There’s nothing like extending a season, especially when you’ve been an underdog from the start. The Mansfield Tigers SR High football team earned their way into the Arkansas State Playoffs this season by finishing with a 4-3 conference record which gave them fourth place in the conference and a 4Seed in the Playoffs. Not too bad for a program predicted to finish in last place. With a three-game winning streak and their first Playoff appearance in two years, the Tigers were rip-roaring and ready to continue on their hot running path. The path of that continuance would go through the home of Paul “Bear” Bryant and the seven-time state champion Fordyce Redbugs program. As with the regular season, the Tigers were underdogs going into the game but that didn’t seem to faze them one bit.

The Tigers received the opening kickoff and showed Fordyce why they couldn’t be counted out. Mansfield’s ever-dangerous returner, Daniel Burton, snagged the ball and zig-zagged his way 80 yards for a Tiger Touchdown. Jeremy Strozier tacked on the extra point kick and just like that the Tigers were up 7-0. Fordyce took the shot on the chin and came right back on the ensuing kickoff though with a 57-yard kick return for a touchdown. The Redbugs added the extra point kick, and the game was already tied 7-7 without an offensive snap and less than a minute taken off the clock. The Tigers offense would finally step foot on the field after the early special teams fireworks but came up short going three and out against the Redbugs defense. Once Fordyce got the ball, they used the massive size advantage of their offensive line to push their way downfield on the Tigers defense. It took six plays for the Redbugs to travel 65-yards before scoring and breaking the tie while taking a 14-7 lead over Mansfield.

Another big return by Daniel Burton set the Tigers up at the 45-yard line to start their second drive. Mansfield rode behind senior running backs Tyler Woolbright and Fisher Willsey to get down to the 22-yard line. The duo rushing attack brought the Redbugs defense in tight which opened up a passing lane for quarterback Cole Kindle to zip a pass to Daniel Burton in the corner of the end zone for a Tiger Touchdown. Jeremy Strozier was again on target for the extra point as the Tigers tied the game up 14-14 with 7:16 left in the first quarter. Mansfield’s defense would then show their fierceness with big tackles by Drew Elmore and Kindel Noblitt which forced the Redbugs to punt. The Tigers offense would make it down to Fordyce’s 41-yard line before back-to-back sacks created a turnover on downs. Both defenses went back and forth as neither offense could seem to gain any traction. That’s when special teams kicked in again. Fordyce received a Tigers punt at their own 25-yard line and took it 75 yards to the house for a tie-breaking touchdown. After adding on the extra point kick, the Redbugs took a 21-14 lead over Mansfield to close out a wild first quarter. The Tigers were holding their own which shocked the Redbug faithful and put Mansfield’s fans in a frenzy.

Fordyce changed up their offensive tactics in the second quarter and used the one thing they had an advantage over the Tigers with. Size. The Redbugs stacked up eight total behemoth linemen up front to run behind and began to pound away at Mansfield. Although the Tigers continued to battle hard, the size and physicality began to wear them down as Fordyce drove the ball down for a one-yard touchdown. The Tigers would come right back at Fordyce though with runs by Tyler Woolbright and Fisher Willsey coupled with a few passes to Daniel Burton and Peyton Martin, but a tipped ball resulted in the Redbugs getting the ball back on an interception. Fordyce would again capitalize on the short field, this time with a 23-yard pass for a touchdown. The score and extra point extended the Redbugs lead to 35-14 with 0:59 left in the half. Mansfield would not back down though as the Tigers offense went to the playmaker himself, Daniel Burton, to get downfield. Burton took a Cole Kindle screen pass 36 yards for a first down. A penalty was called on the Redbugs defense on the play putting the Tigers in scoring range at the 25-yard line. That would be as close as Mansfield would get before halftime though as the Tigers went into the half down 35-14.

The Tigers came out of the half on defense and wasted little time showing Fordyce that the Redbugs weren’t going to just walk away with a W without a fight. Big plays by Andrew Burton, Clint Stovall, and Tyler Turnipseed along with costly penalties put Fordyce a mile behind the sticks. The big defensive push by Mansfield forced the Redbugs to go for it on fourth down, but linebacker Jeremy Strozier provided near-perfect coverage resulting in a Redbug incomplete pass and a turnover on downs. The Tigers offense again showed poise as they pushed their way downfield with a mix of runs and passes. Mansfield even went for it on fourth down with four yards to go at midfield and converted with a Cole Kindle to Andrew Burton pass. Soon after though, the tipped ball bug struck again giving the Redbugs another interception. Mansfield would hold up strong again though as Fordyce went back to their massive line to make yards. The Tigers held Fordyce for ten plays before forcing the Redbugs to punt on fourth and twenty-four. Fordyce got back on the Tigers and forced them to punt on fourth down in their own end zone. That’s when disaster struck. A bad snap sent the ball flying out of the end zone giving Fordyce a two-point safety and the ball right back again. The Redbugs started with the ball on the 30-yard line and ran behind their beefed-up line in just one play for a touchdown. Fordyce opted to go for a two-point conversion and made it to set the score at 45-14 in the Redbugs favor to end the third quarter.

Mansfield started the fourth and final quarter on offense with a new quarterback as Jeremy Strozier took the helm. The Tigers running game began to come back with Fisher Willsey and Tyler Woolbright, as well as Strozier, beginning to get big gains on runs. The trio ran inside, outside, and side to side until Willsey broke free on a ten-yard run for a Tigers touchdown. Down 45-20 at that point, Mansfield went for a two-point conversion to make up some ground and was successful as Fisher Willsey again would tote the rock into the end zone as the Tigers closed the score to 45-22 with 3:43 left in the game. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Fordyce would score again and convert a two-point conversion as Mansfield fell to the Redbugs 53-22.

As the game ended and the team began to say their goodbyes to the thirteen seniors who gave their all throughout the year, a storybook moment appeared out of nowhere. While players, family, and fans were crying, the heavens themselves couldn’t hold back any longer as the sky opened up and poured down tears of its own. Although the Tigers lost to a formidable opponent in their first round of the Playoffs, they have nothing to hold their heads down about. Mansfield’s 2022 team broke many barriers on their route to prove everyone wrong. The Tigers had thirteen seniors who stuck together and never gave up proving that anything is possible as they nearly tripled their wins over the past two seasons in just one year while also making the Playoffs for the first time in two years. Although the Mansfield Tigers 2022 football season has come to an end, this year’s team and their accomplishments won’t likely be forgotten anytime soon…….if ever.