Mansfield Senior (7-2, 6-0) won its sixth straight game with a 31-0 victory over Ohio Cardinal Conference (OCC) rival Mount Vernon to clinch a share of the conference title for the first time in six years. This was the first shutout of the season for the Tygers.
The Tygers struck quickly, going up 7-0 on a 32-yard run by Duke Reese, and Quinton DeBolt knocked it through the uprights with 11:19 on the clock. The Tygers scored again with 4:08 left in the first quarter on a five-yard touchdown pass by Reese to Elias Owens, and the extra point made it 14-0 at the end of one quarter. Owens, who stands at 6-foot-4, serves as a huge target for Reese and made the most of his chances with the football.
With 4:12 left in the second quarter, DeBolt knocked home a 31-yard field goal to go up 17-0. Senior running back Jamir Petty then scored from two-yards out and a a DeBolt extra point made it 24-0.
In the third quarter, Reese connected with junior wide receiver Nate Dismuke on a 29-yard touchdown pass. DeBolt knocked it through for the extra point and it was 31-0, which would end up being the final.
Owens had a pair of catches including a touchdown in the game. His first catch went for 28-yards on a short pass that he extended with yards after the catch. Dismuke caught a 33-yard pass in the first half that led to a score by Petty, and also showed his athleticism on his touchdown catch. Petty was once again a major contributor on offense with a rushing touchdown. On defense, Daylan McGinty had an interception in the first half.
The Tygers had 414 total yards with 220 rushing yards and 194 passing yards.
Mount Vernon’s offense sputtered again, as Jonny Askew and Mav Gregory had trouble getting the ground game going. Askew had nine carries for 28 yards and Gregory had six carries for 29 yards, with most coming on a 25-yard run. Mason Richards had six carries for 12 yards, including a 10-yard run.
Jake Taylor was 9-for-12 for 59 yards and an interception. Richards was 3-for-5 for 20 yards passing. Hayden Higgins and Hunter Looney each had two passes for 40 and 21 yards respectively.
On defense, Luke Mullins led the team with 12 tackles and Ayden Kennedy had 10 tackles, both with one for a loss. Alex Taylor added seven tackles and one for a loss.
Mount Vernon had 94 rushing yards and 79 passing yards for a total of 173 yards of offense.
For Mansfield Senior, they have their sights set on Madison Comprehensive, as a win would be a major milestone for a couple reasons. Coach Chioke Bradley now has a 99-52 overall record at Mansfield Senior over 14 years and is looking to reach the century mark next week. A win would also give Mansfield Senior sole possession of the OCC title for the first time in 10 years.
The Tygers host Madison Comprehensive on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. Mount Vernon travels to West Holmes on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.
