Through Thick and Thin, from Boys to Men
Ryan Barker, director of Chappapeela Sports Park and the man behind the revivification of CP Mitchell Memorial Park, recently spoke fondly about his childhood buddies.
Barker and lifelong friends Scott Eyster and Pete Golding met at age 4 while attending MerryLand Preschool. All three then went to Holy Ghost Catholic School and then Hammond High.
The trio first showed their considerable gridiron skills playing fifth grade football under then-coach Junior Mathieu. It was their performance on Hammond High’s football team with Ryan at center, Scott as quarterback, and Pete as receiver and defensive back that drew college recruiters to assess their potential.
While Ryan maintains that Scott and Pete were “way better athletes,” it was he who was recruited first by former coach Steve Campbell to play Division II college football for Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.
Initially, it appeared the guys would head their separate ways in college. Ryan was locked in at Delta State. Scott made a verbal commitment to the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM). Pete was headed to Milsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, as a walkon. But Ryan had a plan in his back pocket...
Ryan visited Delta and spoke with Coach Mike Kershaw (now a coach at Rice University). While Ryan and his father toured the campus, Kershaw and another coach advocated for Scott to also come aboard as a Delta Statesmen. Ryan boasted that he could make it happen.
He didn’t overpromise. On signing day, the two gathered at Carmen Moore’s house. There, Scott also signed on with Delta State. After a rocky freshman year, Scott set passing records and became both a Division II and 2022 Gulf South Conference Hall of Fame inductee.
Ryan stated that it was Scott’s clean snaps that led to those deserved accolades, and that he “never fudged a snap.”
But What About Pete?
In April of their senior year, Ryan urged Pete to visit Delta State for a tryout with Coach Rick Rhodes. Golding stunned the coach after twice completing the shuttle run in approximately 4.27 time and catching each pass from Rhodes. By the end of the visit, Pete earned a full scholarship at Delta alongside his two best friends.
The trio went on to produce winning seasons for the Statesmen. After the three graduated from Delta, the momentum they created among the team was enough to propel them to the top of the conference and then the nationals.
Where Are They Now?
All three men stuck close to the values they learned on and off the sports field. Ryan Barker continues to provide opportunities for children to advance in life through participation in sports and other recreational activities in his role as director at Chappapeela and other area parks.
Pete Golding was named Defensive Coordinator at the University of Alabama by Head Coach Nick Saban.
Scott Eyster is a school principal in Amite County in Mississippi. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Chappapeela Sports Park.
Decades after first meeting as preschoolers, the trio of men remain the best of friends today.
