Mounties fall to Navy in Friday night matchup

The Mansfield Mountaineers sprint football team fell to Navy, 52-25, on Friday, Oct. 30, in the sprint program’s first Friday night home game at Karl Van Norman Field.

Jackson Taylor led the Mountie defense with 16 total tackles and a blocked punt. Jack Burbage added 14 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss and a sack. Caleb Smith also made an impact with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Offensively, Joseph Frye accounted for two touchdowns, throwing a 19-yard score to Jerry Holmes Jr. and adding an eight-yard rushing touchdown. Weston Bellows also found the end zone on a six-yard run. Camryn Harwick led the Mountaineers with 76 receiving yards on two catches. Mansfield finished with 240 yards of total offense, including 156 through the air.

The Mountaineers struck first in the opening quarter when Smith intercepted a Luke O’Connell pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. Nolan Zona converted the extra point to give Mansfield a 7-0 lead. Navy responded with a nine-play, 71-yard drive capped off by an O’Connell touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion to take an 8-7 lead.

Navy extended its lead in the second quarter, capitalizing on two Mansfield turnovers to build a 28-7 advantage. The Mountaineers answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive, highlighted by a 39-yard pass from Bellows to Harwick. Frye capped off the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Holmes Jr. on fourth down. Navy added a field goal as time expired to take a 31-13 lead into halftime.

The Midshipmen added two touchdowns in the third quarter to extend their lead to 45-13 entering the final period.

Mansfield responded in the fourth quarter with a 13-play, 75-yard drive capped off by Bellows’ six-yard touchdown run. On Navy’s ensuing possession, Taylor blocked a punt to give the Mountaineers the ball at the Navy 11-yard line. Two plays later, Frye scored on an eight-yard run to cut the deficit to 45-25 with 8:23 remaining.

Navy added a late touchdown to secure the 52-25 victory.

The loss drop Mansfield to 4-2 on the season.

Mansfield returns to Karl Van Norman Field on Saturday, Nov. 7, to take on St. Thomas Aquinas College. Kickoff is scheduled for noon. The game will serve as the Mounties’ Cancer Awareness Game.

Mounties fall to Navy in Friday night matchup

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