Homecoming Friday night football in Mansfield, America was physical. Hard knocks, chippy squawks - this was ground and pound football from both sides of the line. By the end, it was Mansfield keeping their record unblemished with a 30-6 TKO over the Lamar Warriors on September 12.
“We were physical. We got after it, and we did some really nice things.” That’s how Mansfield head coach Whit Overton described the bully ball battle that transpired at Tiger Stadium in front of a capacity crowd and MHS Homecoming Queen Daisy Nelson. He went on to say, “We must clean up the personal foul penalties and special teams got to get better. Overall though, we did some nice things.”
Some brutish back and forth did stem between the two combative teams. Consequently, the personal foul flags in this game were numerous. Almost certainly a reaction to the AAA’s emphasis on sportsmanship this year, game officials littered the field with yellow laundry aimed at both teams’ extra indulgence.
Temperaments, even before the game got started, were likely on edge as a carry over from a stinging 13-12 Lamar victory over Mansfield last season. No doubt this rematch was one circled on the MHS calendar as an opportunity to exact a little revenge. This preexisting animosity coupled with barbarous game play of very big, very strong men that prefer battering ram runs over finesse pass patterns had the potential to boil over with extra aggression.
“We’ve got to clean things up,” admitted Overton who was happy for the win but aggravated at losing a player to ejection. “We cleaned up some things like no lost fumbles, but we have to keep our composure - figure it out before it costs us a big game.”
A big game was what Mansfield senior fullback, Andrew Burton, had once again. The 6’ 0”, 170 pound All-State runner hammered out 191 yards on 19 carries with 2 touchdowns and a 2-point conversion. His productive night moved him close to 500 yards for the season in only three games - all Mansfield wins.
Of Burton’s explosive plays, none were more impressive than a pair outbursts late in the third quarter. With the Tigers lining up at their own 41 yardline, Burton mauled and mashed over and around Warrior defenders for two big gains and a touchdown. On snap one, he busted the gut for a rumbling, stumbling, stiff arm special to the Lamar 28 yardline. On snap two, he blasted off left tackle for a dominating dash to the endzone. In a sudden two play series, Mansfield stretched the lead to a two score game at 22-6 with 0:14 remaining on the third quarter clock.
The senior’s earlier first touchdown was a one yard “up and over” plunge at the 10:03 mark in the second quarter. Mansfield sophomore Silas Burton beefed up his big brother’s score by cashing in a toss sweep to the right side for the 2-point tack-on. The eight combined points were the first scored for either team.
This second period strike was set up in part because the Tiger defense decided to stiffen up. Lamar was deep into their second possession of the first half. On the Warriors’ twelfth play of the sequence, MHS defensive interior lineman Ethan Martin blew up a counter play by Lamar’s Ayden Sanders for a loss of 4 yards. Andrew Burton then fought off a block on a wide sweep right by Kaz Crotts, Lamar’s leading rusher on the night with 74 yards on 16 carries, for another behind the line loss of 10.
Martin was solid for the Tigers moving from his typical defensive end position to the interior. He was repositioned this week to help stop the run oriented Warrior offense. The senior All-State athlete also recovered a Lamar fumble in the fourth quarter. His was the second takeaway for the Tigers. Sophomore Michael Carter also pounced on a Lamar fumble just three plays into the game.
Bone jarring hits were common occurrences dished out by an angry Tiger defense. The home team’s defensive intensity was apparent early and often. Senior Logan Ore distributed a massive hit on Lamar quarterback Eli Jones on an option attempt just before half. Cooper Edwards rattled the QB’s cage as well with a 10 yard sack on 4th and 8 a few plays later before intermission.
Silas Burton posted 90 yards on 8 carries with a touchdown and two 2-point conversions for the Tiger offense. The younger Burton finalized the game’s scoring with a 13 yard counter play that cut back all the way from right to left with 1:14 to go in the contest. Dotting the “Power I” for the two point play, he blasted the right side for the follow-up two points as well.
Mansfield quarterback Jubal Parks kept the Warrior defense on their heels. The shifty distributor executed the option with solid decisions. He made several nice pitches to the outside with many going to a third Burton brother, Jeremiah Burton. When an initial running lane was open, Parks kept it instead gobbling up 54 yards of real estate on 8 carries.
Parks kept right side with 2:52 to go in the second stanza for a 36 yard touchdown. The sophomore signal caller stiff-armed his way the final two yards to reach the near pylon. Andrew Burton made good on a fullback power play for the conversion to set Mansfield in the driver’s seat at 16-6 at the half.
“We executed the option well, especially in the first half,” exclaimed Mansfield’s head coach after the realization his team dominated the larger 4A football school. “I was disappointed about not scoring on our first drive after the trick play worked so well.”
Mansfield pulled off a halfback pass on their second offensive play of the game. Silas Burton disguised a sweep right only to pull up and pass the ball to a wide open Joseph Carter. Carter, who came back for the underthrow, made the “catch and run” for 46 yards before being caught by the beaten corner. The series, however, ended in a turnover on downs at the Lamar 10 yard line.
Lamar’s only score came with 5:07 remaining in the second period. Eli Jones capped the 44 yard drive with a three yard “tush push”. Their extra point try failed.
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