2008 EasternPAFootball.com Small School Player of the Year:
Written by: David Mika on Thursday, January 1st, 2009. Follow David Mika on Twitter.
Zach Barket, Senior RB, Schuylkill Haven High School
The progression, in terms of season rushing totals for Zach Barket, is remarkable. After gaining over 400 rushing yards as a freshman, Barket surged over 1,200 yards as a sophomore, and then to 2,518 yards as a junior. But it is Barket’s senior year that will be the one that’s most remembered in the Commonwealth – 4,187 rushing yards and 65 rushing touchdowns. Barket became the third Pennsylvania running back to surpass 8,000 career rushing yards, and ranks third in state history in that category. He owns the state single-season records for most rushing touchdowns, most points scored, and season rushing yardage. What’s even better – Barket can lay claim to being the main cog in a Hurricane offense that became the highest-scoring District 11 team ever, as Haven raced to an impressive season total of 674 points scored, the ninth best single-season total in state history.
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January 19th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
haven pride, I never said that Jordan Hill is a better player, although I believe that he is. All I said was that I thought he could have shared the award for player of the year with Zach. His speciality was defense so of course Zach is going to have better looking numbers but when they met head to head, Jordan dominated the game. This is nothing against Zach because I think he deserves what he has gotten including the player of the year awards. As I said in my earlier post, I wish him well at Lehigh as I hope you wish Jordan well at Penn State. I think they will both do well.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
jack read this article https://www.easternpafootball.com/news/zach-barket-schuylkill-haven-pennsylvania-running-back-do-you-know-this-kid/
then come back here and tell me that jordan hill is a better player again.
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:56 pm
I have to believe Zach is a great athlete and running back. When playing for a small school we will always be a bit suspcious as to how good they really are based on the fact that many kids who throw up great numbers in high school do not transition most of the time to big time college. Nonetheless, he is still a great high shcool ball player.
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Steel-High’s Jordan Hill was the best player I saw last year. He had 19 tackles in the Haven game alone. He dominated and led his team to a state title. Barket had a great season and I wish him well in college but Hill just dominated. Maybe it should have been like the AP and gave it to both.
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I would have loved to see Zach play, if he were on a team like Bayard Rustin or North Penn and Liberty.
He would have had an astonishing seaon plus a state title. Those teams had to use all of their players to win football games. He may have more than 4000 yards rushing if he did.
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:52 am
Football is a team game. All the players and coaches could not close the deal.
Haven – GREAT year. What you players did bringing football excitement back to this community will never be forgotten.
Zach – as you always say “this is not a one man show”.
I am proud of all that contributed to a great season in 2008.
January 1st, 2009 at 7:34 pm
i couldn’t agree with this anymore, he clearly had the best season of any back ever in pa, he just couldn’t close the deal
January 1st, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I think Zack Barket is a great running back and what he did this past season was remarkable.
However, I just keep thinking in my mind. All of thses reacords he broke this year and when it came to the biggest test. The one man Team came up short. The competion in the coal region must me lacking this past year to be able to achieve so much and not go to the state championship…its got to hurt.