Thanks Guy: Barka got the most out of football

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories that will be appearing about the unsung heroes who take the football field every week, the guys who coaches couldn’t get by without. At this time of year, it’s time to say “Thanks Guy.”

Football was more than just a sport for Kyle Barka.

It was a way for him to turn his life around.

The Merrimack High School senior had played the sport alongside many of his fellow seniors as a member of the Merrimack Cardinals youth football program. But when he reached eighth grade, Barka gave it up.

“What got me away from it were some bad things,” he said. “I just wanted to stop doing that. It forces you to be good. I wish I didn’t stop playing. It’s just something to do to keep me out of trouble.”

Merrimack coach Joe Battista knew Barka when he drifted away from the game and was more than happy when he decided to back a year ago.

“He went on a little bit of a different path, but we were able to get him back on football,” Battista said. “Football has really helped Kyle turn his life around. He’s got a path setup.

“I’m not talking the NFL or anything like that, but football has put him back on the right path. He’s one of those kids, we like getting those type of kids into the program because it’s more than winning and losing. It’s about getting kids’ lives squared away.”

As a junior, Barka played mostly with the junior varsity, and played just about everywhere. In Barka’s two years with the team, Battista estimates that he’s played just about every position.

But during the early part of last season, things were tough as Barka adjusted to his return to the sport.

“Last year, the first half of the season was difficult,” Barka said. “I liked it again and didn’t want to stop playing. I didn’t want it to end. You don’t want to go to practice but when it’s over …”

His Merrimack teammates were thrilled when they saw him back on the field and were expecting big things from him going into the year.

“We always thought he would (play) because he’d always been a big part of the team,” Merrimack captain Jimmy Bigwood said. “But when he didn’t, we kind of thought if he did, we might be better. He brings a lot of intensity.”

Going into the season, Barka expected to see a lot of playing time at defensive end, and that’s where he started all season. But he also got a bit of a surprise during the preseason, when the coaching staff asked him to try playing wide receiver as well.

Thanks to Barka’s versatility, the move was a success for the Tomahawks.

“He’s a very athletic kid, but in our style of offense, we need a tough kid out there,” Battista said. “We knew he is a good blocker. He could have played a number of positions.”

It was at wide receiver where Barka got the spotlight thrust on him.

Early in the first quarter of a scoreless game at Timberlane, Barka pulled in a pass from quarterback Zach Harris and took it 16 yards to the end zone to put Merrimack on the board. The Tomahawks went on to lose the game, but the catch was what Barka will remember.

“It was little hook and I turned around, got it and got to the end zone,” he said. “After the game, I was like ‘that was sweet.’ I wanted it to happen again, but oh well.”

“It was a big play and was a really nice catch,” Battista said. “It just showed off his athletic ability.”

Football gave Barka a place to channel his energy, and now that it’s done, Battista is hoping to get him involved in power lifting competitions. While he’s proud to see Barka set himself on the right path, Battista knows it’s also a good sign for his program.

“We’re always scouting the hallways for those type of kids,” the coach said. “It’s about helping kids become better people. Kyle Barka came out for football and he was able to turn himself around. He is a role model.”