The Mansfield Tigers know all about rivalries. Depending on who you talk to and what Tiger era they are from, the rivalry game can change. You’ll hear teams like Hartford, Hackett, Lavaca, Cedarville, etc. But a certain foe you’ll hear mentioned every time is the Waldron Bulldogs.
Although the Tigers had an overall series record of 13-7 from 2001 to the present, the past two years have been a rough go at it versus Waldron. There was the 41-0 shutout in 2020 and then a canceled game in 2021. Mansfield finally got their shot at redemption on Friday, September 17th when they welcomed the Bulldogs to The Jungle to settle the score.
After two years of pent-up frustration, the Tigers started off the game on kickoff return and began to vent on offense. Within the blink of an eye, Mansfield was on the board with a Cole Kindle pass to Daniel Burton for a 52-yard Tiger touchdown. Braxton Byers kicked through the extra point to give Mansfield a quick 7-0 lead. Mansfield’s defense did their job to perfection forcing a turnover on fourth down to give their offense the ball back. Unfortunately, the Tigers second possession was cut short by a tipped pass that was intercepted by Waldron for a touchdown. Just like that, the ball game was everything everyone on both sides of the stadium had anticipated as the score stood at a 7-7 tie ball game. Both teams’ defenses stood strong in the next few series. Mansfield’s Braxton Byers, Trey Vaughan, and Jeremy Strozier led the way for the Tigers defense to force another three and out then followed that up by making Waldron punt. With the defense building momentum for Mansfield, the Tigers offense finally found its groove again. Cole Kindle zipped a pass to Peyton Martin for a 17-yard score sending the neon-filled home stands into a frenzy. The extra point was missed which set the score at 13-7 to end the first quarter.
The Tigers came out in the second quarter slinging the ball like they were old west gunfighters. Cole Kindle found Tyler Turnipseed and Fisher Wilsey for big gains before hitting Daniel Burton with a quick draw pass for a 29-yard Tiger touchdown. Braxton Byers tacked on the extra point kick and Mansfield was rolling with a 20-7 lead over the Bulldogs. The Tigers defense again ate the Bulldogs offense up but this time it was all the defensive line. The rotation of Trey Vaughan, Kindel Noblitt, Sam Burton, Braxton Byers, Caleb Collier, and Dakota Deer were all masterful at using their speed and quickness to get by Waldron’s monstrous offensive linemen which created chaos in the backfield. Chaos creates mistakes and Waldron again turned the ball over on fourth down. The Bulldogs got payback though with another Mansfield pass tipped and intercepted by Waldron on the Tigers next possession. Unfazed by the interception, Mansfield’s defense caused the Bulldogs to flatline with batted down passes, Waldron penalties, and eventually a failed fourth down attempt. The Tigers ran the clock out on the half behind the shoulder pads of running back Tyler Woolbright and walked into the locker room with a solid 20-7 halftime lead.
Mansfield kicked off to the Bulldogs to start the second half, but no one must have told the Tigers defense it was a new half. Mansfield’s defense didn’t let up at all as defensive end Trey Vaughan made a lights-out hit on Waldron’s quarterback which forced a pass off target for the Bulldogs but on Target for the Tigers. Peyton Martin picked off the Waldron pass and sprinted 21 yards before being knocked out of bounds. Mansfield’s offense began to spread the ball out to keep Waldron from zoning in on one player. Passes to Clint Stovall and Tyler Turnipseed along with powerful runs by Fisher Willsey and Tyler Woolbright opened up another Cole Kindle to Daniel Burton pass for a 23-yard Tiger touchdown. Braxton Byers added an extra point kick to extend the Tigers lead to 27-7. The Tigers defense again short-leashed the Bulldogs to end the third quarter with a commanding 27-7 lead.
It takes four full quarters to win a game. Mansfield stepped out on the field in the final quarter prepared for not only four quarters, but even another four if needed. Need proof? Waldron’s offense tricked the Tigers with a quarterback draw and the Bulldogs quarterback screamed downfield for what looked to be a touchdown. But right before the quarterback crossed the goal line, Tyler Turnipseed was able to catch up and strip the ball out and Tyler Woolbright recovered the ball for Mansfield. With the ball in their hands, the Tigers marched 80 yards downfield behind the runs of Tyler Woolbright and Andrew Burton along with catches by Clint Stovall and Tyler Turnipseed. Cole Kindle capped off the drive with a one-yard Tiger Touchdown run. The extra point was missed, but the Tigers were in firm control of the game 33-7. Mansfield subbed out their entire defense on Waldrons next offensive drive. The Tigers defense still held strong as ever in each respective position. The clock soon ran to 0:00 and the two-year build up of Mansfield versus Waldron was over with the Tigers victorious with a 33-7 final score.
Head Coach, Tim Cothran, couldn’t be happier with his teams overall performance in such a big game. “The players played with a tremendous amount of heart and emotion last night. We had an outstanding show of support from our fans and community. It was just an electric atmosphere for our team to play in. We played hard and physically all game with every player showing extreme intensity on each snap. I’m very proud of these young men and how hard they’ve worked to get to this point. As great as we played, we still have a few things to iron out and get better at. This team continues to show a lot of promise.”
Mansfield has played like a team that has never seen a losing season as their 3-0 start has matched the total win of the past two years combined. The Tigers have taken each step forward in their non-conference schedule by beating a 2A, 3A, and 4A teams with a combined score of 109-13. In each game, they’ve proven that they can overcome obstacles and showed that their depth is seemingly endless.
Every player on the team has stepped foot on the field in each non-conference game. But the Tigers will now go into what really matters. Conference games.
Mansfield will travel to West Fork on Friday, September 23rd to seek redemption for last season’s blowout home loss to the West Fork Tigers.
