The Mendenhall Tigers continued their strong start to the season last Friday with a convincing 28-9 home victory over the Florence Eagles. The win improved the Tigers to 3-1 on the season while Florence dropped to 1-3. Mendenhall jumped out early and never looked back, building a steady lead with a balanced offensive attack and a defense that shut down the Eagles until late in the game. Florence managed a late push, but the Tigers’ control of both lines of scrimmage sealed the outcome.
The Tigers’ offense was powered by a dominant ground game. Junior running back Jeremy Butts rushed for 119 yards on just nine carries, averaging more than 13 yards per attempt, and scored once. Fellow junior Jatavius Page was equally explosive, totaling 124 yards on 10 carries with two rushing touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Ty Davis managed the passing game efficiently, completing 9 of 14 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception. Senior receiver Henry Funchess contributed with two catches for 34 yards, while junior Zimir Posey hauled in four receptions for 42 yards.
Mendenhall’s defense played just as big a role in the win, stifling Florence with pressure and disrupting their offense. The Tigers recorded six sacks, with Antonio Wilson and Jazden Brown combining for four of them. Their secondary was just as opportunistic providing blanket coverage with 4 pass defenses. Parker Woodard led the way with two pass deflections while Jeremy Butts and Tecori Rhodes each added one. Sophomore linebacker C.J. Brown anchored the defense with 13 tackles, while Eddie Weathersby and Josiah Nutall made key contributions in run support.
The victory gave Mendenhall its third straight win and highlighted the formula that has carried them so far—an explosive running game paired with a disruptive, turnover-hungry defense. The Tigers look poised to continue their momentum into the heart of the season as one of the top teams in their district. The Tigers will be on the road this Thursday to face the Callaway Chargers.
