The Poplar Bluff Mules soccer team is prepared to hit the field once more after having just finished one of the most successful seasons they have produced in recent years.

Last season, the Mules finished the season with a 15-6 record and had a hard-fought battle against the Farmington Knights before falling 2-1 in the second round of the Class 3 District 1 Tournament. After the Mules finished the 2022 season with only five victories, head coach Rusty Crafton has no intention of the team going backward.

Since taking the field for practice, Crafton has stressed to the team the importance of maintaining the hard work and remembering what they did last year to set the standard for the team.

“Practice has been solid, and we’ve been trying to get them really conditioned for this year,” Crafton said. “We look really good with the running and conditioning stuff, so that’s a positive start. We're going to keep working on it throughout the next few weeks and get ready for the Greg Kline Invitational at the end of the month.”

Despite losing some significant players from last year, such as Blaise Rowland, Kolby Greenwall, Isaiah Nevel and Colten Palma, Crafton believes the Mules have a solid young roster that can do some great things this season.

When it comes to being better than they were the previous season, Crafton said improving each year is always the top priority. Though the Mules may lack in some other areas to start the season, he noted that those spots will get filled with any player who’s hungry enough to step into that role.

“We're definitely going to try to outdo what we did last year,” Crafton said. “We’ve got a great group of young guys to step in their roles. There are a couple of positions, maybe on the defensive side, that we have to feel, but we're pretty good everywhere else. We may not be as fast as we were last year, but I think we'll be just as skilled so that we can gain a little bit more speed in there. Overall, I’m sure we'll be fine.”

The Mules saw some success in last year’s Kline Invitational by picking up a win and a draw. They will once again get the opportunity to start their season off on a good note. This year, they will go head-to-head against Anna-Jonesboro Community, Murphysboro and Carbondale Community on August 30-31. They will continue their battle the following week in the Notre Dame SoccerFest.

The first home game of the season will be September 7, against the Waynesville Tigers at 7 p.m. at Mules Stadium.

Crafton stated that he would continue to stress the significance of maintaining consistency with the conditioning and training until the Mules are able to return to action. He also expressed his hope that they will be ready to play when they eventually hit the field.

“We cannot let up on the effort that we’ve been putting in,” he said. “What we accomplished last season is the benchmark for what we need to strive for. The ultimate goal is to get better and better every time we step between these lines.”