The Mansfield JR Tigers opened the season with fireworks, storming past Dardanelle before pulling off a miracle in Mena and a stunning comeback at Elkins. Each win gave Tiger fans plenty to cheer about, but it also raised a fair question: how many dramatic finishes can one team survive before the magic runs out? So, when Mansfield traveled to Lavaca on Thursday, September 24, to open conference play, the Tigers knew it was time to clear the air and make a statement. By the final whistle, that statement was short, loud, and unmistakable: Mansfield 00, Lavaca 00.
Mansfield wasted no time setting the tone, opening the game with a bit of trickery on an onside kick attempt. The gamble didn’t pay off, as the ball sailed out of bounds and handed Lavaca strong field position. But the Tigers’ defense answered immediately. On Lavaca’s first possession, the Golden Arrows tried to move the ball with an offensive pitch, only for Peyton James to crash through and level the Lavaca back, forcing a fumble that Mansfield quickly recovered. From there, the Tigers went to work. Keaton Welch and Ryder Pennington powered Mansfield down to the 14-yard line in just four carries, setting up Pennington for a hard-earned four-yard touchdown run. Silas Burton finished the drive by punching in the two-point conversion, giving Mansfield an early 8-0 lead.
The Tigers kept their foot on the gas after a strong opening series. On the first play of Lavaca’s next possession, Kannon Copeland jumped the route and intercepted a Golden Arrows pass, taking it back for a pick-six and another Mansfield touchdown. Peyton James powered in the two-point conversion, pushing the Tigers’ lead to 16-0. Two Lavaca turnovers had quickly turned into two Mansfield scores, but the Tigers’ defense was far from finished. Led by Cung Bawi and Daymian Powell, Mansfield swarmed the Golden Arrows and forced a punt. Back on offense, the Tigers went right back to Keaton Welch, who bulldozed his way to the 12-yard line in just two plays. The opening quarter ran out before Mansfield could strike again, but the Tigers were already knocking on the door and showing no signs of slowing down.
Mansfield opened the second quarter with a change under center, as Peyton James took over at quarterback and quickly made an impact by pitching the ball to Silas Burton for another Tiger touchdown. Ryder Pennington added the two-point conversion, stretching Mansfield’s lead over Lavaca to 24-0. The Tigers kept the pressure on with another successful onside kick recovery, giving their offense another short field as the momentum continued to build. Two plays later, Silas Burton broke loose for what appeared to be a 40-yard touchdown run, but a penalty wiped the score off the board. Mansfield answered immediately, however, as Ryder Pennington powered into the end zone on the very next snap for a 22-yard touchdown. The two-point try came up short, but it hardly mattered as the Tigers surged ahead 30-0 early in the second quarter.
With the Mansfield offense scoring almost at will, the defense made sure it had its own turn in the spotlight. Brison Anderton and Issac Rogers delivered back-to-back tackles for loss, overwhelming the Lavaca offense and forcing yet another Golden Arrows punt. Mansfield wasted little time capitalizing on the stop, as Ryder Pennington broke free on the ensuing series for a 52-yard touchdown run. The Tigers added the two-point conversion to push the lead to 38-0 midway through the second quarter. Mansfield’s defense struck again before halftime when Daymian Powell intercepted a Lavaca pass, shutting down any chance of a Golden Arrows rally. The Tigers headed into the break firmly in control with a commanding 38-0 lead.
With the game well in hand at halftime, the Tigers opened the second half by rotating in several players to gain valuable experience. Mansfield stumbled on its first offensive snap, coughing up the ball and giving Lavaca a chance to build momentum. That boost did not last long. On Lavaca’s first play from scrimmage, Cheston Hancox came up with an interception to put the Tigers right back in control. From there, Mansfield shifted gears and focused on controlling the tempo, methodically wearing down the Golden Arrows’ defense while keeping the clock moving. Kannon Copeland took three straight handoffs late in the quarter, helping the Tigers drain the clock and carry a commanding 38-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
Mansfield opened the fourth quarter by punting for the first time all night, but by then the Tigers had the game firmly in hand. With several reserves on the field and the running clock in effect, Mansfield continued to protect its lead. Gabe Haysmer and Zander Snow stuffed Lavaca’s offense on back-to-back plays, but the Golden Arrows briefly found a spark with a 44-yard completion that moved the ball inside the 15-yard line. The Tigers’ defense answered one final time, as Lavaca put the ball on the ground on the very next snap and winter fell on the ball as Zander Snow came out of the pile with a Mansfield fumble recovery. With 2:45 remaining, the Tigers’ offense drained the rest of the clock, closing out a dominant 38-0 shutout victory over the Lavaca Golden Arrows.
The win over Lavaca gave the JR Tigers their first conference win of the season setting Mansfield with an overall 4-0 record for the year. Not only does it look good to win four straight games early in the season, but the JR High program a whole is now perfect 9-0 against 3A-1 teams and 14-0 overall since the start of the 2025. With those kinds of numbers at their backs, Mansfield is definitely one of the few favored teams to win the 3A-1 again this season. But there are still five more games on the 2026 schedule, and all five teams have the same Championship goals. So, while Mansfield celebrates tonight’s win, they’ll be refocused to take on Cedarville at The Jungle next week.
