Mansfield tops Weatherford to earn playoff spot

By Bob Kowalski

Mansfield Record

Mansfield clinched a playoff spot with a 49-34 victory over Weatherford on Friday night during a homecoming game at Vernon Newsom Stadium.

Legacy and Timberview also advanced to the postseason, even though both teams were idle this week. Mansfield will face Euless Trinity in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs, while Legacy (3-7, 3-3 District 3-6A) meets Southlake Carroll and Timberview (6-4, 5-3 3-5A DII) plays Lucas Lovejoy.

The Tigers (8-2, 4-2 District 3-6A) scored on their first 6 possessions Friday, and held a 21-14 lead after running only seven offensive plays.

After Weatherford (2-4, 2-8) opened the game by taking a 7-0 lead on a 26-yard touchdown run by Xavier Craven, Mansfield answered quickly.  After a holding penalty pushed Mansfield back to its own 30-yard line, Teddy Cook went 70 yards, cutting to the sideline to tie the game at 7-7 with 6 ½ minutes to play in the first quarter.

On Weatherford’s next drive, Mansfield’s Zavyn Jenkins alertly stepped in front of a short pass and intercepted with no one between him and the goal line. The 57-yard TD put Mansfield up 14-7 with just over 3 minutes left in the quarter.

Weatherford tied the game at 14-14 with just over 3 minutes gone in the first quarter when Craven again ran for a score, this time from 2 yards out.

Mansfield quarterback Braxton Van Cleave took the air on the next drive, completing three consecutive passes for a total of 55 yards, the last a 24-yard TD strike to Cole Williams for a 21-14 lead with 7 ½ minutes before halftime. Van Cleave completed his first seven pass attempts while the Tigers built their first-half lead. He was 12-for-15 on the night.

After the Tigers forced Weatherford to turn the ball over on downs, Van Cleave and Cook used a ground game. Cook ran for 18 yards on his first two carries, then Van Cleave put three runs together for 20 yards. An 11-yard pass to Zion Robinson set up back-to-back rushes by Jayden Vasquez, and Cook sealed the drive with an 11-yard run to give Mansfield a 28-14 lead, which they took into halftime.

On Mansfield’s opening drive of the second half, Van Cleave again used his legs, first with a 16-yard run to move the Tigers to Weatherford’s 26-yard line, then a scoring run from there for a 35-14 lead 2 ½ minutes into the second half.

Weatherford, behind quarterback Luke Gray’s passing and Craven’s rushing, went 75 yards in 10 plays, with Gray passing to Brennen Boehl for a 23-yard TD to pull the Kangaroos to within 35-21 with 5 ½ minutes left in the third.

Mansfield bolstered its lead with a 5-minute drive, concluded with Van Cleave’s 2-yard TD pass to Robinson for a 42-21 lead with only 42 seconds left before the fourth quarter.

Weatherford moved to Mansfield’s 25-yard line on its next drive, but the drive stalled and Mansfield regained possession. Van Cleave passed to Williams for 16 yards and a 49-21 lead with 4:20 to play.

Weatherford scored again with 1:03 left – after having two touchdowns negated on penalties – to make the score 49-28. The Kangaroos recovered an onside kick at the 50-yard line, and Gray threw to Rule Doss for a 19-yard score to close the gap to 49-34 with 32 seconds left.

Mansfield recovered the following onside kick and ran out the clock for the win.

Among other Mansfield ISD teams, Summit (5-5, 5-3 3-5A DII) lost to Arlington Seguin, 36-28, on Thursday night, eliminating the Jaguars from the postseason race; Lake Ridge (1-9, 0-6 3-6A) wrapped up its season Friday with a 44-35 loss to Saginaw Boswell.

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