Trojans prep for college life
Hot Springs head coach Darrell Burnett delivered a speech worthy of buckling up the chin straps and going to work as he highlighted two of his skilled football players when they signed their letters of intent to play college football Wednesday.
“In this indoor (facility), every year we gather to celebrate our young men and everyone who helped work to put them in this position,” he said. “We helped them become better men, which is always a win for everyone. I know us coaches get a lot of credit, but it is not about us.”
Kivan Barker signed to Hendrix College, and Zamarion Wilson signed to Arkansas Tech.
“We are teaching them life lessons,” Burnett said. “We make sure they learn and make sure they become young men. That is the hard part, especially the way society is working now. We have teachers that do not miss games. They are there showing their support. We have counselors. I know I get on their nerves, but they make sure our kids are ready for college. These are the people who get forgotten about because they are not on the sidelines. If it was not for those people, these two kids would not be in this situation.”
Hot Springs (7-4, 5-2 5A-South) finished third in the conference standings in the 2022 season.
“It is a whole lot easier to coach young men like them when you have a support system,” Burnett said. “He wears No. 5. Ask anybody, you do not just get to wear No. 5. That was my college number. Barker had to work to get that number.”
Barker ended his defensive career for the Trojans with 92 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two sacks and a touchdown.
“It feels super good; I am glad I can go to Hendrix and play at that next level,” Barker said. “I hope to get some recognition. I want to go to the league. Somehow in my mind I feel like I might make it there. It just feels really great to go to the next level.”
Barker will play linebacker at Hendrix for coach Buck Buchanan.
“Coach wanted me from day one,” Barker said. “He said I was a good player. It is great for me honestly.”
Barker improved tremendously in his time at Hot Springs.
“Let’s be real, Kivan was not a good football player his eighth grade year,” Burnett joked. “We tell this story to all of our kids. He worked hard and trusted the process and if you do that, you will become good. Rewind it back to his sophomore year. He had his first start against Lakeside. Barker did not do good. Instead of putting his head down he worked his butt off.”
Barker carries a 3.78 GPA and was invited to play in the Arkansas-Texas All-Star game.
“Barker is a great kid,” Burnett said. “His grades are great and he has a high GPA. He works his butt off in the classroom and he has great family support.” Hendrix is a Division III institution. “You do not go to Hendrix if you do not have grades; that has never been an issue with Barker,” Burnett said. “He had multiple offers and became All-Conference. He will continue to do good things in the classroom and on the field. Without coach Andrew Love and his family, he would not be the player he is today. Do not come back to Hot Springs unless you have a degree.”
Barker was voted Class 5A All-State in his senior season.
“When I got the call from Hendrix my mom — she was so excited,” Barker said. “It was funny, she was calling everybody in the family. It was great.”
Barker finished second for defensive player of the year in conference voting.
“I will tell you a story about Barker,” Burnett said. “No. 5 did not want to practice one day. He was in a bad mood. He left the field and his momma grabbed him by his ear and sent his butt back on that field. When we have parents like that we are going to win.”
Barker stayed everyday after practice working on footwork, speed and agility.
Barker plans to major in business and then attend law school.
The Trojans gave Wilson the nickname, “Mr. Midnight.”
“Me and Zay are close,” Burnett said. “Ask anyone on the team and staff when he said he wanted to go to college and I said, ‘All right, I am going to make you feel very uncomfortable.’ We got Zay his sophomore year. After practice I knew what he was used to and exactly what he was not used to.”
Wilson dominated the defensive side of the ball with 50 tackles, nine pass breakups and three interceptions.
“It feels great; I had other options but I chose Tech,” Wilson said. “When I visited Tech it felt like home. The coaches talked to me like they knew me. We had a connection, and I instantly fell in love with it.”
Wilson made the 5A-South All-Conference First Team.
“His fourth day of practice my whole goal was to get him up in the bleachers and off that field,” Burnett said. “He was not used to how we do it here. We do not handle the weak ones hard. We go right after these superstars. We make them uncomfortable so the ones behind them know there is a certain standard.”
Offensively, Wilson had 31 rushes for 200 yards and nine touchdowns.
“He has a great mom,” Burnett said. “We had several big Kumbayas in the locker room. She fights for her son to make sure he gets to the next level. She wanted him to get to college. Zay played multiple positions.”
Wilson has the honor of playing in the Arkansas-Texas All-Star game.
“If it was not for the transfer portal, Wilson would be playing FCS football,” Burnett said. “With the portal and all this money, they do not have time to develop a player as much. He is getting a free education and going to a great university. Arkansas Tech is getting a dang good player.”
Wilson’s letter of intent came with a full scholarship to Arkansas Tech. He had offers from Hendrix, Henderson and preferred walk-on offers from several Division I schools.
“Zay worked his butt off,” Burnett said. “Kids do not get used to how we coach unless mom is in his corner. In
this generation it is a whole lot easier to point the finger. I tell everyone we are not changing.”
Wilson is going to college for defense in the secondary but is more of a listed athlete as he has played multiple positions the last three seasons. He is an iron-man player.
“He played everything,” Burnett said. “Zay is a big time football player. His grades are checked off, good kid and a great attitude. We greatly appreciate him.”
Wilson stays three hours after practice every day to work on the intangibles.
“I am being recruited for corner,” Wilson said. “I can play safety and nickel. I can play anywhere on defense. My junior year, college coaches started to come and tune in. I was going to camps.”
Wilson will not be lonely at Arkansas Tech as linebacker Kendrick Martin from Lake Hamilton will be joining him in Russellville.
“That is my guy, we grew up together,” Wilson said. “We used to call him ‘big Shaq.’ He was always taller than everybody. We used to play basketball, track and football together. It is good seeing him commit, and I get to hang out with my childhood friend.”
Hot Springs aims to send its players on to the next step of their life after football.
“Free tuition, that is our mission,” Burnett said. “We want to win football games and get our guys recruited or get our guys in some type of trade school. It is as simple as that.”
Pen went to paper Wednesday as both young men signed on the dotted line for their colleges.
“You do not get guys to come into your program unless you have guys like Wilson and Barker,” Burnett said. “Playing high school ball and signing in front of your friends is the easy part. The goal here is to finish by going to the league or with a piece of paper in your hand.”
Burnett’s Trojans have a bright future with role models like Wilson and Barker helping pave the way.
“We had two here today, we should have one more later on,” Burnett said. “Next year we plan to have eight of them signing. That is the whole goal. If your kid is going to play for us and be in our program, then we are going to fight for them. When I mean fight for them, just ask the parents. These two knot heads right here went through everything and they kept on fighting.”