H.S. football: Colin Baker, Markus Barnett building something special for Neshaminy
MIDDLETOWN — Colin Baker is finally getting a chance to lead the Neshaminy football team.
The freshman team’s season was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus, and Baker was the backup varsity quarterback last year.
This year, as a junior, he’s starting. On Friday night, Baker ran for a touchdown and threw for 121 yards as Neshaminy topped Abington, 26-0, in its home opener.
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Neshaminy (3-2 overall, 1-1 Suburban One League National Conference) already has more wins than it did in 2021, when it went an uncharacteristic 2-8.
“It was a tough season, but we didn’t give up. We were in every game until the end,” Baker said. “We had a great offseason and knew we could turn it around and have something special this year. We’re good enough to be in the playoffs. That’s our goal.”
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Baker hands off to a special running back, Markus Barnett, who rushed for 96 yards and three touchdowns vs. Abington. Barnett already has rushed for more than 700 yards and nine touchdowns.
“He’s great,” Baker said. “We’ve been friends since we were little. We feed him the ball, and he opens up the passing game.”
Baker, who has thrown for more than 600 yards, is also happy with the rest of his offense, which includes an improved line, tight ends Joey Zack and Nick Buchys and wide receiver Ashton Lovelace, an Archbishop Wood transfer. The quarterback was bummed to see another good receiver, John Morris, go down with an injury early in the game.
Neshaminy head coach Steve Wilmot, who was inducted into the Neshaminy Football Hall of Fame at halftime, likes having Baker behind center.
“He takes care of the ball. That’s all I want from our quarterback,” Wilmot said. “When we ask him to convert on third down, he makes the right throw.”
Three things we’ve learned:
1. Neshaminy has a tough defense. Travis Lavelah and Collin Giambrone had interceptions, and Joel Bonner, Colton Clee, Joey Zack and Demacio Cooper were among those who made big plays.
2. Neshaminy home football games are an experience. The program honored first responders and inducted the newest members of its Hall of Fame. The home stands were packed, and there were traffic jams entering and leaving the stadium.
3. Abington (2-3, 0-2 SOL) didn’t show it on Friday, but the Ghosts have the potential to put points on the board, as evidenced by routs in their two victories. Joshua Young and Ryan Smith each managed four catches against Neshaminy.
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Game balls:
• Neshaminy senior running back Markus Barnett carried 22 times for 96 yards and three touchdowns. His scores, all in the second half, were from 3, 1 and 4 yards.
• Neshaminy junior quarterback Colin Baker ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was his only carry of the game. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 121 yards.
• Neshaminy senior tight end/defensive lineman Joey Zack had two catches for 12 yards and is part of a stout defensive line. He had a sack on fourth down on the first play of the second quarter, leading to his team’s first touchdown.
They said it:
Neshaminy head coach Steve Wilmot on running back Markus Barnett and the offensive system: “He runs it really well. He understands it. He usually makes the first guy miss.”
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA High School football: Neshaminy defeats Abington
