MANSFIELD — Mansfield is definitely for real, but it takes a surreal effort to take down Charleston.
No. 1 Charleston trailed at halftime for the first time this season but was unstoppable over the final two quarters Friday night, rallying for a 41-21 victory. Charleston (4-0, 1-0 1-3A) scored touchdowns on all four of its second-half possessions to extend its winning streak to 18 consecutive games.
No. 4 Mansfield (2-2, 0-1) took a 14-13 lead into the locker room when Gunner Black hauled in a 38-yard pass from Evan Smith with 13 seconds left in the first half.
"We think we're a contender for a state championship," Mansfield Coach Jason Gill said. "You take out mistakes and we're right there with them."
After taking the secondhalf kickoff, Charleston junior Ryan McDonald broke free for a 39-yard run on the half's second play from scrimmage. Five plays later, quarterback Derrick Haney scored on a 1-yard sneak, putting Charleston up 19-14.
Charleston stopped Mansfield on three plays, then needed just three plays to drive 46 yards for another touchdown. McDonald scored on a 21-yard run, and a two-point conversion made it 27-14.
Mansfield got its only second-half points when Garrett Sutton ran a kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown, but Charleston pushed the lead back to two touchdowns before the third quarter ended. This time, the touchdown came on a 13-yard reception by Zach White, and another two-point conversion gave Charleston a 35-21 lead.
A promising Mansfield drive ended when Robby Raggio recovered a Casey Polk fumble with 9:10 remaining, and Charleston sealed the victory on a late 8-yard touchdown reception by Michael Meador.
McDonald had 19 carries for 155 yards. Nearly all that came in the second half when he gained 132 yards on 15 carries. Charleston was 6 of 6 passing in the second half for78 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"I love my seniors to death. They've got guts," Charleston Coach Dough Loughridge said. "I get a little nervous, but in the back of my mind [I think], 'These guys are going to raise up,' and they always do.
"We did some stupid things tonight, and we corrected it. We've got a lot of things to work on on Monday."
On Charleston's third play from scrimmage, Meador scored on a 39-yard run. Mansfield answered with a 5-yard touchdown run by Polk, tying it at 7 late in the first quarter.
Charleston took a 13-7 lead when McDonald scored on a 10-yard run just over a minute into the second quarter.
Sports, Pages 27 on 09/26/2009