At Evergreen, a Barry good turnaround

Updated: March 22, 2011 4:16PM

Just three years ago, passengers could be heard yelling unpleasantries from their cars toward the practice field, chiding the devoted few for being part of a porous football program that finished 0-9 the previous season.

Fortunately, there were only 40 players in the entire Evergreen Park football program to absorb the verbal heckling.

Today, there are 46 players on the varsity alone and more than 110 throughout the program.

And after a 3-0 start this season, passers-by are yelling words of encouragement toward the Mustangs program, which has shed the label of laughingstock for that of conference contender.

Which, in turn, has made acquiring a seat on the Mustangs bandwagon increasingly difficult.

My how times have changed at 99th Street and Kedzie Avenue.

Much of the credit goes to Mike Barry, who after 11 years coaching in Naples, Fla., decided to take the challenge of a lifetime in 2008 and attempt to turn around Evergreen Park.

Some would say he had a better chance of turning around the Cubs.

So what would make a man leave the Sunshine State and take over a program that failed to win a game in 2007?

"I had a chance to come back to the area," said Barry, a Downers Grove North grad. "I'll admit it was a really tough first year. We went 1-8 and I had to put my dog down and there were some other things. It was like, what can happen next? But when I came to Evergreen Park, I knew what it was and what it could be. It was going to be a process."

Step one in the rebuilding was to make an all-out blitz at the feeder programs. If the Mustangs were going to reverse field, Barry realized he had to keep some of the talent that fled to the more successful private schools.

A Herculean task, for sure.

Barry accepted the challenge and has made serious inroads with the feeder programs, tops among them the Evergreen Park Stallions.

"A big focus has been to get the talent in Evergreen Park to come here," said Barry, who played college ball at Kent State. "We've spent a lot of time with the youth programs, letting them know Evergreen Park High School is a great option academically and athletically. Yeah, it was tough to do at first, but it's starting to pay off. We're getting more and more kids."

One of those kids is Victor Baker, a junior running back who has recorded back-to-back 200-yard rushing efforts, with seven touchdowns. At a more prominent private school, Baker still might be an unknown.

At Evergreen Park, he's the man.

"Victor sprung on the scene as a sophomore last year," Barry said. "He's worked hard, and he's a talented, tough kid. I just love to coach him."

After finishing 4-5 a year ago, the Mustangs have one goal this fall: the playoffs.

With a game against winless Oak Lawn on tap Friday, Evergreen Park is in ideal position to improve to 4-0 and move closer to realizing its preseason ambition.

Barry has warned his players not to overlook Oak Lawn - especially with potential barn-burners against Shepard and Richards the following two weeks. A misstep on Friday and the Mustangs could find themselves at 3-3 after six weeks.

"Oak Lawn's backs are up against the wall, so they're going to be fired up," he said. "We can't go in thinking we're fat and happy and take them for granted. We have to remain hungry."

Evergreen Park has qualified for the playoffs just twice in the past 10 years, the last time occurring in 2006. Five wins probably will put them on the fringe. Six will guarantee a spot in the postseason.

"Where they used to honk their horn and yell, 'you suck,' now we're hearing 'great game' or 'good luck,' " Barry said. "The kids have been working really hard, starting in the offseason. The entire coaching staff and the administration has been so dedicated and supportive. This isn't just about football, though. We're trying to create young men of character and compete at a championship level. We're not there yet, but we're on our way."

Not just this year, but, hopefully, every year.

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