Mansfield Summit tested in season opener, takes Oklahoma powerhouse to overtime
Mansfield Summit picked up right where it left off last season after making its deepest playoff run, reaching the Class 5A Division 1 state semifinals.
The Jaguars started 2021 facing one of the most storied programs to come out of Oklahoma in Jenks. The Trojans, No. 2 in Oklahoma according to MaxPreps, have won 17 state titles with 27 title appearances and are the defending Oklahoma Class 6A-1 champions, the largest classification in the state.
Despite Jenks’ resume, Summit, No. 10 in Dave Campbell’s 5A D1 state poll, never backed down taking the Trojans to overtime before falling 20-14 in the season opener on Friday night at R.L Anderson Stadium.
Gone are play makers like Kainen McKinney and Hal Presley, but the Jaguars return quarterback David Hopkins, running back Keon Hobbs and a defense that prides itself in shutting down opponents.
Early in the game Hopkins was unable to display the confidence he gained in the Jaguars playoff run last season as Summit (0-1) ran only nine offensive plays picking up 12 total yards in the first half. Jenks (1-0) dominated the time of possession in the first two quarters 18:16 to 5:44 and Summit’s two first-half drives both ended in punts.
After going down 14-0 on a halfback pass from Jenks’ Jalyn Stanford to Ty Walls with 5:12 left in the third quarter, Hopkins started working his magic.
Hopkins scrambled and hit Kerya Powell for 56 yards. Four plays later the duo connected again for a 17-yard score on fourth down to cut the lead to 14-6 with 3:15 left in the third quarter.
“The run we had last year was a huge confidence boost for me,” said Hopkins, who finished with 164 yards passing and 21 rushing against a stout Jenks defense. “We just have to get back on the path we had in the playoffs and we’ll be fine. We’ll be better next week.”
The Summit defense was nails as usual, especially in the second half. The Jaguars, led by Ahmaad Moses, Tavare Smith and TCU commit Joseph Adedire, gave up only 11 yards on 14 rushes in the third and fourth quarters and 68 total yards.
Take out the halfback pass and the Jaguars held one of the top teams in Oklahoma to 33 total yards in the final two quarters before overtime. Summit out-gained Jenks 266-237 for the game.
Hopkins darted in from five yards out with 2:32 left in regulation to cut the lead to 14-12. Following a personal foul penalty on his 2-point conversion run, the senior hit Corey Jackson, Jr. from 16-yards out for two points to tie the game at 14.
The Jaguars opened OT getting to the Jenks 5 with 20 yards in penalties on the Trojans. Hopkins looked to have given Summit the lead, but his fumble near the goal line was recovered in the end zone by Ethan Bilgrien for a touchback.
Four plays later Jaiden Carroll bulled in from four yards out for the game winner. Carroll led the Trojans with 43 yards rushing on 22 carries and had six catches for 70 yards.
The first half was a defensive stalemate, but late in the second quarter Jenks put together a scoring drive marching 70 yards in 14 plays. Trojans’ QB Ike Owens hit Montre Samuels Parker with a 3-yard scoring pass to give Jenks a 7-0 lead with 28 seconds left before intermission.
This story was originally published August 28, 2021 at 12:28 AM.