When you don’t stand a chance in the eyes of others, you’re considered an underdog. Being labeled as underdogs is something that the Mansfield Tigers football program has gotten used to in 2024. The Tigers were underdogs going into Charleston on October 4th and big-time underdogs when they hosted Booneville on October 25th. Mansfield found a way to win upset victories in both games, but both were considered just that, luck. In Round2 of the 3A State Playoffs, the Tigers were again tagged as underdogs when they hosted the Newport Greyhounds. Newport brought a bunch of high-end talent and the state’s highest-scoring offense to Tiger Stadium leaving many to believe that the Tiger’s luck had finally run out. Instead, the Greyhounds offense ran out of luck as the Mansfield Tigers dominated Newport 34-14 on Friday, November 23rd.

Newport elected to receive the opening kickoff to try and get ahead of the Tigers early. After a good kickoff return, the Greyhounds started on their own 47-yard line. Boasting an offense that averaged 49.2 points per game, Newport definitely had the capability to light up the scoreboard against the Tigers and wasted little time proving it. It only took the Greyhounds seven plays to get in the endzone to put the Tigers down 8-0. Mansfield’s offense took over and showed Newport something they hadn’t seen all season, physicality. The Tigers ground and pound game methodically marched downfield 63 yards in 12 plays and behind running backs Daniel Burton, Samuel Burton, and Andrew Burton before Andrew Burton punched the ball into the endzone from ten yards out for a Tiger touchdown. Mansfield’s two-point attempt was no good, but the Tigers were on the scoreboard down 8-6 to the Greyhounds. In their opening drives, both teams showed exactly what their game plan was. Newport wanted to score quickly and often while the Tigers desired to pound on Newport and eat up the clock along the way. Newport quickly got into Mansfield territory on their next possession with two short runs and a big pass play to set up the Greyhounds at the 22-yard line. As momentum was on the Greyhound’s side, the opening quarter closed with Mansfield on the bottom side of the scoreboard with Newport on top 8-6.

Newport started the second quarter with the ball, but the Tiger’s defense came out with a chip on their shoulder. The Greyhound’s first play sent their running back back and forth across the field as the Mansfield defense pursued flawlessly to send the play backward for a 13-yard loss. Newport faced a 4th and 23 yards to go which is exactly what the Tigers wanted. Knowing the Greyhounds had to pass, Daniel Burton trailed the ball through the air and swatted the ball away from a Newport receiver to force a turnover on downs. The turnover not only gave the Tigers the opportunity to get the lead but also a chance to pound on the Newport defense more to break their willpower. Mansfield grounded out a pair of solid runs before Samuel Burton opened things up with an impressive 20-yard run to put Mansfield at their 16-yard line. If it worked once, then stick with it and Coach Whit Overton did just that as Samuel Burton again got the ball and darted 14 yards into the endzone for a Tiger touchdown. The Tigers added on the two-point conversion taking a 14-8 lead over Newport. The Greyhounds offense started with the ball at the 47-yard line after the kickoff and went to work fast gaining two first downs in just five plays. Newport kept rolling as their running back took a direct snap 23 yards to the goal line where Trey Powell stripped the ball away. “To the goal line” is the key phrase as Powell’s strip and recovery happened just before the goalline keeping the Greyhounds out of the endzone and giving the Tigers a big-time turnover.

The Tiger’s offense looked at 4:10 left in the half and 90 yards in front of them before they could attempt to extend their lead over the Greyhounds. A penalty against the Tigers set them even further back at the 6-yard line, but quarterback Jeremy Strozier showed his leadership on third and eight by powering his way for a first down to get Mansfield out of the hole. Leadership isn’t just a one-man position for the Tigers though, it’s a team mentality. Senior Samuel Burton and junior Andrew Burton jumped all over the Greyhounds on back-to-back plays for big gains to get the Tigers past midfield. A Jeremy Strozier option play to Daniel Burton moved the chains to the 23-yard line setting the Tigers up in scoring position with just 1:22 left in the half. Trey Powell rolled into the endzone just two plays later, but a holding call brought the ball back. Strozier barely overthrew Leland Powell for what could’ve been another touchdown, but even if the pass was caught, another holding penalty would negate the score as the Tigers moved even further back. Facing second down and 21 yards to go, Mansfield’s offense had to find a chink in the Greyhound’s armor. Again, Jeremy Strozier called his own number and plowed ahead for a big gain with just 0:20 left in the half. Even though the Tigers were putting together a good drive, father time waits for no one as the first half ended with Mansfield leading Newport 14-8.

Mansfield deferred the game’s opening coin toss which gave the Tigers offense the ball to start the second half. Coming back into the second half though, the Tigers would be forced to show how seriously the team takes their “next man up” mentality as star running back Daniel Burton was unable to return to the game. Mansfield’s offense started the second half at the ten-yard line. Samuel Burton and Andrew Burton went into beast mode getting a combined 17 yards in the first two plays to move the Tigers into the open field. The Tigers continued to do what they do best and kept swinging the ground and pound hammer to grind down the Greyhound’s defense. Andrew Burton took back-to-back power plays to push the Tigers to the ten-yard line and was followed up on the next play by Jeremy Strozier who plowed his way to the one-yard line. When you need a fourth and one play, Andrew Burton is the man to complete the plan, and Burton executed the plan perfectly by jumping up and flying over the Greyhounds defense for a Tiger touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good but the Tigers were up by two scores now extending their lead to 20-8. The massive 90-yard offensive drive by the Tigers left just Newport’s high-octane offense 3:38 left in the third quarter to try and play catch up. Everyone knows that Newport can score at any time, but the Tiger’s defense stepped up as Dakota Deer forced a big loss with a tackle for loss on third down and eight to go. Newport went for it on fourth down though and converted the pass play for a first down. Just a few plays later Newport made their way into the endzone but couldn’t pull off the two-point conversion to set the score at 20-14 with just 0:52 seconds left in the third quarter. A penalty on the kick return started Mansfield’s offense out at the five-yard line which is where the Tigers would start the final quarter of the game as the third quarter ended with Mansfield leading Newport 20-14.

Mansfield had the lead as the fourth and final quarter started, but pinned with their backs against the goal line wasn’t what the Tigers nor any offense likes to start a drive. Newport’s defense bowed up and stuffed the Tigers on three straight downs to force a fourth-down punt. But the Tigers were spot on with almost every part of the game at that point and remained solid even in the punting department, as Andrew Burton booted the ball 46 yards to flip the field. Mansfield knew they had to close out the game, but to do so they’d have to use their hardnosed defense to shut down the state’s highest-scoring offense. How can that happen, well a turnover helps, and a turnover is exactly what Mansfield got as Trey Powell picked off a Newport pass to give the Tigers offense the ball at their 36-yard line. After a pair of post-play penalties, Mansfield started their offense on the 21-yard line. Jeremy Strozier took a powerful run to give Mansfield a first and goal as the Tigers continued to run the ball and eat up time on the clock. Andrew Burton capitalized on the Tiger’s turnover with a 3-yard dive into the endzone for a Tiger touchdown. Mansfield could not convert the two-point conversion but still had the lead over the Greyhounds with a 26-14 score. Down by two scores, Newport hurried their plays to try and get back into the game, but the rush led to mistakes as Manfield forced a turnover on downs against the Greyhounds with 5:23 left in the ball game. Now with the ball again, the Tigers leaned on clock management and their ground game to close the game out. Andrew Burton gave the Tiger faithful a breath of relief as he plowed in for a 25-yard Tiger touchdown with just 1:00 minute left in the game. Jeremiah Burton put the game’s final score under lock and key with another Tiger interception as Mansfield defeated the Newport Greyhounds with a score of 34-14 in Round2 of the 3A State Playoffs.

The Mansfield Tigers have been underdogs since day one and have embraced that label. When others say they can’t, the Tigers prove that they can. By holding the 3As number one offense to merely 14 points, the Tigers have definitely made it a point to show folks that they can hang with anyone on either side of the ball. With the big win over the Greyhounds, Mansfield will now host a quarterfinal game against the Dumas Bobcats. Dumas (6-6 / 4-3) entered the State Playoffs as a 4Seed out of the 3A-8 but knocked off two perineal powerhouses by beating Camden Harmony Grove and Glen Rose to get to the quarterfinals. If what Dumas has done so far in the playoffs sounds kind of familiar, then just remember the 2023 Mansfield season where the Tigers rolled through two number-one seeds en route to a semifinal appearance. Both teams were pegged as one-and-done programs going into the playoffs, but after making their way through wins that weren’t supposed to happen, both programs still have plenty to prove. As for now though, the Tigers will soak up their big win and prepare for their second consecutive 3A State Quarterfinal game.