Arlington Martin scores 74 points in offensive duel against Mansfield
In what was an incredibly back-and-forth game, Arlington Martin ultimately found a way to outlast the pesky Mansfield Tigers, in front of a packed house at Maverick Stadium.
With sixteen total touchdowns between the two teams, the Warriors would walk away with their first win against Mansfield since 2009, in a 74-47 home victory.
For the first time in weeks, the weather wasn’t a factor during this contest. Instead, both teams managed to get the most out of the beautiful Texas weather as the game started out fast.
Sophomore Malik Mason, who finished with 67 yards and a touchdown on the night, would score on Martin’s first drive. A screen pass that ended up going for 41 yards and a score.
Both teams would end up exchanging punts, until Javian Jones-priest got his night started with a 48 yard rushing score of his own. Jones-priest would finish with an impressive 196 yards on 17 rushes and 2 touchdowns.
Not to be outdone by his counterpart, Daylon Cobb, also known as “Tater” by his peers, finished with 220 all-purpose yards, along with 4 all-purpose touchdowns. Including one score that came in the 3rd quarter with less than five minutes remaining. A 62-yard score that would put Martin up 51-35.
Arlington Martin head coach Chad Reeves said Cobb was the MVP of the game.
“They couldn’t tackle him,” Reeves said. “He’s the real deal. He’s been playing with us since he was a Sophomore, and then JP – he can grind you down. It can be hard sometimes to make sure they’re both getting enough touches.”
In total, the Warriors rushed for 485 yards, with three players (Jones-priest, Cobb, and Trintavious Hayes) totaling over 100 yards on the night. An impressive feat for a team that held their opponents to only 43 yards on the ground.
Despite the lopsided scoring of this game early on, things wouldn’t be over quite yet. With 5:29 remaining in the 4th quarter, junior Chase Fisher returned a kick-off 85 yards to the house.
What ensued after that was a bit of chaotic-fun for both teams (or maybe just the fans).
On the following kick-off, Mansfield would end up recovering the kick with 5:16 remaining. Mansfield then drove down the field and scored off another Chase Fisher touchdown. However, Martin would end up intercepting the 2-point conversion, returning it all the way back to the other endzone, and after the dust settled, it was 67-47 Martin.
The Warriors would go on to ice the game the following possession, when Hayes ended the game with Martin’s 7th rushing score of the night, with 1:19 remaining. An incredible finish to a game that felt like it would never end.
Coach Reeves attributes a lot of his team’s success tonight to great play from his running backs and the competition that his team has, due to the depth on the squad.
“We have great competition at the quarterback position,” Reeves said. “We have great competition at the receiver position. It makes those guys go hard every single day they get a chance to play.”
Whether it was Jones-priest, Cobb, or Hayes, Mansfield could not stop this three-headed machine, which allowed the Warriors to come away victorious on the night.
Next week, Arlington Martin hits the road to kick off their conference schedule against Lamar High School on Friday, Sept. 19th at 7 p.m.
