Battle of unbeatens

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001 | 10:29 a.m.

While most Desert Pines players look back fondly on their school's breakout 2000 football campaign, Jamar Barnes prefers not to think about last year.

That's because while the Jaguars were undergoing a transformation from a winless first-year program to a legitimate playoff contender, Barnes was forced to watch from the stands.

Nursing a knee injury and academically ineligible, Barnes missed out on his first season at the school after transferring from Cimarron-Memorial.

"I've played football since I was six years old, and that was the first year I missed," Barnes said. "I came to all the games and wished I could be out there."

One year later, Barnes is not only out there, but he is a key reason the Jaguars are 3-0, ranked No. 2 in the Sun's statewide poll and a top choice to represent the Sunrise Region in this year's 4A State Tournament.

Desert Pines' lone two-way starter, the 6-1, 185-pounder has made big plays in all three of the team's wins thus far, from his outside linebacker position, in his versatile role as the Jags' H-back and even as a kickoff returner.

"He played basketball and ran track last year, so we knew what kind of athlete we had," Jaguars coach Gary Findley said. "At UNLV camp last summer we got our first good look at him, and that confirmed what we already knew.

"He's got all the tools -- size, strength, speed, pure athleticism. He's a well-rounded athlete with the ability to play a number of positions."

Barnes already has three touchdowns to his credit -- one each via the run, catch and return. Friday night, he will continue to be a focal point when Desert Pines visits No. 6 Durango in a battle of 3-0 powers.

The matchup promises to be a clash of styles. Durango, which averages 6-3, 275 pounds across its offensive front five, makes no secret of its desire to pound the ball on the ground via tailback Corey McCants. The Jaguars, meanwhile, have relied on the quickness and athleticism of players such as running back Cornell Johnson, receiver Steve Dyson and Barnes in a varied offensive scheme.

"They play smashmouth football. You know exactly what they're going to do," Findley said. "They just say, 'Stop us,' and no one has yet. Physically, man to man, we don't match up."

Offered Trailblazers coach John Mausbach: "People know what we're all about, but you've got to be able to stop us. On the other side of the ball, we'll have to have people in the right place to stop them, because they have an explosive offense with great athletes and they're well coached."

The task of taking on Durango's behemoth offensive line and trying to stop McCants will fall largely on a young Jaguar defensive front four that has earned high praise from Findley thus far: juniors Curtis Coker, Tye Irick and Jermaine Kennedy and sophomore Robert Travers.

"I feel like we're very ready," Coker said. "We're all solid, strong people."

And, Barnes points out, the Jaguars may have the formula to offset the Blazers' size advantage.

"Durango has some big guys, and they've been wearing teams down," Barnes said. "But we have so much speed, and speed kills."