On Saturday, November 9th the Mansfield 3rd and 4th Grade Tigers defeated the Mountainburg Dragons 16-2 to win the 2019 WCFL Championship. The Tigers brought home their second WCFL Championship which makes them back to back WCFL Champions. To pull off a feat of that magnitude is rare at any level of football, let alone in Little League Football.
Touted as an early-season favorite to win it all by many, the Tigers didn’t disappoint. Mansfield ran rampant over their opponents all season. In fact, Mansfields championship game final score was the closest anyone got to the Tigers all season. The Tigers averaged 31 points a game as they racked up 248 total points on the scoreboard with their super speed and big-play offense. Spearheading the Mansfields touchdown machine was “Double Ought Buckshot” Colton Nelson, Hunter Whittaker, and Trevin Hattabaugh. The unstoppable dynamic trio left defenders in their dust with lightning speed and ankle-breaking jukes. If the offensive speed wasn’t scary enough for opponents, Mansfield held an ace in their hand with the power game of Colton Moore. Moore was the “Big Cat” in short-yardage situations and raked in nearly every 2 point conversion this season.
Mansfield wasn’t all finesse though. To achieve Championships, you have to have a down and dirty smash-mouth defense. The Mansfield defense was a black hole for opposing offenses as they held opponents to merely 38 points combined for the entire season. That’s an astonishing average of less than a score per game. Thomas Boyd, Michael Carter, Kingston Hawkins, and Alivia Wilson were masters of destruction for any ball carrier attempting to run up the middle of the field. If an opponent chose to spread things out by running to the perimeter or even pass, they were in for a rude awakening. Lincoln Allison, Maddox Sterling, Raihan Islam, and Layton Pyles would be on them like white on rice.
After this season, second-year Head Coach, David Moore, has only one loss and two WCFL Championships on his resume. The public voted him in as coach for a reason and he has taken care of business seemingly with ease. Surrounded by assistant coaches Timmy Wilson, Wes Collins, Jeremy Whittaker, and Steven Moore, David has created an atmosphere of success. The passion Moore has for football and his ability to mold players to fit the system is a rare gift in Little League football.
Although the 4th Grade will be moving up important players from this year’s success, fans shouldn’t be worried. The current third grade is oozing with talented Tigers ready to fill in the voids left behind and Flag Football will be moving up some super second graders to the team for 2020. The Tigers will be adding their second WCFL Championship and the Sebastian Country Rivalry trophy to the Elementary Schools collection. Elementary Principle Mrs. Arnold had better get with the Agri and Shop Classes soon because the grade school is going to need a bigger trophy case due to the fact that these Tigers aren’t done. Not by a long shot.
