Mansfield claims District 4-6A crown with 7-0 record

Mansfield 31, North Crowley 12

Theo Owens ran for two touchdowns in the second half Thursday night as the playoff-bound Tigers shook off a slow start to thunder by the Panthers and cap off an undefeated run through District 4-6A. It’s the third consecutive district title for Mansfield. They open the 6A Division II bi-district playoffs Nov. 17 against Keller Central at Newsom Stadium. Owens scored on both of his carries. The first was a 22-yard burst up the middle to give Mansfield a 10-6 lead early in the third quarter. He also scored on a 1-yard run with 9:07 remaining in the fourth quarter. Avery Chatman carried the bulk of the rushing load for Mansfield, rushing 22 times for 145 yards.

Key players: Mansfield defensive back Kason McCullough-Cooper returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 24-7 lead late in the third quarter. It was one of two INTs for McCullough-Cooper. His teammate Cam’Ron Jones picked off a North Crowley pass at the Tigers 1-yard line on the final play of the second quarter. North Crowley receiver Mark Bailey hauled in a deflected pass on fourth-and-goal from the 16 to stake the Panthers to a 6-3 lead late in the first quarter. Bailey finished with 14 receptions for 120 yards. Panthers QB Caleb Leake passed for 217 yards and a touchdown and ran for a 5-yard score on the final play of the game.

Key stat: Mansfield was limited to 58 rushing yards in the first half, but finished the game with 236 on the ground.

Records: North Crowley 4-6, 2-5 in 4-6A, Mansfield, 9-1, 7-0

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 11:32 PM with the headline "Mansfield claims District 4-6A crown with 7-0 record."