Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

NORTH LIBERTY – With his combination of size, speed and overall athletic ability Christian Barney could excel in just about any sport he chose.

From a young age there was always one sport that Barney preferred to the others – football.

“Football has always been at the top of the list,” Barney said. “It’s always been my favorite.”

Why football?

“I just like hitting people,” Barney said with a smile.

That explanation is Barney in a nut shell.

The soft-spoken Liberty High senior linebacker is polite and smart off the field and a fierce hitter between the white lines.

He just isn’t a big talker.

“He doesn’t have a lot to say,” Liberty High coach James Harris said. “That just isn’t his style.”

When Barney does talk he says plenty.

His statement about enjoying hitting has proven to be 100 percent accurate as the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Barney showed his penchant for punishing ball carriers last season.

In his first season at Liberty High Barney ranked in the top three on the team in total tackles, solo stops, sacks and tackles for loss.

“I just had a lot of good teammates that brought me in,” Barney said. “They included me right away and it was really easy.”

arney emerged as a two-way difference maker for the Lightning in his debut season making a major impact on both offense and defense.

On defense Barney was a menace making 57.5 tackles including 7.5 and a team-high 2.5 sacks.

In addition to his reputation as a thumper that likes to hit Barney showed a nose for the ball.

He recovered two fumbles and picked off a pass last season as Liberty High went 3-6.

“A lot is just knowing how to read the plays and get downhill quick is important,” Barney said. “Then just being able to hit.”

Barney was just as good on offense where he ranked on the top three on the team in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns and yards per reception.

A versatile receiving option, Barney caught 15 passes for 290 yards and a team-high three scores last season while averaging a team-best 19.3 yards per reception.

“He’s a really good kid, he’s a hard-working kid, he’s super talented,” Harris said. “He was our team MVP last year as a junior and that’s the first time that has every happened on any time I’ve been on. We are just thrilled to have him back.”

The athleticism of Barney was on display this winter as a starter on the Liberty High basketball team.

Outside of basketball Barney spent the offseason working on refining his football skills.

Along with work in the weight room Barney focused on film to help with his knowledge at linebacker and stressed footwork for his offensive role.

“I tried to work on my eyes and knowing what to read at linebacker,” Barney said. “I worked on my foot work a lot for receiver.”

A stronger, faster and more comfortable Barney is a scary proposition for opponents.

Considering that Barney put up his stellar junior season in his first year at Liberty High an bigger year as a senior is certainly the expectation.

“Defensively he runs to the ball we just have to keep working on discipline and fits and technique, he is a worker and he has that tools and he just has that it factor as a football player,” Harris said. “Offensively he just has great hands. He just squeezes the ball.”

For Barney the goal is to win.

Liberty High won three of its final four last season after an 0-5 start but Barney says time together in the offseason has produced a more cohesive unit in 2022.

“It feels a lot different,” Barney said. “I think we are at a much better point now than we were even at the end of last season. “I think we came together as a team more and we realized what everyone could do and all their strengths.”

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