When two rival schools meet up, you can bet that….well….all bets are off. The Battle of Scott County may not be a massive media draw like the Salt Bowl (Benton vs Bryant) or the Battle of Rogers Avenue (Northside vs Southside), but it is a big-time rivalry all the same. Waldron came into the game hyped after earning their first win in two years while Mansfield entered licking their wounds from a battle with Bismarck last week. The game was pegged to be a make-it-or-break-it for both teams and with this being a rivalry game, everyone from Scott County was intrigued by how each team would handle themselves.
The Tigers kicked off the ball to Waldron’s offense to start the game sending their gritty defense on the field first. It didn’t take long for the Tigers to make some defensive noise when Samuel Burton tipped a Bulldog pass on the second play, nearly causing an early turnover. Waldron was forced to punt the ball shortly after giving Mansfield’s powerful offense their first shot at lighting up the scoreboard. At the snap of the ball, All-State running back Daniel Burton took a quick pitch downfield for 35 yards and a first down. Just three plays later, Andrew Burton rolled 16 yards into the endzone for a Tiger touchdown. Jeremy Strozier split the uprights for the extra point conversion giving Mansfield an early 7-0 lead. Waldron was able to drive the ball downfield on their next series and began knocking on Mansfield’s door at the five-yard line, but the Tigers’ defense bowed up and forced a turnover on downs. The quarter ended shortly after with Mansfield leading Waldron in the 2024 Battle of Scott County 7-0.
The Tigers’ offense started the second quarter 95 yards away from their goal, but with the likes of Daniel Burton and Andrew Burton in the backfield, no amount of yards is too many. After eight plays, the Tigers ate up Waldron’s defense for 90 yards and sent Andrew Burton into the endzone from five yards out for another Tiger touchdown. Jeremy Strozier again kicked through the extra point pushing the Tigers up 14-0. With the Bulldogs being down by two scores, their offense began to air the ball out into the flats. The change-up worked for Waldron as they chewed up yards with passes until one pass went right into the hands of Mansfield’s Daniel Burton. Burton intercepted the ball at the Bulldogs 15 yard line then returned it down to the Tigers 10 yard line. Daniel almost scored on the interception, so the Mansfield coaching staff gave him the ball on the Tiger’s first offensive play to let him finish the job, and boy did he ever finish by going untouched into the endzone for another Tiger touchdown. Jeremy Strozier added the extra point kick to the scoreboard giving the Tigers a dominant 21-0 lead on Waldron. The Bulldogs again went to the air on offense, but unfortunately for them, Daniel Burton again intercepted the ball. This time though, Burton capitalized on the pick going 43 yards for a Tiger touchdown. Jeremy Strozier “wormed” a kick through the uprights which gave Mansfield a 28-0 lead. Linebacker, Zander Walters, made an interception of his own before the half, but time ran out on the Tigers as both teams entered halftime with the Tigers mauling the scoreboard holding a 28-0 lead over Waldron.
Mansfield started the third quarter with a large lead and the ball which spelled disastrous for Waldron. Daniel Burton, Samuel Burton, Trey Powell, and Andrew Burton kept the Bulldogs’ defense chasing their tail as the power-packed Tigers backfield played a game of “Who Has the Ball Anyway”. It was Samuel Burton who crossed the goal line from 10 yards out for another Tiger touchdown. A Jeremy Strozier kick pushed the game into an atmospheric 35-0 at the midway point of the third quarter. Waldron made their way to their one-yard line and was able to punch through for a touchdown, but The Tiger’s offense kept the pedal to the metal going into the fourth quarter as Andrew Burton took a handoff and ran right into the teeth of the Bulldogs while breaking canines along the way to score from 25 yards out. This was the final touchdown for Mansfield’s offense and closed out the 2024 Battle of Scott County with Mansfield defeating Waldron with a 41-8 final score.
Mansfield redeemed their early season loss to Bismarck with the blowout of Waldron, but their overall goal has not been met quite yet. The Tiger’s goal of being taken seriously by the 3A and the State will again be put to the test next week as Mansfield travels to one of the 4A-4s powerhouses in Lamar. The Warriors will be another big-time test for Mansfield, but the Tigers see it more as an opportunity to prove themselves. Lamar whipped up on Huntsville in Week0 beating the Eagles with a convincing 49-12 final. The Warriors soaked up a bye week while Mansfield played this week’s Battle for Scott County so they will be well rested for the Tigers. All things statistically may lean in Lamar’s favor, but this Tiger team will head to Lamar on Friday, September 13th with momentum on their side and a chip on their shoulder looking for another win.
