Northern Tier Sports ReportMANSFIELD — Mansfield led 14-0 in the second quarter against Army on Saturday but the Black Knights rattled off 21 unanswered to pick up the 21-14 win during CSFL action.
The two teams came in undefeated in divisional action with the winner in the driver’s seat for the title.
MU’s Weston Bellows, a Canton graduate, had a strong day on the ground with 120-yards and both scores, while Troy graduate Jackson Taylor set a school record with 19 tackles.
The Mounties opened the game with a 21-play, 74-yard scoring drive that took 14:46 off the clock. It ended on a 2-yard punch by Bellows on fourth down, with Nolan Zone adding the point after for the 7-0 lead.
After MU senior and Edison grad Noah Bennett fell on a Black Knight fumble Bellows capped off a 10-play, 61-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown run. Zona’s kick made it 14-0 with 6:03 left in the half.
Army cut it to 14-7 off a Gabriel Bolivar 2-yard run just before the half, then they tied it up midway through the third quarter as Marek Arbogast caught a 78-yard pass from Kyle West.
Early in the fourth Kyle West punched one in on 4th-and-1 for the 21-14 final.
Bennett finished with nine tackles and an interception, while Troy grad Jack Burbage had seven tackles.
Athens graduate Matt Machmer had four tackles and a forced fumble, Troy graduate Joseph Frye had three tackles, and Troy grad Justice Chimics along with Canton graduate Ben Fitch and Sayre grad Kaden Bennett had two tackles apiece.
Former NTL athletes aren’t just on the field, they’re on the sidelines, too. Former Canton coach Greg Bellows is an assistant with Mansfield, while former Towanda head coach Craig Dawsey is the wide receivers coach for Army.
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING