On Saturday, November 9^th the Mansfield 3^rd and 4^th 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 4^th 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.

The Mansfield 5^th and 6^th Grade Tigers faced off against the undefeated Magazine Rattlers on Saturday, November 9^th in a clash of titans for the WCFL Championship. The Tigers, who’s only regular-season loss came to the Rattlers, were out for redemption from the first snap. Mansfield’s determination was unwavering as they gave it everything they had and left every ounce of effort on the field. In the end, the Tigers fell victim to Magazine in an 18-8 loss and wound up as the 2019 WCFL Runner Up.  

Although the Championship loss left a black eye for the 5^th and 6^th Grade squad, the Tigers improved by leaps and bounds in the 2019 season. With a regular-season record of 5-1 and an overall record of 6-2, the Tigers ran rampant on the WCFL League. Mansfield’s power run offense averaged 28 points a game as they racked up 230 total points in 2019. With lightning speed, running back Dawson Robinson lead the team in rushing and touchdowns this season. Robinson was a key player, but he wasn’t the only one racking up points.

If opponents tried to shut Robinson down, the Tigers used a full stable of runners to make them pay.  Cooper Edwards, Dominic Shores, Ethan Martin, Cordell Stone, and Keyton Oliver balanced the offensive game out as they ate up yards and touchdowns throughout the season as well. The only way to get yards is with the help of the BEEF up front. Weston Harrison, Levi Langford, Noah Cole, James Bausley, Alex Hecox, and Junior Cash created holes big enough for a Mac Truck to drive through.

Defensively, Mansfield stood out as one of the best. Mansfield’s defense had a bend but never break mentality as they only allowed 90 points on the season The Tigers made sure that if an opponent gained yards on them, they would think twice before trying it again. Mansfields D-Line was the definition of Armageddon for any opponents backfield. Head hunters Hecox, Bausley, and Cash thrived on embarrassing opponents “would be” blockers and on bringing the pain to quarterbacks and running backs. If an opponent wanted to pass or go outside due to the pressure, they wouldn’t get far. Shores, Edwards, Oliver, Robinson, Stone, Martin and a whole host of Tigers would be in their faces in an instant. A notable point of the Mansfield defensive is that they created a turnover in every single game this season.

Leadership is the biggest ingredient of any program being successful. First-year Head Coach Steven Moore made quite an impression on both players and fans alike this year. Moores’ coaching method wasn’t complex at all. Steven didn’t baby the players but he didn’t eat them alive if they messed up. He simply and effectively coached them as any higher level coaches would do. Moore also put together an impressive assistant coach roster that consisted of David Moore, Chris Williams, Jason Edwards, and Jeremy Whittaker. 

Although Manfield’s 5^th and 6^th Grade didn’t win the WCFL Championship, the Tigers will be adding some hardware to the Mansfield Middle School trophy case. The crew will add the 2019 WCFL Runner Up trophy as well as the Mackey/Campbell Rivalry Trophy in which they brought back to “The Jungle” when they beat Hackett 44-20. With a large 6th Grade group moving up next season, the Tigers will not be left empty-handed next year due to multiple talented 5^th Graders who contributed heavily to this season’s success. Each and every player on the 2019 5^th and 6^th Grade team worked hard every practice and fought even harder every game to be able to look everyone in the eye and honestly say “We Earned It!”