MANSFIELD — Christian Haney is the handyman of the Mansfield Senior football team. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior does everything but carry a tool belt for the Tygers.
He’s a long snapper, short snapper, receiver, pass-rushing specialist and playmaker. Coach Chioke Bradley’s squad unleashed all of those skills in a dizzying, first-half spree on Friday night to escape a pesky Sandusky Perkins’ outfit 39-6.
“Christian is a multi-talented kid,” Bradley said. “He does a great job rushing the passer off the edge. He catches a lot of balls for us, and his best thing is probably as a long-snapper.”
Senior High broke away from a scoreless duel early in the second quarter after Haney’s pass rush forced a Perkins incompletion on a 4th-and-five play. On the very next snap, Haney hauled in a 15-yard pass to spark the Tygers’ on a 55-yard drive. It culminated in Haney’s short snap as part of a 23-yard field goal by sophomore Angelo Grose with 9:18 remaining in the half.
Moments, Haney burst off the edge and sacked Perkins quarterback Isaac Grude to move Mansfield Senior on top 5-0.
On the ensuing free kick, Haney returned the boot 58 yards for a touchdown to give the Tygers an 11-0 margin with 7:47 showing in the half.
“We ran a wedge and I had a punt to the left,” Haney said. “I saw a seam to the left and just hit it.”
To that point Perkins (0-2) played the Tygers (2-0) toe-to-toe.
“I’m very energetic,” Haney said. “I like to get my teammates hyped up.”
In the second half, Jornell Manns asserted himself. The Minnesota commitment ripped off a 41-yard TD run and snagged a 13-yard touchdown pass from Sid Caudill for a 23-0 bulge heading to the final period.
Perkins averted the shutout on Isaac Grude’s 8-yard shovel pass to Simeon Hunter with 10:05 remaining.
But on Senior High’s next offensive play from scrimmage, sophomore Terrance Flickinger burst through the line and squirted 58 yards for an answering score. Manns finished it with a 9-yard TD burst.
Manns collected 120 yards rushing on 14 attempts and two scores. As a receiver he caught two passes for 26 yards and another TD. Haney added three catches for 33 yards. Mansfield Senior racked up 394 yards of total offense, 282 rushing and 112 passing.
Defensively, Perkins managed just 41 yards passing and 195 yards of total offense.
“I thought we did a great job (defensively),” Bradley said. “The defense played lights out.”
The coach promised his team chicken wings if they pitched a shutout, and was thinking of following through anyway because he was so pleased with the effort.
“I’m going to have to do something for them,” he said.
Next week the Tygers travel to Toledo to challenge St. John’s. The Titans are led by linebacker Dallas Gant, an Ohio State commitment.
“That should be a great game,” Bradley said. “That will be a big road test for us.”
