The Poplar Bluff Mules are looking to bounce back after falling to Valley View in their season opener.

The Mules will head to St.Louis on Friday for their next matchup to challenge the Chaminade College Prep Red Devils. Head coach Jeff Mannon said despite the difficult start, the team's first game provided a chance to identify what changes needed to be made before the next game.

“We got some good stuff on tape,” Mannon said. “We definitely have some things we need to clean up. We’re still in the process of getting everything installed, so it's going to take a few games to hit our stride. I can acknowledge that the kids did not quit—they kept fighting all the way through the game. I believe as we get to playing some more games and get things rolling, we’re going to be good to go.”

Though the Mules collected 356 yards in the previous game versus Valley View's 252, their performance was hindered by turnovers. The Mules were picked off multiple times by Valley View's strong secondary defense, causing them to fall behind with no chance of recovering.

Mannon said the turnovers were a big deal, and it’s hard to win any game when losing a turnover battle. He stressed to the team the importance of taking care of the ball better and having better ball security.

“I just encouraged them to keep functioning as one unit regardless of the outcome,” he said. “I believe everything will take care of itself, and that’s been my entire message since we stepped on the field. Valley View is a really good team, and I want them to understand that we are still learning as we go.”

Even with a tough game, senior quarterback Jay Edmundson picked up a lot of yards for the Mules. He threw 20/36 on 213 yards and had some decent luck in rushing with 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Mannon praised Edmundson for his grit and toughness on the field and reminded him to leave games in the past and look toward the next one.

“We all told Jay not to worry about that first game,” Mannon said. “He needs to take the game one play at a time. If a player dwells on the past, it will drive them crazy. Jay was very apologetic, but we told him to keep slinging the ball. We want him to keep playing his game, and we’ll fix everything else. It’s all a part of the growing pains, but I’m hoping we’ll be a lot better in the next few weeks.”

The Mules have a history of competing against the Chaminade, which dates back to 2012. Chaminade comes into the matchup off a 27-0 win over McCluer North, and they’ll be looking to keep that energy going. The last time these teams played was in 2019, and despite several meetings between the two teams, the Mules have yet to defeat the Red Devils.

This time around, Mannon is hoping for a different result for the Mules.

Heading into this week’s practice, the Mules are working on fundamentals such as assignments and alignments on defense, as well as simplifying the offensive system to get the ball into space and take advantage of available yards.

“Chaminade run about anything you think of on offense,” Mannon said. “They have really good size and go between a spread offense and a power run type deal. I think we're good to go offensively. We’re working on moving the ball much more and capitalizing when possible.”

It’s hard for any team to bounce back after a loss, but Mannon said their ultimate goal is to continue climbing the mountain of becoming a good football team.

“Before the game, I told them a man on top of the mountain didn't fall there, and we have some work to do to get to the top,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn't get to step up, so we're still at the bottom of the mountain. As long as we see growth and effort from these kids, we'll get better and play some good football. I told them to keep their heads up and keep pushing—it'll come together when he needs to.”