SR Tigers Overpowered By Charleston

The 3A-1 has always been one of the state’s toughest conferences at any level. Each year a different team emerges from the ashes of the previous season to make a run at the top. The Mansfield SR High Tigers started off the season looking like one of those teams too. With an early 4-0 start and a big conference win at West Fork, the Tigers were making some noise in the conference. A slip-up against Greenland stunned the Tigers though and just like that, Mansfield was 1-1 going into the skid row of their 2022 schedule. Lying in wait for a wounded Mansfield was 3A-1 perineal powerhouse Charleston. The pair of Tigers teams came into the contest with a split 2-2 record against each other in the past four years with Charleston winning the previous two contests.  

Mansfield received the opening kickoff and the battle between the big cats was on. Tigers quarterback, Cole Kindle zipped a pair of good passes to wide receivers Tyler Turnipseed and Daniel Burton to get Mansfield a quick first down. But the drive ended just as quickly as it started, forcing the Tigers to punt the ball. Charleston’s high-octane offense wasted little time getting points on the board with a pair of passes and then another for 29 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers offense struggled to get their rhythm in and wound up being pinned back deep in their own territory to punt. That gave Charleston only 55 yards to drive and drive they did in just seven plays for a touchdown. The extra point was missed but Charleston still led 13-0 in the first quarter. Mansfield’s offense would sustain a good eleven play drive with catches by Tyler Turnipseed, Clint Stovall, Daniel Burton, and Peyton Martin but an unfortunate interception cut the momentum off at the end of the first quarter. 

Going into the second quarter, Charleston had momentum and the ball back again. Mansfield’s defense held off the Charleston onslaught for eleven plays, but Charleston would connect with a dump pass for another touchdown. Charleston went for a two-point conversion to make up for their previous missed extra point and connected with a pass to achieve that goal setting the score at 21-0 in their favor. The Tigers needed a boost and the boost needed to come quickly. So, when Charleston kicked off, Mansfield got a big boost very quickly from Daniel Burton who returned the kick 96 yards for a Tiger touchdown. Jeremy Strozier tacked on the extra point kick to set the ball game at 21-7. Mansfield’s defense pinned their ears back on Charleston’s next possession as Trey Vaughan, Samuel Burton, Dakota Deer, and Kindel Noblitt teamed up to pressure Charleston’s quarterback on each play while racking up five sacks. The Tigers defense then forced a turnover on downs sending fans in The Jungle into a frenzy.  

Charleston’s defense next forced a three and out right back at Mansfield giving their offense the ball right back. Charleston was determined not to give the Tigers defense any more momentum and went for all out and shot a pass down the middle of the field. There to greet the ball was none other than Tyler Turnipseed who snagged the pass for a Mansfield interception. Unfortunately, the Tigers offense was unable to capitalize on the turnover and the defense high was grounded with another Charleston touchdown to end the half with Charleston leading Mansfield 28-7. 

The Tigers were bit by the injury bug in the second half as they lost starting quarterback Cole Kindle. Sophomore, Jeremy Strozier, stepped in as quarterback and led Mansfield’s offense on a few good drives in the second half but the Tigers couldn’t produce any points from the drives. The Tigers defense stepped up a little more in the second half by holding Charleston a little closer by only allowing one touchdown in the third quarter and one in the fourth quarter. But Mansfield’s first-half deficit was too big to overcome and victory just wasn’t in the cards for the Tigers as Charleston defeated Mansfield with a final score of 42-7. The loss sets the Tigers with a 4-2 overall record, but behind the eight ball in the 3A-1 with a 1-2 conference record.

Mansfield’s skid row of opponents is no joke. Charleston was ranked #3 in the entire state of 3A football programs, and Mansfield must next head to Booneville to face off against a Bearcats team listed as the #2 in the state. Following that there are the up-and-coming Lavaca Golden Arrows who are undefeated right now and then the Tigers will face rivals Cedarville and Hackett. But don’t count Mansfield out just yet. Many of the teams ahead of the Tigers in the conference standings still have to face off against each other. Charleston, Booneville, and Lavaca play each other to close out the final three weeks of the season and the facts are, someone has to lose in each of those games. Mansfield is very capable of cleaning house too. Not only in the rest of their conference schedule to make the playoffs but can also make big waves once they get there. Next, Mansfield will travel to Booneville on Friday, October 14^th.