With two plays and 28 seconds into the third quarter, the Mansfield Tiger’s varsity football team invoked the mercy rule upon a limited Lavaca team to spoil Arrow Homecoming 2025.
Friday’s 3A-1 conference contest on October 10 between the two schools was a rout from the onset. The Tigers kicked Lavaca’s one loss water can all the way to the dance hall. The Arrows could only mop up the mess as Mansfield totaled 9 touchdowns and 614 total yards of offense in a 70-14 rampage.
“We challenged our team, reminding them the mark of a great team is to play the same, week after week, no matter who the opponent is,” said Mansfield head coach Whit Overton setting up the scenario going into the Lavaca game after a momentous 32-27 victory over #3 ranked Charleston last week. “We also challenged Jubal (Parks), our quarterback, as we’ve been working towards expanding the offense.”
The expansion plans progressed quite well with Jubal Parks taking snaps under center for only his sixth varsity start. The sophomore signal caller opened up the game on fire - through the air no less. An aerial assault, viewed by some as a rarity in Mansfield's run oriented flexbone option attack, blew the top off of Lavaca’s defense. Parks and his Tiger receiving core started the game with 4 straight completions and went 7 of 7 passing through their first four possessions.
“We started off throwing the ball a lot,” smiled Parks after the game. “I liked it! We were just working on some stuff for later down the road. It worked well - just added to the great backfield behind me and the great line in front.”
After Mansfield’s defense forced Lavaca to turn the ball over on downs on the game’s opening drive, Parks and the passing department went to work. On first and 10 from the Tiger 44-yard line, the Tiger QB found Andrew Burton out of a spread formation streaking down the right sideline for a 25-yard completion. On the very next play, Parks push-passed another spread set snap to Jeremiah Burton for an untouched 31-yard touchdown completion. The two play series had Mansfield motoring eight zip with the Silas Burton 2-point conversion run.
“I thought Jubal did really well,” graded Overton of the test he handed out to the young quarterback. “Obviously, we threw it quite a bit to start the game. He was on point with his passing and I was pleased with the way he read the option as well.”
Within Mansfield’s next three series, Parks remained perfect through the air while mixing in some of the patented option offense. Cooper Edwards took a tunnel screen for an 8-yard gain to start the Tigers’ second possession. Silas Burton followed with a swing pass reception for an additional 27 yards. Andrew Burton caught a push-pass going left to right for 15 yards to start Mansfield’s fourth opportunity. Two plays later, Joseph Carter caught a tunnel screen on the right flank to advance the ball to the 3-yard line setting up a Silas Burton rushing touchdown. On their fourth sequence, Jeremiah Burton had his second reception for 10 more yards setting up an Andrew Burton rushing TD.
Parks did not miss a target until Mansfield’s eighth possession of the first half. With 59.1 seconds to go before intermission, the Tigers ran the “hurry-up”. Parks missed his only two pass attempts in consecutive order to essentially end the half. It would be the last significant plays by the Tiger QB and the rest of the visiting first teamers except for their two play scoring punch to start the third period.
Silas Burton punctuated Mansfield's second possession with a 49-yard scoring scamper. His was a toss sweep that navigated the right hashmark with 5:14 to go in the first quarter. This first of Tiger slotback’s three touchdown touches saw him high kick out of the only pair of Arrow arms close enough to make a play.
Interestingly, Silas Burton would only get three rush attempts in two periods plus two plays of offense. The elusive sophomore made each one count. He would cross the goal line all three times. TD carries of 49, 67 and 27 yards gave him 143 yards to stack beside one catch of 27 yards.
Big brother Andrew Burton continued as Mansfield leading rusher. The senior fullback carried 9 times for 150 yards, had a pair of touchdown runs and 2 catches for an extra 40 yards.
Through the first six games of the season, Andrew Burton remains a leading candidate for conference back of the year. The All-State running back has 1,142 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns thus far in the Tigers’ undefeated season.
“I was pleased with the offensive execution,” offered Overton after the 70 point explosion his team put on the school he once worked for as an assistant coach. “Personally, it was a little different as we still go to church over here. I coached Janson Graves, one of the Lavaca assistants, when I was over here.
“Sometimes, it's hard to maintain focus in a game like this, hard to keep locked in even in pre-game,” announced the coach as he was obviously happy to get the clock rolling and the contest over. “You kind of hold your breath nothing bad happens to either team as far as injuries or ejections.”
Mansfield played it cool and maintained composure even amidst some unfortunate penalty yards for perceived overaggressive play. Parks took it to the house 63 yards on a one play drive on the Tiger’s seventh possession. Silas Burton covered the last 27 yards of a two play drive to start the third. Then, the Tiger starters exited making way for the second team offense and defense to finish.
MHS backup running backs Dalton Knowles and Trevon Hattabaugh each scored rushing touchdowns from two yards out. Chandler Whisman capitalized on a pair of 2-point conversions.
Lavaca’s Dalton Mullenix threw a 4-yard touchdown to Adrion Kerns with 3:41 left in the first period. Si Smithson tacked on the two point play. Smithson hauled in another Mullenix pass for a 12-yard strike with under a minute to go in the second stanza. Their second 2-point try failed.
Mansfield’s defense was stellar with three created turnovers. Logan Ore and Raihan Black each pounced on Arrow fumbles. Joseph Carter picked off a Mullenix pass. Ethan Martin had numerous QB pressures while Zander Walters, Andrew Burton and Cooper Edwards delivered timely tackles.
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