FOURTH QUARTER A NIGHTMARE FOR BEARCATS

The fourth quarter in Mansfield Friday night was way more trick than treat for the Booneville Bearcats in a 34-22 loss to the Tigers.

When the quarter began the Bearcats were leading 22-18 and Mansfield was facing a fourth down. The Tigers converted with a 5-yard run to the Bearcat 35-yard line to start the quarter.

A holding penalty backed the Tigers up and a fumble that Hunter Warren recovered seemed to swing momentum to the visitor side of the Stadium with 10:15 to play.

It would not stay.

Three plays later the Bearcats were in punt formation but what became a trick attempt did not work and Mansfield had the ball back at the Bearcat 45.

On the next snap a reverse went for a touchdown and became the sixth lead change of the night. The Tigers then added a first successful 2-point conversion to make it 26-22 with 8:15 to play.

Another failure on a fourth down gave Mansfield the ball back in plus territory with 6:30 to play.

The Tigers kept the ball the next 3:43, surviving a Seth Wilson caused fumble – Wilson had 16 tackles and a sack as well – and scored again on a third down play from the 2. A second 2-point conversion made it 34-22.

Any hopes of a rally were then dashed with an interception, the Bearcats second turnover of the night.

The first three quarters were a mixed bag as well as the Bearcats started the game on offense, ran three plays and punted.

Mansfield ate up almost eight minutes on its opening possession, converting a fourth down along the way, and went in front 6-0 on a quarterback sneak with 2:50 left in the opening quarter.

The Bearcats were driving with their second possession but would fumble the ball away on the first play of the second quarter.

Mansfield kept the ball for nine plays before eventually being turned away on a fourth-and-4 from the Bearcat 6 yard-line.

Dylan Todd had made a third down stop behind the line of scrimmage and Conner Droemer and Cutler Haller combined on the fourth down negative yardage play..

For Haller it was one of 15 tackles on the night.

Hunter Warren bolted 77 yards on the next play and the Bearcats would score two plays later on a Jace Washburn to Noah Harrel touchdown pass with 5:54 to play in the half, and led 7-6 with Oliver Loaeza’s point after.

Mansfield went back in front just 1:23 later on a 47-yard run but failed on a 2-point try and was forced to settle for a 12-7 lead.

The Bearcats kept the ball the rest of the half with a drive that began with Brody Chambers carrying for 13 yards on three for the first four downs.

Consecutive double digit rushes by Conner Lentz, Warren, and Washburn resulted in a Mansfield time out.

The Bearcats reached the Mansfield 6 before backing up for a false start then backed up again for a block in the back that negated a Washburn to Warren touchdown pass.

Then at the Mansfield 24 the Bearcats still scored as Washburn hit Harrel again as time expired. Warren ran for a 2-point conversion and a 15-12 lead.

Harrel caught four total passes for 49 yards in the game.

The Bearcats looked to have forced Mansfield into a fourth down decision at the outset of the third quarter but a horse collar flag propelled the Tigers to a go-ahead touchdown – that after three more of the 10 total Bearcat penalties – on a 2-yard run with 6:19 left in the quarter.

On what would be their only third quarter possession the Bearcats went back in front on an 11-yard run by Warren with 3:51 left in the quarter. Loaeza’s point after was good for a lead of 22-18.

Warren had a career high 139 yards on 14 carries on the night.

Mansfield had the ball the rest of the quarter and was facing the fourth down when the fourth quarter began.

The Bearcats are back at home this Friday to face Charleston on Senior Night. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.