The Mansfield Tigers haven’t exactly been able to swim well over the years when it comes to facing the Greenland Pirates. The Tigers have fallen from the plank for four straight years and have been outscored by Greenland 123-53 in that span. The Pirates have held a 7-4 series record since 2012. Mansfield’s biggest blowouts to Greenland were in the Pirates Cove in Northwest Arkansas too. So when the Tigers surfed their 2023 4-0 winning streak up to NWA on Friday, September 29th all signs and critics pointed toward another plank walk. This time though, it was Greenland who was left swimming for the shore as the Tigers broadsided the Pirates ship with an enormous red tsunami.
Greenland opted to onside kick the ball to the Tigers to see if they could get a jump start on Mansfield. The kick was muffed by a Tigers player, but the Tigers still recovered giving a sigh of relief to the Mansfield faithful. It only took one play for Mansfield’s offense to shake Greenland’s ship with a 46-yard touchdown run by Tyler Turnipseed. Ethan Martin split the uprights for the extra point and just like that the Tigers were up 7-0. Normally, the defense holds Mansfield together in games and again they stood tall as Cadien Ore and Samuel Burton sacked Greenland in the endzone for a safety. Now with a 9-0 lead, the Tigers offense got the ball back. Just three plays later, Daniel Burton rolled 22 yards into the endzone for another Tiger touchdown. Burton followed that performance with a punt return for a touchdown, but it was called back on a penalty. So Mansfield’s offense took the field with the sole purpose of racking up points and rack them up they did. Andrew Burton took a handoff on the third play of the series and darted 38 yards for a Tiger touchdown. But again, the score was brought back. So Andrew Burton decided to make up for it with a 48-yard touchdown that was penalty-free this time. A two-point conversion run by Samuel Burton extended the Tigers lead. A 15-yard pass from Jeremy Strozier to Tyler Turnipseed kept Mansfield rolling as the Tigers would rock out with a 30-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Tyler Turnipseed started off the Tigers second quarter offense with a 53-yard bunker buster up the gut to set Mansfield up in scoring position again. Jeremy Strozier would call his own number and hurdled his way into the endzone from 10 yards out for a Tiger Touchdown. The extra point kick was attempted, but holder Peyton Martin missed the kicking block and instead, picked the ball up and scrambled in for a two-point conversion. Mansfield’s defense would again give no quarter to the Pirates which forced Greenland to punt. It didn’t take long for Jeremy Strozier and the Tigers offense to find the endzone again after just two plays. Strozier kept the ball and went untouched for a 20-yard score. Brayden Mays forced a Greenland fumble on the first play of the Pirates ensuing and Cooper Edwards was right there to pull off a “Cooper Scooper ” for the recovery. Mansfield’s offense used one snap of the ball after the turnover which sent Daniel Burton into the endzone for a 41-yard Tiger touchdown. Ethan Martin tacked on the extra point kick and the Tigers just kept rolling. With just a 22 man roster and a few of those unable to play, Mansfield’s subbed defense was able to still anchor down on the Pirates offense and forced a turnover on downs. Mansfield would again punch the ball in from a yard out with a quarterback keeper which sent Mansfield into the half with a commanding 58-0 lead over Greenland.
The second half was one full of learning and gaining more experience for the Tigers as an overall team. Even though fans may call them second string or subs, the Tigers finished out the game like every player was a starter. Offensive runs by Brayden Mays, Samuel Burton, and Trey Powell took Manfield down to the one-yard line where Samuel Burton punched the ball in for a touchdown. Although Mansfield’s defense gave up a few more yards in the second half, they kept the Pirates offense with a goose egg on the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. With the mercy rule still in effect in the second half, Mansfield’s offense would bleed the running down with a handful of runs before lining up in victory formation to run the clock out with a 65-0 final over the Greenland Pirates.
The last time the Tigers beat Greenland was in 2018 and the last time a victory came on Greenland’s field was in 2013. Mansfield’s victory over the Pirates sets them up with a 5-0 overall record and 2-0 conference record as they head into the death row of their schedule. Mansfield will travel to Charleston next week to take on the 2022 defending 3A State Champion Tigers and will then host the 2023 3A State favorites, the Booneville Bearcats. The next couple of games will truly be a test for Mansfield, but definitely not an impossible one. The Tigers knocked off Charleston in 2018 and 2019 so a win against the defending State Champs is very possible. Charleston currently stands tall with a 2-0 conference record with wins over Greenland and Cedarville in dominant fashion by outscoring both Pirate teams with a combined score of 88-25. So mark your calendars and prepare yourselves for Friday, October 6th because ladies and gentlemen, that game is sure to be a thriller as the Mansfield Tigers travel to Charleston for an epic Tiger tussle.
