MANSFIELD – The goal from last season was simple: Be undefeated going into the Mansfield game, and win the conference championship. Mission accomplished. Charleston presented a balanced attack, scoring from the ground and through the air, complemented with a defensive shutout for a 35-0 win Thursday night at Mansfield. The win improves Charleston to 9-0, 6-0 in the 3A-1, but the Tigers have one remaining non-conference game against 5A Dardanelle.
“Winning the conference championship in junior high is a big deal for these kids and the program,” said Charleston junior high head coach Matt Stewart. “We are excited about winning the conference outright, but we have work to do”
Charleston would win the coin toss and elect to receive. They would establish the ground game and line of scrimmage early, with Grant Little carries of 9 and 16 yards. This would set up a 37-yard touchdown pass from Daeton Stewart to Cooper Carruth to put the Tigers up 7-0 early.
Mansfield would take their first offensive possession from their own 25-yard line, but would struggle to gain any ground. Forced into a 3rd-and-8, Mansfield quarterback Peyton James would roll out to his left in an attempt to pass, but Charleston’s Cam Fox got a hand on the pass to force a fourth down.
Charleston’s second drive would be very similar to their first, establishing the run to set up the pass. Little had a 16-yard run, Stewart followed with a 4-yard run on a quarterback keeper, and this would set up a 60-yard bomb from Stewart to Carruth down to the Mansfield 1-yard line. Little would punch it in one play later to put Charleston up 14-0 with 0:52 left in the first quarter.
Grant Little, the powerful eighth-grade Charleston running back, would have one of his best games of the season. Little would average 8.8 yards per carry, tallying 115 yards on 13 carries for two touchdowns. He also added five tackles on defense.
“Grant had one of his better games of the year tonight,” said Charleston assistant coach Tyler Reese. “Our linemen opened up some big holes and we were able to take advantage. Grant can be a physical runner and that can just wear down a defense.”
The Charleston offense would struggle in the second quarter, something they haven’t experienced much this season. On the Tigers’ third offensive possession, Stewart and Little would bobble the QB/RB exchange, and Mansfield would recover the fumble. However, the Charleston defense would immediately respond forcing a fumble of their own.
Despite being given a second chance, the Charleston offense wouldn’t be able to sustain a drive. Charleston was faced with a third and 6, and a conversion on a Stewart pass was called back for holding, and Charleston would eventually have to punt. This was the Tigers’ first punt since the Ozark game week three.
The stout Tigers defense would once again force Mansfield into a three-and-out, and Mansfield would be forced to punt to Charleston with 47 seconds left in the first half. Charleston would only allow Mansfield one earned first down on the night that wasn’t from a penalty. Charleston controlled the line of scrimmage all night.
“Defensively, our success starts with the guys up front playing very physical and controlling the line of scrimmage,” said Charleston assistant coach Brett Ward. “Our linebackers and secondary did a great job reading their keys and making plays on the football. I thought we did a great job playing together as a unit, with everyone doing their job each play. I’m really proud of the effort and physicality our guys played with tonight.”
47 seconds is plenty of time for the Charleston offense to score, and they nearly did. A 16-yard Grant Little run would set up a Daeton Stewart pass to Jaxson Todd. Stewart hit Todd in stride, but the ball slipped out of his hands on what would have been a walk-in touchdown. Charleston took a 14-0 lead going into halftime. Stewart would end the first half with 97 yards passing and a touchdown, all to Cooper Carruth.
Mansfield would take the opening kickoff of the second half, but would fumble on their first play of scrimmage, which was recovered by Grant Little.
After being unable to score on their last three possessions of the first half, Charleston would find its groove in the second half. The Tigers would once again establish the ground game, with the opening drive being capped off with an 18-yard touchdown run by Little for his second on the game, putting Charleston up 21-0.
Charleston would continue to dominate the third quarter, forcing another Mansfield three and out on defense.
With the ground game firing on all cylinders behind the offensive line, the Tigers would use a “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach and keep running the ball. Charleston would call on Little for a 10-yard run, followed by a 9-yard Carruth carry. This would Charleston up in Mansfield territory, and Carruth would take a carry up the middle, make a man miss on the second level with a spin move and carry it in for a 36-yard touchdown to put the Tigers up 28-0.
On Charleston’s final possession in the fourth quarter, the Tigers would change it up a bit with a 15-yard jet sweep pass completion to Tanner Schilling, followed by a 27-yard pass from Stewart to Jaxson Todd down to the Mansfield 2-yard line. Stewart would then carry it in from two yards out to put Charleston up 35-0. For the sixth consecutive game, the Tigers would enforce the mercy rule.
Coach Matt Stewart understands that an undefeated season and a conference championship will set up lofty expectations for the future.
“The last time we went undefeated in junior high was 2019, and our last conference championship was in 2020,” said Stewart. “And those teams went on to be a part of the 3A State Championship team of 2022, so that sets an expectation of the group.”
Despite what the future may hold for the Tigers, Stewart is trying to keep his team grounded and focused on one more game.
“My focus is to guard against the drift,” he said. “We can’t be satisfied and let our guard down because the Sand Lizards are coming to Alumni Field on Tuesday. We celebrate for a night, but Friday we will be back to work.”
Daeton Stewart would complete four passes for 140 yards and touchdown. Cooper Carruth contributed heavily with two touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing. Him and Kurt Lachowsky also led the Tigers defense with seven tackles apiece.
All photo credits to Adam Hecox of RNN. View more at the Team Press Pass facebook page.
