If the 7th Grade Mansfield Tigers have shown one thing this season, it’s that they don’t back down from a challenge. Not to anyone at any time anywhere. In 2019, the Mansfield 5th and 6th Grade team finished runner up in the West Central Football League Championship game. That same year, Charleston won the AR-OK River Valley Football Championship. When Charleston showed up on their calendar, the Tigers, coaches, and fans all knew it was going to be a solid and intense football game.
Mansfield started off the game with the intention of laying down some big hits but Charleston had different plans. The black and gold Tigers jumped out early using something Mansfield hasn’t seen so far this season. Passing. Charleston connected multiple passes in the flats so that they could use speed in the open field to eat up yards. Once Mansfield’s defense began spreading out to cover the pass, Charleston went for the throat with an end-around for a touchdown. Mansfield couldn’t stop Charleston’s extra point attempt and headed to the sidelines down 8-0.
Charleston may have hit a sniper shot to score, but Mansfield kicked down the door with a double barrel of Zander Walters and Dawson Robinson rushing attack. With their shoulders lowered, the dynamic duo punished Charleston’s defense as they seemingly looked for black jerseys to run over. Remember how Charleston spread the Tigers out to score on a run? Well, Charleston began to load the box on the Tigers to shut down the run game. Mansfield quarterback, Cooper Edwards, gave them a taste of their own medicine. Edwards zipped a pass to Dominic Shores who made an amazing catch with his legs (yes, his legs) as he balled up on the ball for a 14-yard reception. With Charleston still keying on Walters and Robinson, Edwards baited them with a fake handoff to Robinson and then pulled the ball and went up the middle for a 14-yard pickup. The icing on the cake was an Edwards 12-yard pass to a wide-open Walters for a Tiger touchdown. After missing the extra point, the Tigers went into the half down 8-6.
The second half could be a selfie of the first half. Charleston jumped up early with a passing touchdown, but this time the Tigers defense stuffed them on their extra point attempt. Mansfield’s offensive line began to move mountains and make holes that a Mac Truck could drive through as the Walters/Robinson one-two punch landed massive blows to the black and gold Tigers defense. James Bausley, Alex Hecox, Cadien Ore, Logan Ore, Wyatt Boyd, and Kanon Fisher all moved Charleston’s defensive line like pawns in a chess match as Mansfield grounded and pounded their way downfield. It was Cooper Edwards who capitalized on the bombardment as he took a “Cooper Keeper” to score for the Tigers. Walters punched his way in for the two-point conversion. If you do the math, that means that the score stood at Mansfield 14 and Charleston 14 with 8:54 left in the game.
Both teams took shots at each other for the next seven minutes. Mansfield drove their tanks running over Charleston. Charleston dropped bombs from their air attack on Mansfield. The Tigers defense struck hard and often with Ethan Martin, Logan Newman, Hecox, Shores, Walters, and Robinson ripping down every run and quick pass Charleston made. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Charleston reverted back to their first score of the game when they sent receivers into the flats then slipped one downfield past Mansfield’s coverage to score and convert a two-point conversion to take the lead with only 1:08 left in the game. The Tigers knew time was running out and began to pound their way downfield hastily, but time wasn’t on their side as the final horn sounded ending the game with a score of Charleston 22 / Mansfield 14.
The loss gives Mansfield their first conference loss of the season putting them at 2-1 in conference play. That game is over though and the Tigers are ready to get back at it as they prepare for an unfamiliar foe in the Lincoln Wolves. After dropping from 4A, the Wolves could be seen as a threat. But the Tigers aren’t scared by no big bad wolf and they are ready to blow the house down on Lincoln.
