Baumann Aims To Upstage Brother In Postseason

Barry Baumann hears his brother calling almost every day.

Sometimes it's at home in Redmond, when Brad Baumann calls by phone from Washington State University, where he's starting his junior year.

Most of the time it's on the Eastside Catholic High football field, where Brad's prep football ghost calls Barry every time Barry takes a handoff in practice.

Barry, I got more yards. . . . Barry, you'll never catch me. . . . 2-8-5, 2-8-5, 2-8-5. . . .

It's enough to make a guy fumble. Or rush for 1,000 yards.

"I'd like to get somewhere near 1,000," said Barry, a junior tailback for the Crusaders. "I know that's a big goal, but I'd like to follow in my brother's footsteps and be the Metro League leading rusher."

Brad, who graduated from Eastside in 1992, won two Metro rushing titles and holds the school records for 285 yards and five touchdowns rushing in a game. He ran for 950 yards in his best season.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Barry wants more.

"That's one of my big goals - an older brother-little brother competition thing," Barry said.

With the graduation of quarterback Ryan Powell, last year's Sound Division offensive player of the year, Barry figures to get more carries this season. Of course, so might Blaine Davidson, the other returning starter in Eastside's backfield.

Baumann should get a jump on Davidson in season rushing. Davidson, who finished fourth in Metro rushing last season (669 in eight games) is expected to miss Saturday's opener against Abbotsford, B.C., because of a probably bruised leg. He should be ready for O'Dea the following week.

But Barry doesn't see Davidson as his competition so much as he does the ghost of Crusaders' past.

"Yeah, he likes to compare," Barry said, referring to the older brother with the memory for football statistics. "But then he coaches me, too."

When he's in town, Brad looks at Barry on game film and offers advice. He also spent time coaching Barry this summer.

If Barry does nothing else in football, he'll always have one thing on Brad: Barry's Crusaders went to the Class AA state playoffs last year for the first time in school history after going 9-0 and winning the school's first Metro League football title.

And, even more than rushing statistics, Barry wants to give Brad something else to look at Dec. 3:

A state-championship game with Eastside Catholic in it.

"I honestly think we have the talent to get there," Barry said. "We've got the coaching for it . . . and the speed for it.

"We're not the biggest team around. We've got a lot of Rudys on our team, a lot of guys with heart."

And at least one ghost of Brad, providing Barry some extra motivation.

"I'm sure he'd come down (from WSU) to watch Kingbowl," Barry said.