Kaufman's motor doesn't stop

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins was nursing a 5-point lead at halftime against Glenville last Friday night before sending a strong message to start the second half. Perkins senior defensive end Reagan Kaufman recorded a quarterback sack that cost Glenville 12 yards on the first play of the third quarter. Glenville's quarterbacks might still be seeing number 56 charging at them in their dreams. The Tarblooders gained just 33 yards in the second half as Perkins won 13-11 to advance to Saturday's Division IV state championship game. "The sack I made the first play of the second half, that was a huge shift of energy," Kaufman said. "When you sack the quarterback it breaks down their offense and makes the quarterback question his line. It opens it up for more errors." Kaufman, a third-team All-Ohio selection last year, has what in football parlance is called "a motor." He never gives up on a play, an attitude that has helped him rack up a team-high 11 sacks this season, including 2.5 against Glenville. "He's one of the best defensive linemen in the state of Ohio, there's no question about it," Perkins coach Jalen Santoro said. "He's non-stop, all game. He doesn't wear down." Kaufman also has 99 tackles (third most on the team) and has forced three fumbles. He approaches defense this way: "Nasty, fast, relentless. Defense is about wanting it more. As a defensive end, you have to go, go, go. You have to fight the tackle, fight inside, fight for everything." His dad, Mike, took a similar approach when he played. Mike Kaufman was a fierce linebacker for Sandusky and still holds the school record for most tackles in a season — 225 in 1987. "The game was a little different then," Mike said. "They ran the ball 40 times between the tackles and the linebackers' job was to clean up what was left." Mike, who started in his final two seasons for the Blue Streaks, was inducted into the Sandusky High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. "My dad's been my biggest motivator," Reagan said. "I've wanted to impress him and continue to get respect from him." The Kaufmans study film of every game and go over scouting reports. The former Blue Streak has pointed his young Pirate in the right direction through the years. "He's always pushed me to work out, stay in shape," Reagan said. "He's paid for a lot of stuff for me. I owe him a lot." Mike said his son enjoys the studying aspect of the game. "Reagan's a really hard-working kid. It's never been difficult to motivate him," Mike said. "He's interested in putting in the extra work and learning. He's just a sponge." Kaufman, who is listed at 6-foot and 189 pounds, has tested the limits of his motor this season. When standout offensive lineman Joey Ziegler went down with a knee injury midway through the season, Kaufman was drafted to play right tackle. He also played offensive line for most of last season when Jacob Ziegler, now playing at Morehead State, was injured. "I knew it was my job and I had to embrace it," Kaufman said. "The line welcomed me back warmly." Santoro said the move was a no-brainer for offensive line coaches Zach Coe and Luke Lyden. "Coach Coe made that decision pretty quickly to put Reagan back on the offensive line," Santoro said. "He could play every snap and walk out of the game looking like he's fine. The work he puts in to be in that kind of shape is why he can do that." The heavy work load doesn't bother Kaufman. "It is a lot of snaps, but I'm down the point where I have 48 minutes of playing time left," he said. "I want to be out on the field every single second. No plays off." Reagan's grandfather and Mike's father, Ron, who passed away in 2021, played college football at Kent State and Toledo. Mike played two years for Toledo, so the game is in Reagan's blood. "I've expressed to him that you only have so many football plays in your life," Mike said. "If you take them off, when it's all over you're gonna wish you had one more. I think he's just trying to take advantage of every play that he can." Like all of the Pirates, Kaufman celebrated the win against two-time defending state champion Glenville. There was plenty of trash talk on both sides after last year's win by the Tarblooders, but the tone was different after the most recent meeting. "Last year it was them bashing us. There were phones in the line recording us as we were obviously devastated," Kaufman said. "This year it was actually respect. I got plenty of 'keep going, win it all for us, good job, good game.' They were super nice about it and very respectful." Now the Pirates turn their attention to Indian Valley and Mr. Football candidate Grady Kinsey, who has rushed for more than 3,000 yards this season. "I think it'll be similar to the Edison game (Perkins' only loss)," Kaufman said. "But unlike that game, we have a different D-line. I hope they watch that film because we are a different team. We want their best shot." It shouldn't take long for Kaufman and Kinsey to get acquainted. "You have him on the backside of the play and he's gonna be in full-out pursuit and make a tackle," Santoro said. "He's a very special player and it's been fun to watch him progress the last couple years." Watching the state championship game will be special for all the Perkins parents, maybe more so for Mike, assistant coach Travis Crabtree and a few other dads who coached this year's senior class when they were fourth-graders. "His mother (Sarah) and I couldn't be more proud," Mike said. "It's been an absolute joy to watch him develop, as well as the other kids in his class, the program and the coaching staff. He's been there all the way through it and it's coming full circle now."