August 21, 2025—McEachern's Casey Barner entered the season as Georgia’s consensus No. 1 sophomore prospect. A transfer from Frederick Douglass, Barner already holds more than 25 offers, mostly from Power 4 conferences.
In his first official game as an Indian at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Casey put on a show, racking up 341 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in a 50-17 win over Walton. His three scores—a 98-yard kickoff return, a 39-yard catch, and a 69-yard run—revealed his elite athleticism and the reason why he has been so highly recruited.
Barner played the entire game, with roles on offense, defense, and special teams. In addition to his impressive offensive performance, he returned seven punts for 138 yards. One of his punt returns was initially for 95 yards and a TD, but a penalty shortened it to 62 yards. On defense, he had two solo tackles and broke up a pass.
"It was a special performance, for sure," said McEachern coach Kareem Reid. "He’s a super instinctive player who’s really explosive once he finds a seam."
It was no surprise to anyone who witnessed his complete game that he was named the Player of the Game on Saturday and the Georgia High School Football Daily's Player of the Week. Todd Holcomb from GHSFDaily and Gary Nelson from ALFA Insurance presented the award to Casey before practice on Wednesday, with the entire team in attendance.
"It starts with them," Casey said about his teammates. "I wouldn't even want this award without them. I appreciate them for the blocks and everything they do for me, on and off the field."
He also expressed gratitude to Coach Reid and his coaching staff for giving him the opportunity to play the game he loves. "I want to thank all of them for believing in me, trusting me, and letting me do my job. This award is for them, too," Casey said.
The Indians are gearing up for a big game at home against the North Cobb Warriors this Friday. It will be a battle of Top 25 teams in the state, with the Warriors ranked 6th and the Indians making their debut in the Sports Illustrated poll at 24th. Casey and his teammates will need another performance like last week to keep their momentum going.
