Sikeston plays host to slumping Poplar Bluff

sports@standard-democrat.com

SIKESTON -- Sikeston football coach Kent Gibbs found out a lot about his team last Friday.

He found out that his team has some guts. He found out that his team has some heart. And he found out that his team still wants to win.

Following losses in the previous two games, the Bulldogs showed that desire in last week's 14-13 road victory over Farmington.

Now Gibbs is hoping his team can keep that edge tomorrow night when the Bulldogs host SEMO Conference North rival Poplar Bluff in the 92nd meeting between the two schools at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium at 7 p.m.

"I hope it gives them a little confidence to know that, 'hey, we can get things done when the pressure's on'," Gibbs said. "I think that's big with some of the kids we've got right now. Hopefully we'll carry that momentum into the game. The big thing is we played tough defensively for four quarters. We've got to take that momentum and know that we can get the job done when our backs are to the wall and never give in on a play."

Poplar Bluff (2-3) enters the game on a three-game slide, and it all started when quarterback Kameron Misner went down with a hamstring injury against Farmington three weeks ago.

The 6-foot-4 junior, who still leads the team in scoring, has not seen action since.

In this file photo, Poplar Bluff running back Bi Nguyen (9) scrambles ahead of Cape Central's Jordan Franklin during the first quarter Friday, Sept. 12, in Poplar Bluff. (Fred Lynch, SEMO News Service)

In this file photo, Poplar Bluff running back Bi Nguyen (9) scrambles ahead of Cape Central's Jordan Franklin during the first quarter Friday, Sept. 12, in Poplar Bluff. (Fred Lynch, SEMO News Service)

The Mules went on to lose that night to Farmington (13-0), and then followed that up with losses to Cape Central (26-6) and Jackson (42-0).

Since Misner's injury, the Mules have scored just six points in three games, albeit two of the opponents were against state-ranked Jackson and Cape Central.

Poplar Bluff opened the season with a 35-21 win against Fox and then defeated Dexter 30-20, a team that defeated Sikeston 20-15 in Week 3 on a hook-and-lateral play in the final minute.

"Poplar Bluff, us, Farmington, Dexter -- we're kind of all about the same," Gibbs said. "We have our moments and Bluff certainly has their moments. For us, it's one of those things where we need to build on the momentum that we had from Friday night and come out emotionally charged and emotionally ready to play and start well and finish well."

Through two-plus games, Misner had thrown for 297 yards, completing 30 of 54 passes (56 percent) with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He had also rushed for 262 yards on 37 carries with a team-leading five touchdowns.

But Misner is listed as doubtful for tomorrow night.

Replacing him has been the tandem of 6-4 sophomore Joe Darlin and 5-9 sophomore Zane Foust.

Darlin has the stronger arm of the two while Foust is more mobile. Darlin has completed 13 of 30 passes (43 percent) for 66 yards and three interceptions while Foust has completed 13 of 26 (50 percent) for 104 yards with an interception.

"They spread you out," Gibbs said. "They throw bubble passes, play-action passes, and they like to run inside-zone, quarterback-zone and things like that. They throw the ball downfield a lot. If they hit on one of those and they get behind you then we've got an issue with a big play."

The Mules also have 5-6 senior running back Bi Nguyen, who was one of the area's leading rushers a year ago. Last year when Sikeston played Poplar Bluff, Nguyen was leading all running backs in Southeast Missouri in rushing through the first three games, including a school record-setting 320-yard night against Union.

But Sikeston (3-2) held him in check to 34 yards on 15 carries.

Nguyen has not gotten out of the gates quite as quickly this season, rushing for 384 yards on 82 carries with two touchdowns.

But Gibbs knows he has the ability to make defenses pay at any moment.

"He's a good running back, an all-conference football player," Gibbs said of Nguyen. "When we get an opportunity we've got to put a lick on him and we've got to gang tackle. The big thing we don't want to do is give up those easy, big plays and he's certainly capable of making those."

The Mules' top receivers are 6-2 junior Tristen Francisco (19 catches, 118 yards), 5-11 senior Briar Alford (16-99, TD), 5-11 senior Austin Jefferson (10-101), 6-0 junior Elijah Dawson (5-60) and 5-10 junior Denzel Britton (4-59, TD).

"We've got to move the football early and find a way to make first downs," Poplar Bluff coach Mark Barousse said. "We've been working a lot on execution this week, just being able to block the right people and do the right things. Just taking baby steps to get better up front on offense."

The Mules are led on defense by 5-9 junior linebacker Steven Haley with 69 tackles and three sacks. Alford has 36 tackles and two interceptions. Nick Joachim, a 6-1 senior, has 33 tackles.

Michael Kerr, a 5-10 junior defensive lineman, leads the team with 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for a loss.

"Defensively they give you a lot of different looks," Gibbs said. "They really try to take away the power run game and the inside run game, which of course is what we like. They do a lot of blitzing and stunts and things like that. We've got to be sharp. We've got to be mentally focused. We've got to be mentally ready from the get-go."

Against Farmington last week, the Bulldogs set a season high in total offense with 406 yards led by a 220-yard rushing performance by Victwon Riley. Earnest Fobbs also rushed for a season high with 104 yards.

Riley leads the team with 476 yards rushing on 70 carries with six touchdowns. Fobbs follows up with 400 yards on 73 carries with four touchdowns.

"Both those kids ran the ball hard, both those kids ran the ball tough," Gibbs said. "Victwon started kind of slow with some fumbles but he got after it a little bit. The biggest thing is our offensive line just did a tremendous job. Sure we're going to try to feed Victwon. We're going to try to feed Earnest. But we've got to continue to block for those guys to give them some room. One of the things we did the other night, we changed the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball."

Junior quarterback Nathan Hampton has thrown for 326 yards, completing 28 of 66 passes (42 percent) with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Corbyn Blissett leads all receivers with 160 yards receiving on six catches. Donnell Cobb follows up with 63 yards on five receptions. Justus Faulkner leads the team with nine receptions for 50 yards.

"We need to be able to throw the ball a little bit better," Gibbs said. "Both throwing the ball and catching the ball, we've got to get better on that. One of our weaknesses so far right now is blocking on the edge. If you want to try to get on the edge that's fine, but you've got to have somebody out there blocking for those kids. They can't just run by themselves."

Fobbs leads the team with 63 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks. Shane Garrett follows up with 33 tackles.

Sikeston leads the all-time series with the Mules 55-32-4, winning seven straight dating back to 2007.

"Sikeston is young like us," Barousse said. "They lost a lot of people. They found ways to move the ball last week against Farmington. They've got two good running backs -- makes them more explosive and kind of looks a little bit like the old Sikeston."