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thedrifter
11-20-07, 04:21 AM
Rivalry inspires a few good memories

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

By DON BENEVENTO
Courier-Post Staff

Mike Barikian feels like he's pretty well separated from his years at Sterling High School except for times when he gets to return home.

"It doesn't seem like that long ago until I come back and friends of mine are teaching at the high school," said Barikian, who graduated in 2000. "Then you realize it's been a few years."

Barikian has been through a lot since the days when he played quarterback and defensive end and wrestled at the school.

Since then, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy and is currently serving as a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps. With one three-month tour in Iraq already behind him, he will be returning there a week from Wednesday. He will serve for one year as an adviser to the Iraqi military at Lake Tharthar, just north of Fallujah.

But first, Barikian plans to take in Wednesday night's annual rivalry football game between Sterling and Collingswood, where his father, Bob Barikian, is the coach.

The game used to touch off a friendly rivalry within the Barikian household. But Mike, who last played in the game in 1999, leading Sterling to a 33-8 victory -- his only win over his father's team -- has come over to the other side.

"Blood is thicker than water," he said with a smile when asked who he would be rooting for this year.

Bob Barikian, too, has fond memories of coaching against his son. But he said things were always kept under control within the family.

"People used to make more out of it than it really was," Bob said. "When you're coaching, you want to make sure kids do their best, and when Mike played against us, I always hoped he played his best. It's was always a great family experience."

Now it's difficult for Bob to contain the pride he feels for his son, who went on to have a productive career as a wrestler at the Naval Academy. "We're very proud of him in everything he's done," he said. "He's always made good choices."

One of the biggest decisions Mike made was to chose the Marines over the Navy. Wrestling, he said played a role in his making that decision.

"When I got down there (to Annapolis) you learn real quickly there's a different mentality from the midshipmen who are going Navy and the ones that chose to go Marine Corps. For some reason about 90 percent of the wrestling team goes Marine Corps."

While Mike says it will be difficult to leave his family during the holiday season, he knew that was a possibility when he chose to live a military life.

There are certain perks, he said, but those who make these types of commitments have to be prepared to make certain sacrifices.

"I'm not excited to leave for a year," he said. "But I'm excited about what we're going to be doing, and the team I'm with. It's going to be a good experience."

Barikian said he will be working as a logistics officer and will have a counterpart who will be a major in the Iraqi army. His Marine unit will be responsible for overseeing their training and will serve as advisers.

He does not expect to serve in a combat role, and he says he's been told by those who are there in advance of his arrival that the situation on the ground has improved.

"What I hear from friends and people over there right now is there has been a lot of progress, particularly in the region I'm going to," he said.

"It's interesting on the military side because you get a lot of comments from friends who have firsthand experience and most of it you don't read in the daily paper," he said. "Overall, without getting too political, in the U.S. there are a lot of people who are tired of hearing about death tolls.

"Overall, I think they probably aren't getting enough of the positives that are coming out of the war right now."

Bob is confident his son will come out of this experience in good shape.

"It's not safe, but we feel that he will be safe," he said.

Until then, he said the family is taking a positive approach.

"Around this time next year, we'll be planning the party for Mike coming home," he said.

Reach Don Benevento at dbenevento@courierpostonline.com

Ellie