MANSFIELD — Mansfield Senior coach Chioke Bradley’s 100th career victory was packaged in some extra-special wrapping at Arlin Field.
Friday night’s 34-0 victory came against arch-rival Madison. The Tygers (8-2 overall, 7-0 in the Ohio Cardinal Conference) now lead the crosstown rivalry 33-22-3, and have won eight of the last nine encounters.
The win also wrapped up the outright OCC championship, the first undisputed crown Senior High has claimed since the 2013 team completed a perfect regular season.
Bradley’s bunch will return to Arlin Field for a first-round playoff game next week, with the foe to be officially announced by the OHSAAA on Sunday.
The dreary, drizzling conditions did nothing to dampen the mood, nor Mansfield Senior’s march to the crown.
Quarterback Duke Reese led that march. The lanky senior enjoyed a big night, completing 8-of-11 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns.
The 6-foot-4 senior signal-caller got his team off on the right foot with his left arm — finding Nate Dismuke for a 62-yard touchdown pass with 3:17 remaining in the first period. Quinten DeBolt’s PAT made it 7-0.
Madison failed to field the ensuing kickoff and Senior High recovered it at the 4. Just eight seconds later, Jamir Petty’s 4-yard TD blast and the extra point pushed the margin to 14-0.
With just seven seconds left in the half, Reese connected with Ja’ontay O’Bryant for a 65-yard scoring bomb to open a 20-0 bulge at intermission.
Sophomore defensive back DaJohn Corbin scooped up a Madison fumble and rolled 15 yards for a touchdown to push the margin to 27-0 with 5:25 showing in the third quarter.
In the final frame, Reese and Dismuke hooked up again for a 13-yard scoring strike with 11:14 showing to open the gap to 34-0 and start the running clock.
Dismuke finished with six catches for 137 yards and a pair of scores. Reese added 53 yards on eight carries, while Petty had 52 yards on 10 attempts.
Senior High enjoyed a statistical advantage across the board in first downs (12-9), rushing yards (135-122), passing yards (202-8) and total yards (337-130).
Madison’s Kaleb Gordon gained 64 yards on 18 carries, while teammate Khris Adkins-Tolbert chipped 53 yards on 15 runs.
The Rams fell to 1-9, 1-6, and haven’t won at Arlin Field since a 27-21 decision in 2011. Madison’s last win in the series came after a 13-7 verdict in 2020 at Ram Field.