‘FOOTBALL’S MY PASSION’
Drew Barsich, son of Region’s former career rushing leader, wants to make a name for himself at Highland
Highland’s Drew Barsich has an unusual perspective for his age.
It includes his view of his father, Mike, a former star running back and 1994 Whiting graduate.
Mike Barsich was Northwest Indiana’s career rushing leader with 5,062 yards until Lowell’s Brandon Grubbe finished with 5,923 in 1999. Mike Barsich was fourth in the state with 2,239 yards in 1992 and was second with 2,211 in 1993, when he led the Oilers to the program’s first sectional title. He was an all-state selection both seasons and a North All-Star as a senior.
“I love that guy,” Drew Barsich said. “I always hear stories about him and how he was in high school. I don’t want to live in his shadow. I want to make a name for myself. Obviously, with all the accolades he had, I want to do that too. I want to be just like him. But at the same time, I want to make a mark with my name, not just the last name.
“He’s always told me, ‘Always be you. Always be true to yourself.’ Because if you’re trying to be someone you’re not, you’re just going to be that one fake person that no one likes.”
Highland coach Pete Koulianos has certainly liked the contributions that Barsich, a senior running back and defensive lineman, has made to the program throughout his career.
“He’s one of the hardest workers on the team,” Koulianos said. “He shows up day in and day out — first one in, last one out. He’s probably our strongest kid in the weight room. He’s everything you’d hope the younger kids would develop into.”
Barsich has rushed for 197 yards and six touchdowns, which ranks second on the team, on 29 carries this season. He said he would like to have the ball in his hands more. But the backfield also includes Leo Luviano and quarterback Nick Steele, the team’s leading rusher and a capable passer.
Barsich also is valuable on defense. He primarily plays tackle but gets some snaps at end.
“He plays a really big role on the defensive line,” Koulianos said. “When it comes to us having to decide whether he gets rest on offense or defense, he typically gets his rest on offense.
“He provides a lot of intangible things for us too. He’s our best blocking back. He’s our best pass threat out of the backfield. He has really good hands, fast, physical. Same thing on the defensive line — he’s definitely the leader on the defensive line.”
Barsich, a second-team all-conference selection as a junior, has 21 tackles and one sack this season.
“Stats are nice and everything, and I want to get noticed by schools,” Barsich said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a team sport, so I can’t really say, ‘Oh, I wish this would happen for me.’ There’s no ‘I’ in team, and I really believe in that.
“Whatever the coaches have planned for the week, if I’m not involved in every single thing, I might be a little upset. But it’s about the team and not just me. When the scoreboard says the Trojans are winning, that’s all I care about.”
That approach came to the forefront last season. To fill a void, Barsich shifted to the offensive line, starting at left guard. He bulked up to 235 pounds on his 5-foot-8 frame before getting back down to 190 this season.
“When the coaches mentioned it over that summer, I thought they were joking at first,” Barsich said. “But we didn’t really have a lot of people that fit what we needed, and they know who I am and that whatever the team needs, I can get it done.”
Barsich, a sprinter on the track team who also wrestled as a freshman, started on defense as a sophomore.
“I bounced around from inside linebacker to outside linebacker, then to defensive line,” he said. “That’s really where I fell in love with that position. I just hit people. When you’re a linebacker, you have to read so many things. But when you’re a defensive lineman, it’s just find the ball and hit the dude.”
Because of a sprained left ankle, Barsich missed a 35-14 Northwest Crossroads Conference loss against Lowell, Highland’s opponent in a Class 4A sectional opener on Friday. He suffered the injury against Andrean on Sept. 17 and tweaked it attempting to play the following week against Munster.
He has continued to improve in the two weeks since returning, including a 27-13 win at Kankakee Valley in the regular-season finale, and aims to help the Trojans (4-5, 2-3) spring an upset against the Red Devils (6-3, 4-1).
Highland — which last won a sectional title in 1987, when it reached the Class 5A state final — has lost 23 straight games to Lowell. That streak includes four sectional games. Highland’s last win came during the 2002 regular season.
“It’s going to be a fun night,” Barsich said. “It’s Lowell. They’re always a good team . ... It’s going to be fun to see how that all pans out. With our athletes and everything, with everyone who’s stepped up, it’s going to be a dogfight.”
Barsich hopes this season isn’t the end of his playing career.
“I love football,” he said. “It’s my thing. I tell my parents, ‘Even if it’s a JUCO, I’m going to take that.’ Football’s my passion.”