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Boston Globe
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
‘He's so good at both you can't pick one': BB&N dual threat Ellis Barnes puts on a show in Northeast 7v7 championship
Playing both wide receiver and defensive back, the 6-foot, 170-pound powerhouse could be found pulling in quarterback Damon Taylor's 30-yard darts, before switching to defense and cutting between Lopez and his receivers. Related : Bouncing from offense to defense and back in a matter of minutes is tiring — but it's something Barnes appreciates. Advertisement 'I love being out there,' the Cambridge native said. 'I try my best to stay in the best shape I can because I know I have to play both ways … this is where it pays off.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Barnes's versatility and willingness to develop as both a wide receiver and defensive back helped BB&N go 8-0 in the ISL last fall. '[Barnes] has been a great player for us for a long time. He's worked really hard and has just done a great job,' said BB&N coach Mike Willey. 'It's really valuable — guys who are versatile and can play both sides. He's so good at both you can't pick one … we're expecting big things out of him, for sure.' Advertisement Barnes has been recruited to Columbia, which is coming off a 7-3 season (5-2 Ivy League), as a defensive back, but he plans to make a push to get some wide receiver reps. Regardless, he will 'play where I can.' Throughout the 7v7 tournament, Taylor and Barnes's chemistry was undeniable. Between circus-like Hail Mary connections and postgame banter, the two are shaping up to be unstoppable as seniors. Of course, relationships like that don't appear overnight. 'I've known [Taylor] since sophomore year. This spring we did a lot of work, just us two getting together,' Barnes said. 'There were throwing sessions at M2 Quarterback Academy — we were there every week. It's taken those full two years to build that connection, and you're seeing it out on the field now.' BB&N claimed its second straight Northeast 7v7 football championship trophy. Cam Kerry For Barnes and the BB&N squad, the road to success is a two-way street. Sammy Malignaggi, a BB&N alum, former James Madison running back, and coach of the 7v7 team, knows this all too well. 'The sky's the limit for them,' he said. 'At the end of the day they just have to do their job: play disciplined football. The rest will take care of it.' Alexandria Evans can be reached at
Boston Globe
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Riding the arm of Damon Taylor, BB&N pulls off repeat in Northeast 7v7 football championship
Taylor and Leominster's Osiris Lopez, committed to Coastal Carolina, dazzled all afternoon, picking apart any defense they faced. In the final, the cornerbacks dug in their heels, jumping routes and creating pass breakups. But down the stretch, Taylor made the throws he had to. Malignaggi, a BB&N and James Madison alum who is an assistant coach at WPI but stepped in to lead the 7v7 team, lauded Taylor's ability to read the defense and find underneath routes and mismatches. Advertisement 'I'm very proud of how he's grown, taking the coaching,' Malignaggi remarked. 'He's a very coachable guy. He understands the game well, understands it at a high level. Just talking to him about different reads where he sees a corner on the boundary, it's one-on-one, it's an easy-access throw, just throw the deep out, it's right there.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In the semifinal, a 26-20 win against Marblehead, Taylor did exactly that. Ellis Barnes raced outside the hashmarks and Taylor showed off his arm, launching a beautiful pass from 35-yards out. 'I'll go to war any day with that kid,' said Malignaggi. 'He battles, loves to compete, shows high-end effort. He loves the game. I'm proud of him.' BB&N claimed its second straight Northeast 7v7 football championship trophy. Cam Kerry Taylor linked up with Sam Kelley, a close friend he grew up with in Natick, for two touchdowns in the championship. The two played youth football together and after Taylor followed Kelley to BB&N — after playing one season for Natick — the duo has continued to showcase their chemistry. Taylor smiled postgame recalling the sail route he found Kelley on from 8-yards out for the winning score, noting that it's 'money.' Advertisement BB&N head coach Mike Willey watched from the goal line, impressed with his team's resilience. The Knights finished last season as ISL champions with an 8-1 record. 'Damon's been a great player for us for a long time,' said Willey. 'I think the thing that I've seen this year increase even more is his leadership and command of the offense. It's been really, really fun to watch this summer, playing for alumni — which is really cool — to really take even more ownership and leadership of the offense.' The 7v7s serve as a quarterback's utopia, without pressure from defensive lineman and the game in their hands without the option to run the ball. It's a gunslingers paradise, an avenue to showcase their arm and decision-making. Schematics and routes do play a role. On other plays, improvisation and chemistry take over. Regardless, it will pay dividends when the games count. 'It's really good to see your guys compete and really get to test your chemistry with each and every receiver you have,' said Taylor. 'I feel like it's really beneficial in every way in building us as a team to get ready for the season.' Cam Kerry can be reached at
