Editor’s note…
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional Mansfield Tiger Booster Club Banquet to honor the athletic award winners of the 2019-2020 sports seasons were canceled. To publicize the athletes that won either conference, state, or local awards, this publication is offering a series of articles related to those participants that earned athletic accolades this school year. This article will recognize the Freshmen Rising Stars.
2019-2020 Rising Star Awards:
(contributions by MHS Coaches)
The Rising Star Awards are given to one male and one female freshman that have demonstrated outstanding qualities related to athletic ability, leadership, and character. It’s an award established by the Mansfield coaches as a means to motivate up and coming players to continue the skills and attitude necessary for Tiger athletics. Nominations and a rigorous ranking system established several top tier candidates in this year’s freshmen class. The following athletes finished atop those final tallies to win the Rising Star Awards.
The 2019-2020 Female Rising Star Award:
This year’s female rising star goes to a player that excelled in nearly every possible sport offered at Mansfield. She made contributions to golf, volleyball, basketball, indoor track, outdoor track, softball, and cheer. Along with shuffling practice and athletic competition sometimes within the same seasons, this player also navigated a strong academic course load.
No doubt team accomplishments of all the programs of which she was associated with, benefited from her play. She made high-level athletic contributions. She offered exemplary leadership skills and gave unwavering focus to each task at hand.
These qualities were evident in many of the female players considered for this award. Varied sports participation, contributions to team accomplishments, individual talent level, and leadership skill was a common thread among the many. In fact, a very strong list of worthy players fit exactly this same mode.
With so many worthy candidates, the selection process came down to intangibles. This athlete demonstrated the type of self-confidence, responsibility, and a positive attitude towards practice that gave her the edge.
This year’s Female Freshman Rising star is Natalie Allison.
The 2019-2020 Male Rising Star Award:
This player made an impact player from the moment he started with us in the 7th grade. He has an incredible sports IQ and works and plays hard at a high level. He has started every game that he was physically able to play in football. He played a variety of positions and could be trusted with any task.
In the classroom, he represented himself and his family well. His academics, as well as his athletic abilities, are well above par. Currently ranked first academically in his class, he has proven that you can be a champion in athletics as well as academics. He has been a two-year starter on the junior high boys’ basketball team. A true shooting guard in every sense of the word. He is money from mid-range and has proven to be a clutch player in close games.
As an 8th grader, he knocked down a three-point shot that gave Mansfield the edge in the last seconds of the junior high district basketball tournament semifinal game. He did it again this year as a ninth-grader with a last-second three-pointer against Lincoln. As a freshman, this well-rounded player had to take on the job of point guard for the basketball team and proved his skill as a ball handler. For football, his toughness and skill level stood out. Among a freshmen class of boys that has star power, this player’s combination of athleticism and academic success makes him a clear cut winner.
This year’s Male Freshman Rising Star is Clint Stovall.
