Sr Tigers Lose Grip on Elks

After Tuesday nights 61-31 loss to the Elkins Elks, the Mansfield Sr High Tigers are ready to get back up on their basketball horse and return to battle. It was the dreaded “T” word that gave the Elks the lead they needed in the first quarter. Turnovers! “Greenland is arguably the top team in the conference,” explains head coach, Keith Dake. “You can’t expect to win a game against a team of that caliber by handing them six extra possessions. Ball security was an issue throughout the game and we simply have to be better.” Codi Chick led the team in scoring with 11 points while Layton Howard brought in nine.

“So far this season we have seen two completely different teams. Truly a Jekyll and Hyde story. On one hand, we have a team capable of scoring 70+ points per game and have done so on more than one occasion this season, and against quality opponents. On the other hand, we have a team that has failed to top 45 points in three straight games. Our conference is one of the absolute best in 3A, if not the best. Any team could win on any given night, and unlike previous seasons there isn’t that one team that everyone knows will win it all. Instead there are eight teams that can all compete at an incredibly high level. Unfortunately for us, we have hit a cold spell. But we are looking to heat things back up starting this Friday.” 

Friday, January 10, the (4-7) Mansfield Tigers will travel to Greenland to take on the (7-6) Pirates with Jr High starting at 4 p.m. “Greenland is a tough opponent that possesses every quality great teams possess. They have size down low, deadly shooters from the perimeter, and are led by a coach’s son who is one of the top players within our conference. In order to win this game, we will need to do a much better job of minimizing unforced turnovers on the offensive end and have players willing to step up and score. We also need to do a better job of limiting second-chance points and securing rebounds on the defensive end, while running shooters off the line and forcing them out of their comfort zones.”