Christmas has come early this year for Freeport’s Quarterback Isaiah Barnes.  He won two major awards this week and both were presented at the Crest Hollow Country Club.
    
At the National Football Foundation Top Scholar-Athlete breakfast on Sunday, Barnes was the co-winner of the Top Scholar-Athlete Award.  Looking like a proud father, Coach Russ Cellan said, “He’s graduating fourth in the class, is president of the National Honor Society and sports a 99.9 GPA.  You can’t ask for more than that.”
    
The life of a scholar-athlete proves to pose a fine balancing act in time management between practices, games, books and tests.  Many times parties and just hanging out with friends can’t be put on the agenda. Isaiah’s parents, Roderick and Karen, are very supportive of their son’s football, basketball and track endeavors but also show great pride in his “natural smarts” and hard work.  They are great fans not only of their son but all Freeport athletes.  They are extremely active in the Freeport Sports Boosters Club and can always be seen selling refreshments, raffles, blankets, etc. to help raise scholarship money for Freeport’s athletes.
    
Isaiah is being recruited by a variety of colleges, including Yale, but the $1,000 scholarship he won from the National Football Foundation goes with him to whatever college is lucky enough to get him.
   
Earlier in the week he was named Nassau’s top quarterback at the Nassau Gridiron Banquet.  The award was given to him by Don Snyder, Farmingdale’s longtime coach, for whom the award is named. Barnes passed for 1,913 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,257 yards and 17 touchdowns even though he was plagued with an ankle injury late in the season.  His most outstanding stats come from his seven-touchdown game against Hicksville in the first-round of the Conference I playoffs. “Isaiah will play in college,” reflects Cellan. “We are just not sure where he will be playing.  His 6’ 3” frame is a real asset in the quarterback position.”
    
Maurice Irby was also honored at the National Football Foundation brunch on Sunday for his outstanding performance and selection as player of the week for week 7 of the season. Small in stature, Irby is a bulldog on the field and plays both offense and defense.  “He is agile, quick, smart and alert on the field,” reflects Cellan. “He makes things happen and he is truly a great player.”
    
Jere Brown, who plays wideout for the Red Devils, won the Jets’ Receiver Award which is given annually to the most outstanding receiver. “Jere makes plays happen and has the uncanny knack of getting to the open spot on the field to make the connection with Isaiah,” commented Cellan.  “He is very deserving of the award and that’s not to minimize the efforts of the Oceanside and MacArthur players up for the same award.  They are very good but Jere has magic in his playing style.”    
    
Barnes, Brown, Evan Lapice and Ken Berryhill were voted to All-County Team Honors and Chris Gutierrez and Errol Small earned All-Conference Honors for their outstanding play on the field. These awards were presented at the Gridiron Dinner as well.  Brown, Lapice, and Berryhill were all featured athletes of the week in The Leader and proved to be instrumental in Freeport’s 9-2 football record for 2011.  Berryhill, Barnes and Gutierrez made the Academic All-County Team.
    
Basketball opens a winner   
Kyhiem Chaplin led the Boys Varsity Red Devils Basketball Team with 24 point and 9 rebounds in a 68-54 win over Wantagh in a non-league contest.  Leondre Simmon added 16 points and 12 assists and Jere Brown scored 12 points.  Freeport was deadly from the 3-point range. Chaplin (4), Barnes and Simmon scored the threes from the outside and Wantagh’s defense was forced to come out on them, which opened up the area under the basket. Coach Bob DeBonis was pleased with the team’s opening performance and balanced scoring effort.
    
Freeport High School’s Fall Sports Awards Dinner was December 5.  Results of the evening’s activities will be included in next week’s column.

By Linda Hendrickson