The meteoric climb of Mansfield Tiger football continued Friday night with a systematic dismantling of the Cedarville Pirates. In simple terms, this one was done early.
The Tigers took mercy on the hapless Pirates with a 56-0 bludging of the 3A-1 Conference’s worst team by current record. Cedarville coming into the match 0-4 in conference and 1-5 overall was no match for the undefeated Tigers.
At least two different high school ranking services moved Mansfield up to the 3A state’s number one team this past week. Impressive wins in back to back weeks over Charleston and Lavaca pushed the Tigers into the top spot as Salem, last year’s 3A state champs, slipped to third.
Newly anointed with this prestigious placement, Mansfield held up their end of the hype. The home team Tigers cannon fired huge holes in the Pirate ship just minutes after leaving the dock. Forty first quarter hits sank the royal blue and gold cruiser before it could clear its own wake.
Mansfield’s offense was strikingly efficient. They posted five consecutive touchdowns all in the first quarter for a shock-and-awe 40-0 lead. MHS Quarterback Jubal Parks scooted for a 20-yard to get the party started. Fullback Andrew Burton matched the points and the distance on Mansfield’s second possession.
The back to back Tiger scores occurred 15 seconds apart. Cedarville coughed up the ball on their first possession at their own 20 yard line in between the pair of homegrown Tiger TDs.
MHS slotback Jeremiah Burton took a spread set push-pass 48 yards for a third touchdown. Left tackle Zander Walters moved into the backfield as a running back to capitalize Mansfield's fourth offensive encounter with a 6-yard end zone plunge.
Tiger slotback Silas Burton turned the corner on a toss sweep going left to right for an 80 yard score minutes later. And, just like that, Mansfield was laughing it up with a forty point fireworks display.
As is his typical modus operandi, Mansfield mentor Whit Overton commanded his troops to go for two after each goal line crossing. In order of success, Silas Burton cashed in the first two conversion attempts. Andrew Burton took the third through the middle. Silas ran the fourth one to the right. Jeremiah Burton ran the fifth one to the left.
“Executed offensively well,” offered Overton in his post-game interview. “Did a good job defensively - bowed up, played a lot of guys. Everybody got in the game. You know when you have a shutout like that, it’s good.
“Did some good things on offense with the second team too. Just turned it over right there on the goal line or those guys would have scored.
“Got out healthy. That’s really what you want to do - take care of business and get ready for the next week.”
The Cedarville game was over in a blink. The home crowd enjoyed each and every Tiger touchdown with a pyrotechnic light show up on the hill. The fun and run win also gave the school’s Wall of Fame Class of 2025 a grand welcoming on a night 10 new inductees were honored at halftime.
Mansfield enjoyed some merrymaking with speciality gigs for a trio of senior linemen.
Zander Walters, an All-State tackle off the 2024 team, got a touchdown as the featured running back. Rather than a blocker for the usual backfield brigade, he got to rumble with the rock for a score..
James “Critter” Bausley also got a chance to “tote the mail”. He scored his first career touchdown on the Tigers’ seventh possession. The 285 pound, All-Conference right guard, steamrolled the Pirate blockade for a 5-yard touchdown reminiscent of William “Refrigerator” Perry with the ‘85 Chicago Bears.
Ethan Martin, an All-State center and defensive end, got a couple of chances to dot the “I-formation” for a score. The anxious runner, however, got tangled up twice falling short of the goal line.
“We were pretty vanilla tonight,” Overton said of the number one offense. “Offensively, we paid off those big guys up front. James (Bausley), Zander (Walters), both got touchdowns. Tried to get Ethan (Martin) a touchdown, but he slipped and fell.
“Silas (Burton) had a good game,” the coach continued. “He had three carries for 98 yards. So, it was good.
“Took care of business and no injuries. Happy with the way things turned out.”
Andrew Burton got his second touchdown minutes into the second quarter. The Tiger’s leading rusher on the season punched the one-yard ticket after Martin fell short of glory’s road. Jeremiah Burton added that 2-point conversion.
Mansfield’s unexpected possession came courtesy of senior backup linebacker Alex Hecox. Hecox picked off a Pirate pass two plays into the second period giving Mansfield excellent field position at the Tiger 36-yardline.
Hecox had a good night defensively above his interception. The senior had his name echoing off the stadium hills with numerous tackles for a very stingy Tiger D.
Bausley's beast ball play came late in the second stanza on the Tigers’ last series of the first half. His touchdown tango came off the heels of a 40-yard completion of a Jubal Parks’ pass to senior wide receiver Joseph Carter. Silas Burton walked in the follow up conversion unscathed to put Mansfield in complete control at 56-0 before intermission.
The second half sped by with a running clock courtesy of the AAA sportsmanship rule. Each team saw two more possessions with no more scoring. The Tigers went into victory formation on their second second-half sequence.
“Booneville next week,” initiated Overton, Mansfield’s third winningest coach in history in only two and three-quarters seasons at the helm. “That’s a big one. They’re going to be looking for revenge from last year.
“It’s going to be at their place. It’s going to be a big time football game with a bunch of people there.
“Seven and zero, best start in school history, hadn’t lost a conference game in two years - try to keep that streak going ‘cause this is a big one.”
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