MANSFIELD — We’re just two weeks into the high school football season and Mansfield Senior’s Amarr Davis has already had a big year.
Friday night’s chapter was the most spectacular one yet. The Tygers’ standout scored three, highlight-reel touchdowns, including the game-saving play in a 24-14 upset of defending Division III state champion Canfield.
With Senior High clinging to a 17-14 lead and just 2:04 remaining, the Cardinals predictably squibbed an onside kick. Davis snatched the wobbler in mid air and raced 49 yards for the clinching touchdown to the roaring approval of the wild Arlin Field crowd.
That marked the finishing touches on a seat-squirming victory.
Coach Chioke Bradley’s team evened its record at 1-1, and snapped the Cardinals win streak at 11. Canfield was 14-1 a year ago, including a 35-14 pounding of Bloom Carroll in the state championship game.
The Cardinals last lost to Youngstown Chaney, 16-13 on a late pick-six in Week 5 in 2022.
Meanwhile, Senior High showed impressive moxie in overcoming last week’s rugged 35-14 opening-night loss at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.
Davis was a star in the game, too. He caught five passes for 130 yards, including a 63-yard TD on a wide-receiver screen to give the Tygers an early 7-0 lead.
This time he helped Senior High dig out of an early hole.
Canfield struck first when quarterback Paul Bindas fired a 49-yard touchdown pass to Nick Berardino with 8:34 showing in the first period for a 7-0 edge.
But less than a minute later, Davis put on his cape and hauled in a 45-yard scoring strike from Nate Dismuke. Quinton DeBolt’s PAT tied the game with 7:41 on the clock.
It stayed that way into the third quarter, when Davis shook lose again. This time on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Dismuke to make it 14-7 at the 8:45 mark.
Three minutes later, DeBolt drilled a 26-yard field goal for a bit of breathing room and a 17-7 margin with 4:11 showing in the third period.
To that point, the Senior High defense had been nearly impenetrable. But midway through the fourth quarter the Cardinals authored their most impressive march of the night.
Canfield rolled 79 yards on 16 plays. Bindas finished it with a 4-yard TD blast to slice the deficit to 17-14 with just 2:04 remaining.
That set the stage for the dramatic onside kick and the Davis theatrics that finished it.
Davis racked up five catches for 158 yards and three total TDs. He now has 10 catches for 288 yards, a 49-yard kickoff return, and four touchdowns in two games this season.
Davis was by far the game’s most productive player. He had 158 of Mansfield Senior’s 228 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, the Cardinals were limited to just 177 total yards.
Interestingly, the Tygers did not have a penalty, but suffered the game’s lone turnover on a Dismuke interception. He finished 6-of-11 passing for 169 yards.
Bindas was 9-of-27 passing for 131 yards.
Mansfield Senior continues its brutal schedule next week at Massillon. Canfield, which beat Beloit West Branch 38-19 last week, hosts Olmsted Falls next week.