Some are oblivious to the star power northern California can provide. You hear a lot about the SoCal guys, the big money-makers from bigger cities and schools, but it’s time to recognize the talent that comes from this side of the field.
The 2011-2012 high school football season of the East Bay Athletic League provides a glimpse of one such future star-studded athlete in De La Salle linebacker Michael Barton, who committed to the University of California Golden Bears last May.
He stands at 6’1” and weighs 210 lbs., and has produced numbers beyond that of a high school athlete, which is why he will make a difference to his newly committed college.
A cog in the wheel who kept the EBAL varsity squad consistently ranked No.1 by the CBSSports Max Preps writers in 2011, Barton led the league in average tackles per game at 7.4 last season as well as ranking second in the North Coast Section. He led his team with 103 total tackles on the season as well as a blocked punt. The Spartans played the Westlake Warriors in a northern/southern California battle for the state championship, where the fourth-ranked Warriors would submit in a shutout loss to the Spartans by a score of 35-0. Looking at the box score of this game, you can’t help to point out the defensive stats starring Michael Barton.
Just a few of his accolades are winning the San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro Team and Player of the Year Award. He was voted 19th best high school senior linebacker by ESPN and voted as a second-team All-American. Bay Area Newsgroup voted him defensive MVP. Let us also mention three-time open division state champion. Last but not least, Barton was invited to play in the 2011 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, where 100 of the nation’s elite football players played an East vs. West game to get a chance to play against the other elite players of their class.
One could go compare some shocking similarities in Barton’s stats to that of No.9 overall 2012 NFL draft pick and Carolina Panther Luke Kuechly. Dig into Kuechly and Barton’s numbers for the combine events and you will be blown out of your seat. As a high school senior, Barton posted a 4.59 40-yard dash, Kuechly a 4.58. Barton has a 34-inch vertical jump to Kuechly’s 38. These staggering numbers show Barton is already comparable to a college senior and hasn’t even played one snap in the NCAA.
He is fast, reads plays well, has explosive speed and closes the gap between himself and the ball carrier quickly.
“He definitely has his head on straight,” De La Salle defensive coordinator Terry Eidson said to the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s conscientious. He’s dependable. He’s well beyond his years.”
“He’s the best leader I’ve ever been around,” De La Salle senior quarterback Bart Houston said. “He’s a great Spartan in every sense.”
Keep an eye out Cal Bears football fans, Barton is in the house.
