Mansfield knocks off Summit in another close rivalry game

By Bob Kowalski

Mansfield Record

Mansfield High ran its winning streak over rival Summit to three years with a 43-34 victory Friday night at Vernon Newsom Stadium.

In the district’s longest-running rivalry, the Tigers (2-0) have won four of the past five annual meetings between the teams.

Once again, the game was close throughout, with both teams producing highlight plays worthy of the intensity of the intra-ISD matchup.

After Summit (0-2) pulled to within three points, 37-34, with 5 ½ minutes to play on a 10-yard touchdown run from Adarion Nettles – his third of the night and second in the second half– the Tigers answered with a big play.

Less than two minutes after Nettles’ score, Mansfield quarterback Braxton Van Cleave passed to Zion Robinson in stride in the middle of the field at Summit’s 45-yard line. Robinson, who caught the game-winning pass late in last year’s victory over Summit, veered to the sideline and raced to the end zone for the decisive score, putting Mansfield up 43-34 with 3:50 to play.  

Each team relied heavily on its workhouse back – Nettles for Summit and Teddy Clark for Mansfield – mixing in enough passing to keep the offense balanced. Nettles carried 17 times for 169 yards and Clark had 22 carries for 124 yards.

Mansfield was forced to punt on its opening drive but recovered a fumble on the kick and converted five plays later when receiver Jacobe Hayes took an end-around 30 yards for a 7-0 lead with just over 3 minutes gone in the game.

Summit answered with a nearly six-minute drive, capped by Nettles’ first score of the night, a 7-yard run for a 7-7 tie. The drive was boosted by a rollout pass from Summit quarterback Demarus Bird to Nettles, who caught the ball near the home sideline and raced 34 yards to set up the Jaguars in Mansfield territory. Later, a fourth-down pass interference call against the Tigers kept the drive alive for Summit, which scored three plays later on Nettles’ run.

Mansfield started the second quarter scoring with a 22-yard field goal by Jonah Hand, who hit the upright with enough force to push the ball across the crossbar, giving the Tigers a 10-3 lead with 2 ½ minutes gone in the second quarter. That drive was kept alive on a fake punt, when Hand passed to Thomas Barrett, who was alone in the flat and surged to a first down.

Summit went three-and-out and Mansfield extended its lead with a touchdown drive that ended on a 26-yard pass from Van Cleave to Hand for a 17-7 lead. Clark had a big play during that drive when he bounced outside for a 25-yard run on second-and-14.

Summit needed only 3 plays and a minute and a half to cut the lead again, getting a TD strike from Bird to Zaeden Smith for 75 yards and a 17-14 Mansfield lead with 3:46 to play in the half.

The Jaguars took their first lead of the game on the next possession when Avery Hardman intercepted a pass at midfield and went 45 yards for a TD and a 21-17 Summit lead with just under 3 minutes left before halftime.

Mansfield found an electrifying big play of its own when Hayes fielded a Summit punt at his own 20-yard line and headed for the sideline, following blocks and shedding tacklers as he bolted 80 yards for a touchdown and 24-21 Mansfield lead with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter.

The Tigers stopped the Jaguars’ next drive two plays when Corey Mix recovered a Summit fumble at the Jags’ 39-yard line. After a false start penalty cost the Tigers five yards, Van Cleave hit Robinson perfectly in stride down the seam, and Robinson bounced off a pair of tacklers on his way to a 44-yard TD reception and 31-21 Mansfield lead.

On Summit’s third play of the next drive, Nettles carried into a crowd, then somehow emerged alone on the other side and easily raced for a 71-yard touchdown to cut the lead to four, 21-17, with 2:54 left in the third.

Mansfield drove to Summit’s 11-yard line, where Van Cleave threw to Hayes again for a 37-27 lead to set the stage for the end-of-game back-and-forth.

In other Mansfield ISD action, Timberview fell to Denton Ryan, 28-0, on Thursday night; Lake Ridge defeated Haltom, 34-26, at R.L. Anderson Stadium; and Legacy fell at Chisholm Trail, 27-22.

Next week, Legacy meets South Grand Prairie at 7 p.m. Thursday at Vernon Newsom Stadium; Lake Ridge faces Richardson at 7 p.m. Friday at Eagle-Mustang Stadium; Mansfield meets Arlington Martin at 7 p.m. Friday at R.L. Anderson Stadium; and Timberview squares off with Argyle at 7 p.m. Friday at Newsom. Summit has a bye week.

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