Barabin's back for Marysville

After Marysville's 0-3 start to the 2009 season, the Indians started Golden Empire League play by winning three straight games and were battling Capital Christian for the outright lead in the standings when everything imploded.

"We were tied 14-14 when Michael Barabin broke his leg in the second quarter," Marysville coach Cullen Meyer said.

The coach would call it the "final straw." Marysville would lose their final three games.

That's the value of Barabin, who was an Appeal-Democrat All-Area player as a sophomore and would have earned the title again in 2009 if not for the injury. Without him, the Indians were lost.

"He's is definitely the face of the program and he has been a leader on and off the field," Meyer said. "He's someone who is a great player that kids want to follow."

Barabin, who watched the Indians' final two games wearing a letterman jacket and hopping around on crutches, has been salivating for the Indians' Aug. 27 opener against Foresthill, he said. To keep busy in the winter, he joined the wrestling team, but it doesn't have the same feeling of lowering your shoulder and lighting somebody up, he said.

"I'm not going to hesitate to hit anybody," he said. "If it comes down to an interception or a hit, I want to hit."

Barabin excelled as a 10th grader, rushing for 908 yards and having 50 tackles on defense. This season, Marysville has another sophomore ready to step up. Cole Hannum (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) would have started both ways on varsity as a freshman had he been old enough, Meyer said.

Now that he's 15 years old, Hannum will play running back and defense for the Indians, who have so far been wowed by his abilities.

"He's a big, strong kid and incredibly fast too," Barabin said. "He's a natural athlete and he knows how to play football."