Everyone loves seeing two underdogs battle for a heavyweight position. That’s because most underdogs resonate with the average Joe who himself battles the underdog card in life. Neither Mansfield or Bismarck has the pedigree, history, and prestige of a Charleston, Prescott, or Booneville that draws in all the attention. Instead, both programs pulled up their bootstraps last season to earn the attention of the entire state which carried over into both teams first game of 2024, coincidentally, against each other. Bismarck came into the game with a senior heavy roster and high-octane offense while the Tigers rolled onto the field with a roster full of returning starters on their stiff defense. The hype was definitely present in Bismarck as media outlets from all over the state were in attendance. All that was left was the opening kickoff.
Bismarck won the coin toss and deferred to the second half setting up Mansfield with the ball first. The Lions sent off a short pooch kick to try and gain an early advantage, but Matthew Burton was there to snag the ball giving Mansfield’s offense excellent field position at the 46-yard line. The Tigers used their normal ground and pound rushing attack to cross midfield into Bismarck territory on the first play. Mansfield mixed in a couple of pass plays to keep the Lions on their toes which spread the Bismarck defense out just enough to allow Daniel Burton to bust loose on a 28-yard gain. With the ball now at the 13-yard line, the Tigers were in prime position to punch the ball into the endzone, but a fumble two plays later put a screeching halt to the Tigers touchdown plans and allowed Bismarck to gain momentum. Mansfield’s defense then came out and used their defensive line beefcakes to force the Lions into a quick three and out. The Tigers offense came back on the field with a vengeance as Jeremy Strozier pitched the ball to Daniel Burton who hit the outside perimeter like a man on fire going 63-yards for a Tiger touchdown. Mansfield missed the extra point try but still had an early 6-0 lead on Bismarck. Mansfield’s defense again hit the field with every intention of stuffing Bismarck again, but the Lions learned not to run right into the teeth of the Tigers on their first drive and came out airing the ball out. While the Tigers were able to stop big gains with outside linebackers Jeremy Strozier and Samuel Buton, Bismarck was able to pick their way downfield quickly to put points on the board. After also missing their extra point attempt, the Tigers and Lions were all tied up with a 6-6 score. The back-and-forth action continued with neither side giving up an inch as the first quarter came to a close with the same 6-6 lit up on the scoreboard.
Mansfield started off the second quarter with a roar as the defense got their feet under them again. Linemen Cadien Ore and James Bausley wreaked havoc on the Lions offense forcing Bismarck to run the ball outside the box and pass while scrambling. Bismarck was able to gain some yards on their first drive of the second quarter but were soon forced to punt the ball back to the Tigers. It did not take long for Mansfield to capitalize on their defensive stop as Jeremy Strozier made the perfect read option and pitched the ball to Samuel Burton who screamed downfield for a 64-yard Tiger touchdown. Mansfield went for a two-point conversion but failed setting the score at 12-6 in the Tigers favor. Bismarck’s offense again responded with an air raid assault on the Tigers defense. The Lions drove the ball down within the five-yard line when the ball hit the grass. Mansfield pounced on the ball quickly and began to celebrate but that celebration was cut short as Bismarck’s runner was ruled down prior to the ball coming out. It only took one play from there for Bismarck to cross the goal line for a score and tack on the extra point kick giving the Lions a 13-12 lead over Mansfield. Down by one point with only four minutes left in the half, the Tigers stuck to their game plan and ran the ball eating up yards and time along the way. Another read option to Samuel Burton pushed Mansfield into scoring territory with under a minute left. It was “Wild Dan” time from there as Daniel Burton pushed through three defenders from six yards out for a Tiger touchdown to regain the lead for the Tigers. The extra point kick went wide and low leaving Mansfield with an 18-13 lead going into halftime.
The third quarter kicked off with an impressive Bismarck drive that took a page out of Mansfield’s book by controlling the clock. The Lions took the ball all the way down to the eight-yard line while chewing the clock down to 8:28 before zipping into the endzone on a slant pass. Bismarck then added on the extra point kick to regain the lead with a 20-18 score. Tigers dropped the ball on their next possession giving Bismarck even more momentum in the third quarter. The Lions again attempted to capitalize on a Mansfield mistake by scoring on a quarterback scramble from 20 yards out, but a holding call negated the score. Something else that will keep an opponent from scoring is an interception and that’s exactly what Samuel Burton did two plays later giving Mansfield the ball as well as a much needed boost of confidence. Andrew Burton then picked up a big 12-yard run up the gut which brought the Lions defense tight into the box on. That was just what the Tigers wanted too as Trey Powell took the end around pitch and saw nothing but grass as he left Bismarck’s defense in the dust for a 44-yard Tiger touchdown. Mansfield failed on the two-point attempt which put the score at a narrow 24-20 in the Tigers favor. Bismarck got the ball back and popped off two plays on offense before defensive lineman (yes, lineman), Ethan Martin, did some popping of his own and popped high up into the air to intercept a pass. The Tigers offense went nowhere though as they faced a fourth and short but were bailed out by a flag against Bismarck. That closed out a wild third quarter that saw Mansfield up on Bismarck 24-20.
Two great teams, one great game, and a fourth quarter to go. This game had lived up to all the hype at that point for sure. Mansfield started of the fourth with the ball still at their own 21-yard line. Mansfield’s Jeremy Strozier took control of the beginning of the fourth with a big run up the middle then followed that up with a smooth read and pitch to Daniel Burton to get the Tigers inside the five-yard line. The Tigers capitalized on the short field as Andrew Burton plowed his way into the endzone from two yards out. Mansfield successfully added the extra point kick to take a two-score lead over Bismarck, 31-20 with 10:08 left in the game. But when it comes to two teams that are eyeing to make a name for themselves, you cannot count either one out. Bismarck had an advantage that Mansfield could not muster in the fourth quarter, roster numbers. A steady rotation of fresh bodies by the Lions was able to wear down the Tigers 22-man roster as exhaustion from playing both ways began to take its toll. Bismarck sent a rocket pass into the endzone after just two minutes with the ball. The lions added a two-point conversion to bring the game within three points, 31-28. The Tigers fell short on a fourth down trick punt on their next series giving Bismarck a short field at the 29-yard line with just four minutes left in the game. Bismarck wasted little time jumping into the endzone to take 35-31 the lead with 2:48 on the clock. That late score proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Tigers as Mansfield fell to Bismarck with a 35-31 final score.
The Tigers did not schedule Bismarck as their first game to have a cupcake, they wanted a true test. Although the Tigers did not pass that particular test, they learned a lot from the nonconference loss. One thing for sure, both Mansfield and Bismarck will definitely make some waves in the 3A this season and may possibly meet again the State Playoffs for a rematch. For Mansfield though, there is no rest for the weary as they must forget this loss and look ahead at a rivalry game. This upcoming Friday the Tigers will host the Waldron Bulldogs in the ever-anticipated Battle of Scott County. Waldron will enter the contest with a new head coach and a 1-0 record after defeating Paris 27-21 last week. There is no doubt that both Mansfield and Waldron need a win this upcoming Friday, September 6th to keep their seasons looking positive.
