The Mansfield SR Tigers started out super hot running the table with an impressive 4-0 start to the 2022 season. Impressive victories over Magazine, Paris, and Waldron followed by a nail-biter win against West Fork had Tigermainia running wild in Mansfield. As with every season though, the Tigers hit the “Skid Row” section of their conference schedule. A close loss to Greenland nipped the Tigers in the tail for their first loss of the season. Then came games against the top two teams in the entire 3A where Mansfield fought valiantly but still failed against Charleston and Booneville. The Tigers 4-0 went to 4-3 overnight it seemed and just like that the honeymoon was over. After losing three straight games, things didn’t look to be any easier for Mansfield as they headed into their game against the 6-1 Lavaca Golden Arrows on Friday, October 21st.
The stakes of the game versus Lavaca were pretty cut and dry. Win and have a chance at making the State Playoffs. Lose and all chances of making the Playoffs would be out the window. To make matters worse for the Tigers, they stepped onto the field missing starters on both sides of the ball, and those who were suited up were still banged up pretty badly from previous games. This would be a game of who wants it more. Early on it seemed as if Mansfield was going to just lay down and accept defeat as Lavaca jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the Tigers. Mansfield’s offense continued to struggle as they did in their previous losses and their usual high-end defense was nowhere to be found.
Time to chalk up the “L” for the Tigers right? Not so fast. With Lavaca rolling downfield again, Mansfield’s defense finally took charge. The Golden Arrows put the ball on the ground and defensive end, Trey Vaughan, came up with the recovery. The Tigers then found an offensive groove in their run game as Tyler Woolbright and Fisher Willsey found gaps in Lavaca’s defense and exploited them for yards. With the Golden Arrows focused on the Tigers new found run game, quarterback Cole Kindle hit Clint Stovall on a 26-yard pass setting Mansfield up at the one-yard line. Fisher Willsey proceeded to punch the ball through for a would-be Tiger touchdown, but a flag negated the score. Cole Kindle then hit Peyton Martin at the one-yard line to again set the Tigers up for a possible score. But Mansfield again would be flagged and lose more ground. Mansfield Head Coach, Tim Cothran, didn’t want to give Lavaca’s offense any more chances so he opted to run the clock down to one second before calling a time-out. The Tigers stepped out of their time out facing fourth down at the six-yard line with one second left in the half. That’s all it took too as Cole Kindle found a double-covered Daniel Burton on a slant route for a Tiger touchdown. Just like that, the Tigers were back in the game as they headed into the half down 14-7.
Remember earlier in the article where it said that this would be a game of who wants it more? Well, Lavaca showed how much they wanted it as they started off the second half with the ball and marched downfield like a tank to score on the Tiger’s defense. The Golden Arrows couldn’t come up with the extra point but still stretched the score out to a 20-7 lead over the Tigers. This could have been the point that the Tigers submitted and accepted their fate. But fate had something else in store for Mansfield. Tyler Woolbright kickstarted the Tigers offense with a pair of big runs right down the pipe of Lavaca’s defense. Mansfield continued to pick apart the Golden Arrows defense but just as the offensive momentum was building, a fumble gave Lavaca the ball right back. Mansfield’s defense stepped up again and this time poured on the pain. Samuel Burton pinned his ears back and stuffed Lavaca on back-to-back plays and then sacked the Golden Arrows quarterback on fourth down to give Mansfield’s offense another shot. The Tigers ran two positive yard plays before the third quarter ended with a 20-7 score.
It all came down to the infamous fourth quarter. Mansfield’s offense came out with a playoffs-or-bust attitude as Tyler Woolbright again attacked the center of Lavaca’s defense for positive yards. That set up a Fisher Willsey run around the corner for a 15-yard Tiger touchdown. Jeremy Strozier split the uprights for the extra point putting Mansfield only one score away from upsetting Lavaca. The Tigers defense began to look like the Mansfield fans are used to seeing as they again shut down the high-powered Lavaca offense forcing the Golden Arrows to punt. Mansfield went back to the ground and pound game that had been successful up to that point. Woolbright and Willsey took turns plowing their way with a fierce determination down to the 15-yard line. The Tigers had been in the position to put points on the board all season but couldn’t execute most of the time. Most of the time wasn’t this time though as Cole Kindle found an open crease in Lavaca’s defense and zipped the pass to Peyton Martin for a Tiger touchdown with 5:51 left in the game. Jeremy Strozier kept his perfect extra-point streak alive as he again kicked the ball through putting Mansfield ahead 21-20.
Lavaca went right back to work though and threatened the Tigers possible win by getting downfield quickly. That’s when disaster struck. Lavaca’s quarterback fumbled a snap on second down and dove for the ball at the same time as Mansfield defenders Kindel Noblitt and Braxton Byers. The three heads simultaneously struck sending all three players to the ground. The game came to an abrupt halt as fans and players from both sides sent prayers up for those involved. When things kicked back up, the ball was Lavaca’s at midfield. The Golden Arrows connected on a pass for the first down setting themselves up for a go-ahead victory. With time running out and Lavaca down by one point, the Golden Arrows took aim and put the ball in the air. There are moment’s that move in slow motion and an eternity passed as the ball was in the air. All or nothing. Playoffs or bust. Who wants it more? Mansfield senior cornerback Tyler Woolbright showed without a shadow of a doubt that he wanted it more as he intercepted the slow-motion pass. The pick gave Mansfield the ball again and the Tigers offense lined up in victory formation and took a knee to run the clock out. When the clock hit 0:00, the Mansfield Tigers were victorious 21-20, broke a three-game losing streak, and kept their State Playoff hope alive.
The win sets Mansfield up in a favorable position to earn the four seed in the State Playoffs. Favorable, but not guaranteed. Mansfield will face Cedarville and Hackett to end the regular season. Both teams have combined for one conference win on the season and that one win was Cedarville beating Hackett. But don’t let the records fool you. Cedarville and Hackett are rivals and anything can happen in rivalry games. The Tigers still sit behind Charleston, Booneville, Greenland, and Lavaca in conference play so they will have to win out to have a chance at being State Playoff bound for the first time since 2019. That being said, Mansfield proved against Lavaca that they’ll leave every once in their being on the field to win. The Tigers will travel to Pirates Cove on Friday, October 28th to again lay it all on the line for a coveted Playoff birth.
