With the Purple Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs, a win Nov. 16 was necessary to keep moving forward toward the championship, and a win is what they got, 56-21 over Jackson County.

A crucial key to this victory was Brooks Barden.

The junior quarterback brought his team through the regular season with a 10-0 record and got them out of round one of the playoffs to continue the team’s spotless record.

Barden completed 14 of his 27 pass attempts for 212 passing yards on the night. Included in those yards were six touchdown passes.

Barden also had 122 rushing yards to contribute to the team as well.

“The first touchdown, where we were stalling a lot, he made a good pass to Kyler Neal for a touchdown, that was his best play of the night,” said head coach Frank Barden.

For a junior, Barden, according to his coach, is a level headed quarterback.

“His demeanor is his strength. He’s never too hot or cold, he’s always right on,” said coach Barden.

Young Barden has been playing at the quarterback position since middle school, and since his sophomore year for the varsity ’Canes.

As a player, Barden leads by example rather than being a vocal leader. He watches films and has a good knowledge of the game, the coach said.

A dedicated and driven player, Barden set a physical goal for himself in the offseason to get stronger, and he did just that. Barden went from 174 pounds to 205 pounds over six months.