Sterling Bank has purchased 100 tickets to support the Poplar Bluff High School Mules Golf program’s induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, the not-for-profit organization announced on its website last week.

“We are delighted to welcome Sterling Bank aboard as an associate sponsor,” MSHOF Executive Director Jerald Andrews stated in the press release. “Sterling Bank’s generosity will certainly help us make it a memorable day for Poplar Bluff’s golfers.”

A member of the Class of 2021, Mules Golf will be the first male program in Missouri to be inducted on Sunday, Jan. 31, in Springfield. The boys golf program will join former Mules Football players Derland Moore and Eddie Moss as MSHOF inductees who are PBHS alumni.

“This honor is a great thing for our community to enjoy as a historical achievement,” said Scott E. Spencer, president and chief executive officer of Sterling Bank. “The players, coaches and parents make up the true fabric of what Poplar Bluff is all about. This recognition has been a journey for many generations.”

According to Spencer, the Poplar Bluff-headquartered bank has numerous employees, shareholders, customers and friends who are current or former Mules golfers, and they have supported the program for decades, supplying the team with golf bags, shirts and other needs expressed by coach Billy Pyland and his predecessor, Bill Caputo.

Pyland thanked Sterling Bank for the constant support, along with the entire banking sector, as well as other businesses and individuals in the community who have sponsored meals, transportation and even practice locations over the years.

“It’s basically been 24 years of asking for various things and not being turned down,” said Pyland, who was named Poplar Bluff’s 2020 secondary grade-span Teacher of the Year.

Mules Golf has earned six state championships, was named runners-up five times and owns the most top-four finishes of all public schools in Missouri. Individual state champions have included Craig Caringer, Brent Pennington, Colby Robertson twice, and Tyler Hillis.

For inquiries about the Enshrinement to be hosted at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in order to allow for social distancing, contact the MSHOF at 417-241-1551.

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Cutline: Headquartered off Kanell Boulevard, Sterling Bank has three locations in Poplar Bluff.