As the clock struck 0:00 inside Tiger Stadium on Friday night, emotions poured from Mansfield players, coaches, and fans like maple syrup lathering up a postgame stack at the local Waffle House. A century of waiting can do that to a community.
Mansfield, a town that has never played for a state championship in football, has been marking time for 113 years for a chance to eat like they’ve never eaten before. As the game clock ticked off its final few seconds in the 3A semifinal contest pitting Mansfield against Salem, an invitation to sit at the head table of the state finals had finally arrived.
With a program-defining 48-22 victory over the defending class 3A state champions, Mansfield punched their ticket for a trip to Little Rock and Saturday afternoon’s state football finals!
“I don’t know what to say,” said Whit Overton, Mansfield’s elated head football coach, “I’m speechless!
“Furthest back I can find was 1912, the first record of Tiger football. Mansfield has never played for a state championship in football. They've only ever been in the state semifinals three times, and you’re looking at all three.” Overton grinned as wide as a kid’s smile on Christmas morning, then pointed to the Tiger football players being swarmed by a mass of Mansfield humanity - a population there to witness this historic event.
“We’ve beaten the defending state champs three years in a row,” claimed the coach. “Now, we get a chance to be one ourselves!”
Salem came into Tiger Town wearing their 2024 state championship belt and carrying a 22 game winning streak as the state’s number one team.
“They physically dominated us,” remembered Overton, thinking back to his Tigers being punched out of last season’s state tournament in the semifinal round. “That’s not something we enjoyed or want to ever happen again.”
Mansfield’s second all-time winningest coach in only his third season at the helm said he and the team have waited a long time to exact a little revenge.
“I’ve waited 365 days for this one!” exhaled Mansfield’s mentor. “I felt like I let the guys down - got real conservative last year. I’m not taking anything away from them (Salem) - they did a great job. But, when you get beat by somebody, you want to study that. You want to figure out a way to go back and beat ‘em.”
That’s exactly what happened on this cold and crisp night in front of another capacity crowd on location and with 2,147 additional fans watching via Mansfield Tigers Network.
Coach Overton and his staff came up with a well rehearsed game plan, a year in the making. With the help of assistant coaches Layton Robinson, Keith Stovall, Trevon Moore, Adam Bozant and Daniel Martin, it turned out to be a good one. The key was to limit Salem’s top two returning threats in running back Kaden Brink and quarterback Jackson Taylor. It was also finding more ways to feed Andrew Burton, Mansfield’s all-time leading rusher, while opening up the lesser used “Air Tiger” package with playmaking quarterback Jubal Parks.
Burton, on this night, was “big man on campus” once again. The senior fullback scored 4 touchdowns, 3 rushing and 1 receiving, and a 2-point conversion. He added another 147 yards to his already bulging record book for career rushing yards, now at 3,946 yards, and his single season rushing title hovering at 2,255. It also raised his school benchmark for career touchdowns to 56 and single season touchdowns to 38.
Mansfield’s offense took all of one play to remind those watching, the Tigers and their superstar running back are the real deal.
Salem had just marched 53 yards on the game’s first 11 plays to take a stinging six point lead. Burton and the boys responded without blinking.
Taking a handoff from Jubal Parks, Andrew hit straight up the gut, bounced to the near sideline and sprinted like a thoroughbred for the endzone. A one play, 51-yard strike by the All-State athlete knotted the score in less than 10 seconds. After sophomore brother Jeremiah Burton took a toss sweep off left tackle for the successful 2-point conversion, Mansfield never trailed again.
Salem did their best to limit Mansfield’s offensive touches. In typical Greyhound fashion, the state’s top ranked team and undefeated 3A-2 conference champs were partially successful in their mission. Snapping the ball late in the play clock and mixing a well defined running game with some early and accurate passes did just that. Point of fact, Salem had the ball for almost the entire first period with the exception of four Tiger snaps.
Had Tiger linebacker Logan Ore not gotten a hand on Salem quarterback Jackson Taylor’s arm in the midst of a biting Greyhound second series, Mansfield might only have had that single offensive play in the first quarter. Ore, who recorded 9 tackles on the night, forced Taylor into fumbling the football as the QB tried a sprint option to the left side.
Jeremiah Burton gobbled up the bouncing bobble giving the Mansfield defense their nineteenth fumble recovery of the season. It also put the Tigers’ offense back onto the field for the second time with 1:52 left in the first period. Three snaps and a pair of penalty swaps later, the first period of this semifinal matchup between the class 3A’s top two teams ended.
After the quarter, Mansfield influenced the Greyhounds defenders with hard runs into the line. Silas Burton, one of four Burton brothers on the MHS active roster, drew Salem’s “D” closer to the box with his 5-yard rush off right tackle.
On second and short, Salem moved all 11 of its defenders within six yards of the ball. Being more aggressive in this rematch, Overton dialed up a rare pass play. Quarterback Parks sold a hard fake to Jeremiah mimicking the previous Silas Burton run. This time, the strategic decoy faked in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, Andrew slipped out of the backfield into the right flats where Parks found him wide open.
The senior Burton brother did the rest. Mansfield's primary fullback turned on the jets towards the near pylon for a 60-yard catch-and-run and his second score. Jeremiah again added the 2-point conversion lifting the hometown Tigers to a 14-6 lead with 11:21 to go in the second stanza.
After both teams swapped three-and-out punts, Salem would go on another patented time consuming drive. However, against the stubborn, hard hitting Tiger defense, that Greyhound drive would go unfulfilled. A turnover on downs after an 11 play sequence and an incompletion on fourth and four would give Mansfield the ball back. Nevertheless, true to Salem's plan, nearly 10 minutes of game clock expired since the Tigers last touched the ball.
With less than a minute and a half before intermission, Parks would again go to the air. On second down, the sophomore QB found Silas in stride. Pushing past the lid of the Greyhound defense, the younger Burton made himself an available target.
Parks’ pass covered 34 yards through the air dropping into the waiting hands of the wide open receiver. The sophomore slotback did the rest by foot, outracing the trailing pursuit past the goal line for a 59-yard touchdown. With Andrew's conversion run, the Tigers reeled off 28 consecutive points heading into the half.
Mansfield’s head coach was overjoyed by the play of his young quarterback.
“He (Parks) played extremely well tonight,” Overton said. “He had a couple of big runs too as well as an interception on defense.
“He’s a kid that has just progressed - works hard. He’s a kid that doesn’t need a lot of pats on the back. He just shows up and works.”
Parks went 3 of 4 passing the ball for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns. His third completion was a 39-yard launch to senior wide receiver Joseph Carter. Carter beat the corner on a go route down the right side. The senior wideout high-pointed the ball for a 38 reception down to the opposition’s five yard line. This was the third quarter.
“It’s just amazing watching Joe go up and get it,” smiled Parks of his pass completion to Carter. “I love watching him play receiver - love throwing the ball to him ‘cause I can trust him to go up and get it. He’s a great high-pointer.”
Carter, one of several ironman Tigers, was excited his number was called as part of the aggressive Mansfield passing package.
“It’s just nice that Coach ‘O’ (Overton) calls my number and lets me be a dude. I mean it’s just crazy all this hardwork, all these late nights, early mornings, the summers - it’s all paid off.”
Carter continued. “The senior line was just constantly reassuring us even when we were up 24-6. They never let us get off the gas pedal.”
Andrew scored his third TD following the Parks to Carter connection. His was a 5-yard veer off the left side. The game’s leading rusher followed a pair of down blocks by tight end Michael Carter, Joseph’s brother, and left tackle Zander Walters.
Left guard Cadien Ore pulled around to kick the Salem end. Silas Burton, from his tight slotback position, sealed the inside linebacker to make his big brother’s rush look easy.
Silas completed the sequence with a successful 2-point try. The sophomore Burton picked his way untouched behind some superb blocking from the Tigers’ right side.
Senior end Cooper Edwards opened the door for the rushing PAT. Michael Carter, now relocated to the opposite side, came hard with another man moving downblock.
Right guard James Bausley and right tackle Cadien Ore both wrapped around on a pull to take out any second level defenders. Ethan Martin, at center, crushed a stunt to the A-gap. Then slotback Jeremiah Burton pushed the outer edge rusher, paving the way for the “walk-in” conversion.
Edwards, as you’d expect a senior to be, was elated with the tournament win. It was a win he and so many others will forever remember. It will be recognized as the moment Mansfield earned their first trip to Little Rock for a chance at a football state title.
“It’s exciting!” Edwards roared. “No one’s ever done it - not from Mansfield. It’s just exciting to make history. We just got one more to go. We’re gonna go win it!”
Ethan Martin, another senior two-way starter, echoed similar sentiments.
“It’s always an amazing feeling,” said Martin as his team picked up their thirteenth win of the season. “Right now in our school we have one boy’s state championship - the 1978 baseball team. We’re looking to put that second one up there.
“Every game we play, we learn more from different teams,” shared Martin, who also plays defensive end and recorded a sack of the Salem quarterback. “Different defensive fronts - we’ve probably seen about 30, 40, 50 different fronts. We’ve just learned how to stop it, how to block it, how to get yards.”
Mansfield put up nearly 450 total yards against the defending state champs. Remarkably, the Tigers posted almost 220 yards in the first half despite running only 11 plays in the first two quarters. Almost 230 yards of their total came in the final two periods when the offense was on the field for longer periods of time.
In between offensive possessions, the Tiger defense played outstanding. To give up only 22 points against a team that was averaging 46 points and 422 yards per game was considered an achievement.
Cadien Ore, another two way player for the Tigers, was phenomenal along a beefed up defensive line populated to keep the Greyhounds in check. The Mansfield senior was credited with 13 stops. His linebacking teammate, Zander Walters, and defensive end support system, Andrew Burton, joined the blockade with a combined 17 takedowns.
Matthew “Bear” Burton, Colton Moore, Silas Burton, Joseph Carter and Ethan Martin, all two way players like so many of the Mansfield team members, had at least four tackles each for the Tiger defense.
“I’m just so proud of our kids and their efforts,” shared Overton. “Golly, we fought hard. That’s a great team over there. They’ve got a championship mentality - 22 wins in a row.
“It’s just incredible. Our kids came out here and played their hearts out. I’m so proud of them. They’ve been so hungry for this one - I’ve been hungry for this one!
The coach continued as he took a moment to soak in the mass of Mansfield fandom packing their way onto the field after the game.
“Look at these people. I’m proud of these people too! That’s what I wanted to do, bring pride to this town, this school, this community and this football team. I’m just so happy for all these people.”
Despite the four score margin the Tigers eventually produced, Salem kept up the pressure. For example, twice in the third period, the Greyhounds closed the gap to 10 points.
To start the second half, Salem forced a rare Mansfield turnover on the home team’s first play of the third quarter. From midfield, Salem went 56 yards in 6 plays to push the differential to 24-14. Later, just after Andrew Burton punched in his fourth score, the visitors answered with another 6 play, 55 yard scoring series to put the margin at 32-22.
Whenever Salem showed their championship pedigree, it was Mansfield’s game changer that took charge. As former NBA player and commentator Mark Jackson used to say, “Mama, there goes that man!”
To answer the Greyhounds’ final howl, Andrew Burton capped a 4 play, 65 yard effort with his fourth touchdown - a 22-yard burst to the middle. His hard hitting blast went right at the gut of the Greyhound defense with 4:43 to go in the third period. This Andrew TD coupled with a Silas conversion gave Mansfield another eight point combo platter to push the score to 40-22.
After Salem threatened, the Tigers threatened, and Joe Carter sniffed out a Greyhound fake punt; Mansfield was back in control. Late into the fourth period, the Tigers pulled up a chair to feast from the Salem 11 yard line. Mansfield needed only two snaps to get Andrew Burton’s fifth touchdown of the game in the books. With another Burton combo, this time with Andrerw and Jeremiah, chants of “Little Rock” began echoing inside Tiger Stadium.
Zander Walters, a senior Tiger that played all 132 plays of the game, said it as plain as you could make it. “We just beat Salem!”
The All-State senior who played offense, defense, kickoff, kickoff return, punt and punt return gave all the glory to God.
“I prepped, trusted the Lord - put all my trust honestly in Him,” said Mansfield’s leading tackler through this point of the season. “I trained and trained. Let Him lead me. I gave it all I had, just like the rest of the guys.”
Mansfield advances to play the Fordyce Redbugs on Saturday at noon on the turf of War Memorial Stadium for the 3A State Championship. Fordyce, winners of the 3A-8 conference with a record of 13-1, beat Booneville 18-13 in Friday’s other semifinal game to punch their ticket to Little Rock.
When asked what it would take to win the state championship, Walters wore his beliefs on his sleeves and spoke from the heart.
“Everything! It’s going to take everything we have,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of trust in the Lord and a lot of praying and a lot of prepping.”
Andrew Burton, Mansfield's most productive weapon on the most productive team in school history - a team that has 35 wins in three consecutive seasons, put it plainly.
“This program has never been to Little Rock,” the senior running back explained. “There’s no way we’re gonna go down there and not get a win for this town. We’ve been putting in so much work. We’ve just gotta finish the job!”
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