MANSFIELD — It may not decide the Ohio Cardinal Conference championship, but it will go a long way in determining who hoists the championship trophy.
Mansfield Senior hosts Ashland in a battle of the OCC’s top two teams Friday at Arlin Field. Both the Tygers and Arrows are 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the OCC.
Senior High coach Chioke Bradley was already looking forward to the showdown shortly after the Tygers put the finishing touches on last week’s 54-17 win over Lexington.
“We got bigger things coming next week,” Bradley said last week. “We gotta turn the page on this and start (preparing for) Ashland.”
Ashland (5-1, 2-0) at Mansfield Senior (5-1, 2-0): The Arrows turned the ball over on their first two possessions last week against Madison before scoring on eight straight possessions in a 56-13 win. Quarterback Keagan Armitage completed 11 of 15 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 79 yards and two scores. Owen Reef rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries.
Mansfield Senior boasts the most prolific offensive player in north central Ohio in Jornell Manns. The senior has carried the ball 70 times for 564 yards and 15 touchdowns and caught 30 passes for 404 yards and five TDs. Terrance Flickinger had a breakout game last week at Lexington, rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries. Quarterback Sid Caudill completed 14 of 21 passes for 308 yards and four TDs. Christian Haney and Angelo Grose each had three catches and Tre’Suan Windham’s one reception went for a 70 yard touchdown.
Clear Fork (6-0, 3-0) at Galion (4-2, 1-2): The Colts tightened their stranglehold on the top spot in the Division IV, Region 14 computer ranking with a 52-8 win at River Valley. Clear Fork boasts perhaps the area’s stingiest run defense, allowing just 60.5 yards on the ground per game. Jared Schaefer leads the defense with 40 tackles. Daniel Spencer has 38 stops, including eight tackles for loss, while Michael Chillemi has four sacks. Quarterback Blake Dinsmore has accounted for more than 1,000 yards of total offense, rushing for 577 yards and 10 touchdowns and throwing for 432 yards and three TDs. Bryce Lyon lead the team with 16 catches for 115 yards, while Trevon Trammell has 10 grabs for 190 yards and four scores.
The Tigers are coming off a 44-21 loss at Marion Harding. Dual threat quarterback Harrison Ivy ranks among Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference leaders in both rushing and passing. Ivy was just 4 of 16 passing for 89 yards in last week’s loss, but has completed 35 of 72 passes on the season for 606 yards. Receiver Takoda Crisman hauled in a 56 yard touchdown pass last week, his fifth of the season.
Shelby (6-0, 1-0) at Edison (5-1, 1-0): The Whippets have pounded opponents into submission this fall, winning by an average of 41.6 points a game. The defense has pitched a pair of shutouts, including last week’s 41-0 win at Huron. Shelby limited Huron to 104 yards of total offense and cornerback Brady Hill returned an interception 56 yards for a touchdown as the Whippets built a 41-0 halftime lead. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong completed 7 of 13 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns and running back Shorty Brooks rushed for 105 yards on 18 carries. Carter Brooks caught four passes for 133 yards.
The Chargers are coming off a 28-0 win over Port Clinton, Edison’s second shutout of the season. Sam Stoll intercepted a pass and rushed for 269 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Stoll is the Sandusky Bay Conference’s leading rusher with 914 yards and nine touchdowns on 132 carries. Linebacker Jack Lykins ranks among the Bay Division leaders with 50 tackles.
Hillsdale (5-1, 2-1) at Norwayne (5-1, 2-0): Trey Williams is coming off a record-setting performance, throwing for five touchdowns in last week’s win over Rittman. The senior completed 16 passes for 285 yards. Trace Stiltner, Josh Vinsack and Alex Becker each had a pair of TD catches. Defensive end Michael Garn is one of the most disruptive players in the Wayne County Athletic League.
The Bobcats bounced back from a loss to undefeated Dalton with a convincing win over previously-unbeaten Smithville. Running back Weston Garman ran for 142 yards and four touchdowns while quarterback Clay Harvey completed 13 of 21 passes for 163 yards and rushed for 85 yards on 13 carries. Norwayne limited Smithville to 19 yards and one first down in the first half.
