Mansfield depth too much for Central
Mansfield lost its top rusher midway through the second quarter, but the Tigers had plenty of men to go to the well with in overcoming a wacky sequence in the second quarter while advancing to a Class 6A regional a second consecutive year.
Jaqulis Coleman rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns in seven carries, and Baylor pledge Jackson Gleeson caught two touchdown passes in the Tigers’ 55-37 Division II area-round victory over previously unbeaten San Angelo Central on Friday evening at Newsom Stadium.
The Tigers (11-1) dictated the pace of play by playing their brand of football, a bruising running game led by Avery Chatman, who had 78 yards on 15 carries before leaving with an injury in the ribcage area, coach Dan Maberry said.
Mansfield racked up 344 yards on the ground on 45 carries and scored on six of its first seven possessions of the second half in erasing a four-point halftime deficit.
The Tigers moved on to the regional round against Waco Midway on Friday at Baylor’s McLane Stadium with a time to be announced.
“I was pleased with how we came out in the second half,” Maberry said. “We just have to make sure we do that for four quarters.
“We told our kids the entire week it was going to be a heavyweight fight. Adversity would hit, how do you respond to it. We came out in the second half and responded to it the right way.”
Mansfield drove into San Angelo Central territory three times in the first half, but couldn’t get the ball in the end zone, settling for two Holman field goals.
Cam’Ron Jones answered the Bobcats’ first points, an Ezekiel Del Rio 29-yard field goal, with a 94-yard kickoff return that put the Tigers up 13-3 at the 1:29 mark of the half.
Then things got wacky. The Bobcats scored 14 straight in 1:03 at the end of the first half.
San Angelo quarterback Maverick McIvor, the son of former Texas QB Rick McIvor, led the Bobcats 76 yards on four plays in 57 seconds, including two circus catches by Henry Teeter, the last a 23-yard TD reception.
The Tigers had trouble fielding the ensuring kickoff on a high pooch kick, and the Bobcats fell on it, setting them up with first-and-goal at the 6 with 29 seconds left.
On the first play, McIvor found Teeter again, giving the Bobcats their first lead, 17-13, with 14 points in 1:03.
McIvor passed for 373 yards and four touchdowns. Teeter was his top target, hauling in 12 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns.
That said, the Tigers held the Bobcats below their 41 point average. Two of Central’s touchdowns were scored in the last two minutes of the game.
Mansfield collected three turnovers. Jarrett Skaggs had a fumble recovery and interception. Kason McCullough-Cooper had an interception of McIvor, and Jake Jones had a fumble recovery.
“The goal is to win the last game,” Maberry said. “I think our kids are believing in themselves and believing in what they can do.”
This story was originally published November 24, 2017 at 11:32 PM with the headline "Mansfield depth too much for Central."