'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 - The Boston Globe

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Lightning fast and hard to beat on both sides of the ball, Barnes helped BB&N capture its second consecutive Northeast 7v7 championship, 12-6, over Leominster, led by Coastal Carolina-bound Orisis Lopez.

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.

Bouncing from offense to defense and back in a matter of minutes is tiring -- but it's something Barnes appreciates.

"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."

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."

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."

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.