As part of the school’s lineup of themed football games, Mansfield High School will host its Blackout football game Friday against Mansfield Summit High School.
“I am always optimistic each week. We don’t work for hours on end with the intention of losing any game,” head football coach Gregory George said. “My coaches and players hear this every year: don’t step foot in the fieldhouse if you don’t expect to win.”
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) classifies Summit as a “5A” school because its student population falls between 1,315 to 2,274 students. Although Mansfield is a “6A” school and typically only competes with other 6A schools, they make an exception each year for its Blackout rivalry game against Summit.
“Mansfield was the original high school, and Summit was the original in-town rival,” George said. “Unless our enrollment gap widens dramatically, I don’t know that we could ever not play one another.”
Mansfield hosts a pep rally during advisory on the day of the Blackout football game every year. Along with Pink Out and Homecoming, Blackout is one of three football games in the season that will have a pep rally. With the addition of a fourth lunch last school year, the schedule was modified so that the pep rally schedule aligns more similarly to the normal one. This prevents a significant loss of both class and lunch time.
“I think the Blackout game has a lot of potential to attract more students that wouldn’t normally go to a football game,” freshman Charles Webster said. “With the pep rally, it makes it more of a student event than just another football game.”
Starting this year, Mansfield ISD is implementing a new bag policy for all of its after-school sporting events. Clear tote bags, plastic zip top bags, small purses, seat cushions and medical items may be brought to all events. However, items such as backpacks, flags, oversized items and noise makers are all prohibited. Along with this, the district is enforcing a “no re-entry” policy during every game.
“Some things like drugs and large items make sense for the most part,” senior Ryan Le said. “But other things like noise makers and banners feel kind of weird to ban since those usually support the school.”
In the last 10 years of rivalry games against Summit, Mansfield has won six of them. Notable wins include a 57-7 score in 2022 and a 26-6 score in 2016. However, Mansfield’s victories against Summit are not guaranteed, as MHS has lost to Summit as recently as 2021.
“We try to take each week as it comes, one day at a time. This is a non-district game, so it doesn’t really impact our district standings,” George said. “However, it does impact the bragging rights of Mansfield ISD.”
Tickets may be purchased at the following link. Prices vary from $3 for students to $5 for adults. Gates at Newsom Stadium will open at 6 p.m. and the game will start at 7 p.m. Students must bring their school ID to gain entry.
“There are always surprises at the beginning of the season, and we are still trying to figure out who we are,” George said. “I expect to win, to compete for a district championship and compete for a state championship.”
