hillsboro 21-20 Bell was sidelined with a knee injury. Mason Libla stepped in as quarterback and threw two touchdowns. The Mules defeated Festus 34-10 and went against Jackson for the district semi-final playoff. After going into triple overtime, Poplar lost 56-49.

The Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame has inducted Otis Esary, Frank Case, E.T. Peters, John Brown, Eddie Moss, Leroy Moss, Paul Webber, Jim Lohr and Austin Tinsley into their ranks. The entire 1966 and 1990 Mules football team have also been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Their plaques and memorabilia are on exhibit in the Poplar Bluff Museum.

The museum is open free of charge 1-4 p.m. Sundays at 1010 Main St. Tell them Mike sent you.

Mike Shane is a veteran, Poplar Bluff resident and board member for the Poplar Bluff Museum.