In 2023, the Mansfield Tigers made a name for themselves by not only making the Arkansas State Playoffs, they beat 3Seeded Centerpoint at home then hit the road to beat 1Seeded Hoxie and 1Seeded Salem before falling to 1Seeded and 3A State Runner-Up Prescott Curly Wolves in the semifinals. This year though, the Tigers were no secret to anyone in the state when they entered the State Playoffs as a 1Seed. Mansfield rolled through their first two 2024 Playoff opponents which allowed Mansfield to host the quarterfinals against a Dumas Bobcats team that looked to be a carbon copy of the 2023 Tigers. The 4Seeded Bobcats came into the game with a 6-6 overall record which may sound like an easy win. But Dumas had made up for their early season losses by hitting the road in the Playoffs and knocking off Arkansas blue bloods Camden Harmony Grove and 3A-4 Champions, 1Seeded Glen Rose to make the quarterfinals. Both teams threw all of the records and Playoff seedings out the window as the Tigers and Bobcats entered the game knowing that either had a solid chance to make the 3A State Semifinals.
Mansfield usually kicks off to start the game, but the Tigers lost the coin toss and Dumas elected to defer to the second half forcing Mansfield to ship out their kickoff return team. A solid return by Samuel Burton set the Tigers ground-and-pound offense up at the 32-yard line. The Tiger’s offense started slow but efficient with plays that ate up three to four yards a play while eating up time on the clock. Dumas’s defense was content with that game plan early on though as the Bobcats matched Mansfield’s hardnosed mentality and kept the Tigers from scoring on the opening drive. The Tiger’s defense took to the field to return the favor and shut down the Bobcat’s talented athletes. Seniors Dakota Deer and Leland Powell put Dumas in a third and fourteen yards-to-go position as Deer broke through to pressure the Bobcats quarterback and Powell swatted the ball away from Dumas’s receiver. Mansfield returned the Bobcats punt past midfield and returned to work with 4:28 left in the opening quarter. It wasn’t clear to that point if both defenses were that good or if neither offense could get their feet under them. Either could have been correct though as the first quarter ended with a 0-0 tie on the scoreboard.
It had been quite some time since Mansfield had seen zero points on their side of the scoreboard, but Dumas was proving that they weren’t just any slouch program. Dumas matched the Tiger’s intensity and physicality in the opening quarter to set up a “who wants it more” scenario going into the second quarter of play. The Tigers started the second quarter with the ball on offense to plead their case for wanting to win and they didn’t disappoint. Mansfield’s entire backfield took turns with the ball as Jeremy Strozier, Samuel Burton, Andrew Burton, and Daniel Burton set up Mansfield’s offense with a first and goal to go at the four-yard line. One play later, Daniel Burton found a seem and darted into the endzone for a Tiger touchdown. Mansfield couldn’t convert the two-point conversion but were still on the board with a 6-0 lead. Dumas’s offense looked to match the Tiger’s score quickly with their passing game. The Bobcats were able to complete one out route but couldn’t handle the other passes with frozen hands in the cold weather. The Bobcats were forced to punt the ball but that turned out to be an advantage for Dumas as the kick pinned Mansfield back at the six-yard line. A couple of big defensive sticks by Dumas and a penalty on Mansfield kept the Tigers behind the chains, but the Tigers have a tool to fix that. Daniel Burton. Burton took a quick pitch from Jeremy Strozier and hit the afterburners going 94 yards for a Tiger touchdown. Samuel Burton tacked on the two-point conversion putting Mansfield ahead of Dumas 14-0 with 4:21 left in the half. The Tiger’s defense continued to show the Bobcats what team tackling is as an ambush of Tigers were in the face of whoever had the ball wearing purple and yellow. The pressure by Mansfield’s defense forced Dumas’s quarterback to throw a wild pass directly into the hands of Mansfield senior, Leland Powell. But with little time left on the clock, the Tigers elected to run the clock out and go into halftime with a 14-0 lead.
While Dumas had shocked the state by beating two quality teams in the Playoffs to make it to the quarterfinals, the Mansfield Tigers weren’t going to allow them to pull off another upset in the second half. The Tigers started the third quarter on defense which gave Dumas a chance to jump right back into the game. Instead, Mansfield’s defense set up the Bobcats with a fast fourth down and nine to go. Dumas high snapped on the punt but instead of eating the bad snap, the Bobcats made the best of the flaw and ran for a first down to keep their drive alive. The Bobcats kept rolling with a pair of big first down plays to set Dumas up at the 23-yard line. Mansfield again bowed up though as Trey Powell knocked down a Dumas pass on fourth down to give the Tigers a turnover on downs with 7:16 left in the quarter. A handful of plays later, the Tigers entered the endzone again as Daniel Burton went unscathed for a 49-yard Tiger touchdown. The two-point attempt was no good, but Mansfield was still rocking Dumas with a 20-0 score in the third quarter. Mansfield shut down Dumas’s offense to force a fourth down turnover and get the ball right back with 2:57 left in the quarter. It only took the Tigers two plays for Samuel Burton to put the Tigers on the board again with a 57-yard pitch to paydirt. The Tigers added on a two-point conversion with a Daniel Burton counterplay to extend their lead to 28-0. Dumas fumbled the ball on their next possession and Leland Powell was right there to scoop up a Tiger turnover to close the third quarter with a 28-0 lead over Dumas.
Mansfield started the fourth and final quarter on offense allowing the Tigers to finish off Dumas with a running clock. Mansfield made a change in quarterback by pulling senior Jeremy Strozier for some much-deserved rest as junior Cooper Edwards stepped in to lead the Tigers to a quarterfinal victory. Edwards, known for his excellent game management, was flawless in his role making great reads to march Mansfield downfield. As the game winded down, there was a little bit of choppiness that gave Mansfield some bonus yards setting the Tigers in prime territory for a touchdown. The Tigers put the game in the hands of Samuel Burton and he did not disappoint as Burton plowed his way 14 yards for a Tiger touchdown. Andrew Burton added the two-point conversion to enact the running clock rule on Dumas with a 36-0 lead. With just 6:01 left in the game, the Tigers put in their subs to get some State Playoff experience which gave Dumas’s starting offense a chance to gain some ground. Although Dumas was able to score on the Mansfield second-stringers, the subs still put up quite the fight as the Mansfield Tigers defeated Dumas with a final score of 36-6 to earn a spot in the Arkansas State Playoff semifinals.
For the second consecutive year, Mansfield will play in the final four of the State Playoffs. Last season was the first semifinal appearance in school history, but this year the Tigers will host the semifinals for the first time in school history. Mansfield will face off against the Salem Greyhounds in the Playoffs for the second year in a row as Salem defeated the 2023 4A State Runner-Up Rivercrest Colts 50-18. Salem (9-4 / 5-2) will enter the semifinal game against Mansfield as the 3A-2 Conference Champions and boasting a powerful program that has been dominant on both sides of the ball. The Tigers ended Salems 2023 Road to the Rock in a 26-22 victory over the Greyhounds in their own backyard last season and even though Salem will travel four and a half hours to Mansfield this year, you can expect the same kind of thrilling knock down drag out game on Friday, December 6th at Tiger stadium.
