COVID-19 has shut down a lot of fun and exciting things so far. It has taken our sanity. It has taken our time. But one thing it can’t take is our FOOOOOOOOOTBALLLLLLL!!! A great glimpse into what the season holds was on display at Tiger stadium Monday night as Mansfield’s 7th and 8th grade took on the Magazine Rattlers in a defensive heavyweight bout.
Both teams started off playing tag with each other as they tried to get the COVID-19 rust off. It was an anything you can do I can do better match-up. The Tigers gave and received big hits but never backed down holding the Rattlers scoreless for the entire game. Linemen Dakota Deer, Eli Garner, James Olinghouse, and James Bausley waged war in the trenches stuffing attempts by Magazines offense on multiple occasions. Passes and runs around the end weren’t very easy for Magazine either. Mansfield was able to stretch out the Rattler’s defense to the sidelines and make team tackles multiple times. Pressure by linebackers Jeremy Strozier, Toby Towe, and Alex Hecox created chaos in Magazine’s backfield all night. Zander Walters was the sole turnover king though when he jumped on a loose Magazine snap giving the Tigers great field position.
Although there were a few kinks in the Tigers offense, they showed glimpses of great promise. Workhorse running back Trey Powell took more handoffs than the Olympic torch averaging four yards a carry and broke free for big runs a few times. Strozier plowed his way through the snake pit with several runs even striking the bullseye on a few passes. One of Strozier’s favorite targets all evening was Austin Oldham. Oldham was the sole scoreboard contributor of the night when he snagged a Strozier pass bobbing and weaving through Magazines fang-filled defense for a 57-yard touchdown. Strozier capped things off with a two-point conversion to set the score at 8-0 Tigers. With time winding down, it was up to the Tigers defense to stop for one more Magazine drive. The Rattlers ran the ball hard, but the Tigers pushed the Magazine running back right into the waiting arms of Cisco Fildes who put the nail in the coffin for Mansfield’s first win of the season.
Although the teams combined their 7th and 8th grade teams for the scrimmage, everything will go back to normal on Thursday, August 27 as the 7th-Grade and Jr High Tigers head south to take on the Mena Bearcats in what is sure to be one for the ages.
