The 3A is considered by many the most competitive conference in the state of Arkansas. Even making it to the State Playoffs is something big for every program. There is nothing guaranteed once a team makes it to the 3A Playoffs though as for years now, multiple lower seeds have sent higher seeds home. The Mansfield Tigers did exactly that as a 3Seed in 2023 by going to two 1Seeded teams’ own fields and knocking them off en route to the school’s first-ever semifinal appearance. This season, the Tigers won the 3A-1 Conference Championship and earned a 1Seed plus home-field advantage in the Playoffs where they defeated Paris, Newport, and Dumas to again make school history by hosting their first-ever semifinals game. Their opponent was not only a 1Seed like Mansfield, but also one that was looking for payback as one of the top seeds that the Tigers knocked off last season. The Salem Greyhounds. Mansfield defeated the Greyhounds in a 26-22 nailbiter in last year’s quarterfinals setting up the rematch in the 2024 semifinals. Having two ground-and-pound running teams looking to make a trip to Little Rock for the first time ever meant that everyone was in for quite the show, but only one team would get the green light to go.
The rematch was set, the stands were packed, and the teams were ready to punch their ticket to the State Championship. Salem won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff, so the Tigers obliged and booted the ball to start the game. The Greyhounds had a superb return to their own 46-yard line. A penalty on the kickoff gave Salem an extra 15 yards giving them a spot at the 31-yard line to start their offensive drive. The Tiger’s defense was solid as they set up a fourth down and two yards to go, but Salem went for it and successfully got the first down and then some as the Greyhounds rolled their way into the endzone. Mansfield stopped the Greyhounds’ two-point attempt leaving the score with a 6-0 Salem lead in the opening quarter. Salem is known for their onside kick tactics and followed through with that habit with, you guessed it, an onside kick. The Tigers hands team collected the short kick well though which gave Mansfield’s offense a good starting point at the 39-yard line. The Tiger’s power rushing attack started with an Andrew Burton five-yard run followed by Daniel Burton’s four-yard run but the Tigers were stuffed on their third down attempt. So, Mansfield ran a freeze count and caused Salem to jump offsides on fourth and one. Samuel Burton busted open on a 23-yard run to the outside and just like that the Tigers were on a roll. Mansfield was thirty yards out from possibly tying the game, but Daniel Burton ate up those thirty yards in one play as Burton broke three tackles to dart in for a Tiger touchdown. Samuel Burton jumped into the endzone for the two-point conversion giving Mansfield the lead with an 8-6 score.
Mansfield’s ensuing kickoff pinned the Greyhounds back into Tiger territory. Having eighty-plus yards to gain versus thirty-one proved to be a whole different story for Salem as the Tigers stuffed the Greyhounds and forced a punt. Mansfield’s offense quickly took advantage of having the ball again as quarterback, Jeremy Strozier, found a wide-open Samuel Burton on a 21-yard pass to get the Tigers close to midfield. One play later, Daniel Burton busted loose again this time for a 51-yard Tiger touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good, but the Mansfield lead was bumped up to 14-6. Another big kick return put Salem in prime territory at the 15-yard line. A false start pushed the Greyhounds back to the 20-yard line, but with such a short field behind them, the Tigers’ defense remained with their backs against the wall. Four plays later Salem entered the endzone for the second time in the game but couldn’t take the lead as they dropped their two-point conversion pass. With a 14-12 score, Salem again attempted an onside kick to try and regain the ball, but a swift recovery by Daniel Burton gave Manfield’s offense the ball at the 35-yard line. The Tigers made it to the fourth-yard line but stared at a fourth down and five yards to go as the first quarter closed with Mansfield leading Salem 14-12.
Salem took a page directly out of the Tigers playbook in the second quarter by running the ball for four and five-yard gains while eating up the clock in the process. The Greyhounds lulled Mansfield’s defense to sleep with the run play after play causing the Tigers to focus their attention on the backfield. But on fourth and eleven, Salem faked a counter and sent their quarterback rolling out with a pass play that was completed for a 28-yard gain setting the Greyhounds up with a first and goal to go. The Greyhounds crossed into the endzone one play later to take the lead. Salem couldn’t convert on the two-point conversion setting the score at 18-14 in the Greyhounds favor. Mansfield’s offense couldn’t get any traction on their next possession and was forced to punt the ball back to Salem. A big run by Salem and two penalties against the Tigers put Salem on their own eleven-yard line where the Greyhounds went with a quick pitch play to gain another touchdown. Salem didn’t get the two-point conversion but extended their lead all the same putting the Tigers down 24-14 on the scoreboard in the second quarter. In a game of inches that demands both consistency and adjustments, Salem had the upper hand with a 24-14 lead as both teams entered halftime with a shot at playing for the State Championship still within their grasp.
Down by two scores, Mansfield knew that they had to play a perfect second half on both sides of the ball. At the same time, Salem knew that they had to do the same. Both teams had the capability of making big plays and taking over the game in an instant so as the second half began, fans were prepared for anything. Salem opened the final half with an onside kick that didn’t go a full ten yards which gave Mansfield’s offense up at the 45-yard line. The Tigers ran their bread and butter of Daniel Burton and Andrew Burton on the first two plays for no yards gained. Salem must’ve forgotten about Jeremy Strozier though as Strozier busted loose for a nine-yard gain on third and long. Andrew Burton wasn’t happy about being stuffed early on, so he took the rock for a ten-yard gain on the next play. Jeremy Strozier called his own number again two plays later and got another first down for the Tigers at the nine-yard line. With the Tigers driving on Salem, frustration took over the Greyhounds as Strozier kept the ball again for a good gain but was the recipient of a couple of extracurricular shots by one of Salem’s defenders afterward. The penalty against the Greyhounds put Mansfield in position to possibly get a score at the five-yard line. That short of a field is what players like Daniel Burton live for and Burton busted into the endzone for a Tiger touchdown. The Tigers couldn’t pull off the two-point attempt but inched closer to getting back into the game by closing Salem’s lead to 24-20 with just a hair over six minutes to go in the third quarter. The third quarter closed out with the Greyhounds gaining ground down to the five-yard line and holing a 24-20 lead. Salem’s first play of the final quarter was for a touchdown to stretch their lead to two possessions with a 32-20 lead over Mansfield with 11:56 to go in the ball game. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Salem continued to give Mansfield a dose of their own medicine by running the ball effectively and bleeding out the clock. Salem would score two times more in the fourth quarter while the Tigers couldn’t respond as Salem punched their ticket to the Arkansas 3A State Championship game with a 38-20 final score over the Tigers.
While the loss to Salem will go down as a missed opportunity for Mansfield, the season as a whole was a win. For the second consecutive year, the Tigers broke multiple school records while setting a new precedent for the Mansfield football program. Mansfield was crowned as the 3A-1 Champions for the first time since 2010 and only the second time in school history which earned the program a 1Seed going into the Playoffs. The Tigers were able to play on their own home field all the way to hosting the semifinals for the first time ever. Mansfield defeated Booneville for the first time in four decades and defeated Charleston at Charleston for the first time since 2018. Lastly, for the second consecutive year, two of the Tiger’s three losses will be to the two teams playing in the 3A State Championship. While no loss is desired, the growth of the program as a whole over the past two seasons cannot be denied. With back-to-back 11-3 seasons and back-to-back semifinal appearances, the Mansfield Tigers coaching staff, players, nor fans can hang their heads or be upset with what success has been built in such a short period of time.
