Mansfield football takes down Summit in back-and-forth, high scoring rivalry game

Gingerly nursing a three-point lead, Mansfield quarterback Mansfield Braxton Van Cleave was facing down a third-and-eight at his 39-yard line with about four minutes to play. After the hike, the senior in shotgun formation and without hesitation, threw a strike to Zion Robinson crossing at the middle of the field at the Summit 45-yard line.

Robinson caught it on the run continuing towards his left. Eluding tacklers, he turned near the sidelines and went upfield all the way to the end zone to complete the 61-yard touchdown play.

It accounted for the final score and sealed a 43-34 win for Mansfield over crosstown rival Mansfield Summit Friday night in a non-district, see-saw high school football matchup at Vernon Newsom Stadium. It was fitting the last score was a pass. There were a lot of them by both sides in the contest.

If came with 3:50 left. After the ensuing kickoff, Summit turned the ball over on downs and Mansfield got three first downs and eventually ran out the clock.

Down 21-17 at halftime, the Tigers broke open the close game with two touchdowns in rapid succession after intermission. One was an 80-yard punt return by Jacobe Hayes. The other, less than a minute later, was a 44-yard pass from Van Cleave to Robinson that gave the Tigers a 31-21 lead with 4:22 left in the third quarter.

It came one penalty and a play after a fumble recovery by Corey Mix. Robinson caught the medium range pass of about 20 yards then split a pair of defenders en route to the end zone.

But Summit (0-2) refused to go away. The Jaguars replied a 71-yard run by Adarian Nettles who somehow, like an escape artist, emerged from a crowd of would-be tacklers about 10 yards downfield and ran the rest of the way for the score to make it, 31-27, before the third quarter was over.

Mansfield then answered with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to reinstate the two-score margin. Jacobe Hayes hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass in the middle of the end zone from Van Cleave on a slant pattern early in the fourth quarter for a 37-27 lead.

Two possessions later, Summit again kept the outcome suspenseful when Adarian Nettles rushed 10 yards for a touchdown. It narrowed the score to 37-34 with 5:29 left.

The came the Van Cleave to Robingson connection to put it away. Mansfield (2-0)

opened the scoring with a 30-yard run around right end and down the sidelines by Hayes. It came after Andrew Vasquez recovered a bobbled punt at the Mansfield 42 yard line that gave the Tigers new life.

Summit tied up before the first quarter was over, 7-7, with a 7-yard run by through good blocking and a big hole up the middle. It ended a 12-play, 80-yard drive.

Kicker, punter, and wide receiver Jonah Hand had a big hand in Mansfield’s next two scores. First, the junior put Mansfield back up, 10-7, early in the second quarter with 22-yard field goal that hit the right upright but nevertheless went through.

Secondly, Hand kept the drive alive with a fake punt. He threw to an open Thomas Barret beyond the line of scrimmage at the left side. Barret then scampered down the sidelines before being dragged down at the 8-yard line to complete the 37-yard trick play. It also ended a long drive, 82 yards in 13 plays.

Thirdly, Hand was on the receiving end of an over-the-shoulder perfect pass from quarterback

Mansfield quarterback for 26 yards as Mansfield added to its’ lead, 17-7. Van Cleave’s lob floated over the defender’s head and down to Hand in stride in the end zone.

Mansfield appeared to be in control before Summit suddenly came back to life. The Jaguars got the next two touchdowns to take the lead, 21-17, at halftime.

First, Zaeden Smith took in a pass from quarterback Demarius Bird at about the Mansfield 45 that Smith turned into a 70-yard touchdown catch.

Then, less than a minute later, in probably the most shocking play of the night, Avery Hardman stepped in front of what appeared to be a left backfield screen, intercepted, and returned it 45 yards for the lead.

Though he didn’t score, workhorse running back Teddy Clark for Mansfield had a game-high 151 yards on 27 carries. Counterpart Nettles was not far behind with 141 yards on 16 carries, three receptions for 61 yards, and three touchdowns.

Smith for Summit was his team’s leading receiver with 118 yards on eight receptions and a touchdown.

Robinson had a game-high 128 yards on three catches, two of which went for touchdowns.

Passing statistics for the opposing quarterbacks was nearly equal. Bird was 18-34-1 passing for 234 yards. Van Cleave was 12-23-1 for 237 yards.Next Friday, Sept. 13, Mansfield hosts Arlington Martin, 7 p.m., at R.L. Anderson Stadium in Mansfield. Summit has a bye next weekend. Its’ next game is at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20, at Verson Newsom Stadium here against Burleson.