Unlike Parcells, Mansfield High's Mike Redding doesn't mind doing it the opposite way.

"It kind of works a little backwards for us," Redding said Saturday after his Hornets pinned a 32-6 Hockomock League whipping on Oliver Ames High at Memorial Park.

"You really want to establish the run and then go to the play-action, but today we got the passing game going and they were forced to widen things out," he said. Hornets' QB Fred Vallett, seeing his team was going no-where on the ground in its first possession against the previously unbeaten-in-league Tigers, hooked up with wide receiver Warren Bacon for three receptions of 31, 13 and 5 yards to bring Mansfield, (5-1, 4-0) to the OA 27.

That opened the running lanes a little, but Vallett (8-for-13, 136 yards) opened them even wider by calling his own number for gains of six, five and nine yards. Finally, the senior quarterback threw a nifty bootleg-right; pass- left completion in the end zone to Vinnie Hollins on fourth-and-goal from the 3, and ran the ball in himself for an 8-0 lead.

It was a masterful, 16-play, 73- yard march that consumed 7:36 and set the tone for Mansfield's offense for the rest of the day. Redding said. "They've got pretty good people up front, but it's pretty tough to cover Bacon and (tight end Kerry) Taylor one-on-one with their height and speed. We had to go with what they were giving us."

While the Hornets' offense was hitting on all cylinders, the defense was one of Redding's biggest concerns at the start. After having the barn doors blown off a week earlier by Attleboro, Redding feared the worst. On the Tigers' first drive when big full- back Paul Gioioso (16 carries, 91 yards) ripped off three long gains, including a 20-yard TD run two plays into the second quarter to bring Ames within two points.

"Early on, we were a little soft on defense," Redding said. "Our pursuit angles weren't very good, we had too many guys at the point of attack and their kids broke some tackles and broke outside."

But as quickly as Ames struck back, the game's fortunes turned against them. Quarterback Craig Paris, rolling right on the conversion play, threw the ball right into the numbers of Mansfield's David Sullivan, and the Hornet captain had a clear 99 yard path to the end zone to put two points on the board for the home team.

"That was big because instead of a tie game, we were up four," Redding said. "Then we came back and scored again, and suddenly it's a three-touchdown-to-one game. Emotionally, it made a big difference."

The Hornets took that big lift and drove 83 yards on nine plays to take an 18-6 lead. Vallett had a 30-yard gain on the march, and threw a pair of passes to Taylor, a 21-yarder and a beautiful 18-yarder on play-action for the score with 7:20 left in the half. Vallett also found Hollins with a screen pass for the conversion.

Mansfield 36 King Philip 14

Hornets grab share of Hockomock title

The Hornets have never been at a loss for offensive production this season. And Friday night was no exception, as Mansfield High's football team amassed 363 yards of offense, marching right over the Franklin Panthers, 36-7, at Memorial Park and clinching a share of the Hockomock league title.

Sophomore tailback Vinny Hollins ran for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and QB Fred Vallett threw for two more, as Mansfield scored on five of its first six possessions to open up a 36-0 lead after three quarters.

It was a contest very much worthy of two Super Bowl teams. The 8-1 Hornets, as winners of the Hockomock League, will play Bishop Feehan in the Division 3B bowl. Falmouth (7-2) must either beat or tie Barnstable on Thanksgiving Day to clinch the Old Colony League title.

There were over 700 yards of offense and seven drives of 55 yards or more for touchdowns. It was the kind of game where you knew whoever had the ball last would win.

As symbolic as could be, there was Vallett kneeling down on the Clipper 11 as time ran out. Vallett had directed and starred in the Hornets' final, game-saving, drive after Falmouth had tried an on- side kick after scoring with 3:24 left to close the gap to four.

Senior fullback Robert Smith picked up one important first down with a 10-yard run up the n-dddle. Then, facing a third-and- 10 from the Falmouth 39, Vallett hit senior tight end Kerry Taylor (four receptions, 68 yards) over the middle for a 15-yard gain.

After the Clippers held on a third-and-one play, Hornet coach Mike Redding elected to go for it on fourth down with 1: 38 to play. Vallett came through again, scampering for nine yards to secure the win.

"This, was a great, great foot- ball game between two very good teams," said Redding. "Freddy's been unbelievable for us all season running and throwing the ball. Perhaps Vallett turned in the biggest play of the game as time expired in the first half. Mansfield had just retaken the lead 18-14 and forced Falmouth to punt. A 20-yard boot by Falmouth gave Mansfield the ball on their own 47 with 43 seconds left.

On fourth-and-four from the Falmouth 47, sophomore tailback Vincent Hollins picked up just enough to keep the drive alive. With just nine seconds left Redding called for a Hail Mary pass into the end zone, but Vallett, pressured out of the pocket took off up the sideline, picked up a couple big blocks and scored as time expired. The conversion pass failed, but the Hornets led 24-14 at intermission.

"That play was huge because it gave us more than a one touch- down lead. You knew a one- touchdown lead wasn't going to last," said Redding. "It's funny because we were all yelling for Freddy to get out of bounds, but he spotted a lane and took off."

In the 64th meeting between the Hornets and Foxboro Warriors, Mansfield scored 20 fourth-quarter points to complete its Hockomock league season unbeaten with a 28-12 Thanksgiving Day victory.

Senior Robert Smith keyed a scaled-down Hornet offense, rushing for 182 yards, 105 in the second half, on 18 carries and scoring three touchdowns.

With the league championship already sewn up and a date with unbeaten Bishop Feehan on tap next Saturday in the Division 3B Super Bowl, the Hornets, now 9-1 check, including holding league offensive MVP, senior quarter- back Freddy Vallett, to just 105 yards passing and stopping Mansfield four times inside the 30, while the Warrior offense did just enough to earn a 12-6 lead on the strength of a 27-yard touchdown run by Tony Porazzo 2:35 into the third quarter.

But instead of celebrating the hard-to-come-by score, the Warriors were left with mouths agar as Mansfield's Kerry Taylor stripped the ball from quarterback Chris Warnat on the two-point conversion attempt and rumbled 80 yards for a two-point safety return was that big in terms of points, but it was big in terms of momentum.

It kind of stopped their momentum after the touchdown," said Mansfield coach Mike Redding, who is leading his team into the Super Bowl for the third time in seven years.