Garden City's Berkery is double trouble

Last week Patric Berkery made his statement as a receiver, hauling in a 16-yard touchdown catch to help Garden City to victory. Saturday, the senior was a pure rusher, running to three touchdowns in a 21-3 win.

The dual role has led to Berkery becoming one of the most dangerous weapons in a deadly Garden City offense.

And he's still learning.

Though he began playing football as a rusher, he developed into a wide receiver as a varsity player, learning all the intricacies that go into running a touchdown route.

"First, I always make sure my hands are set," Berkery said. "Then you have to make sure you're in the right position, know where you are on the field and make sure you're going to land in-bounds. That's something you're always thinking as the ball's coming toward you."

He only took over a more prominent running role at Garden City late last season because of an injury to a running back. He had 44 carries for 474 yards and seven touchdowns, and 35 catches for 509 yards and five touchdowns.

This season, coach Tom Flatley will split Berkery's time between positions to keep him fresh.

"You watch football these days, the guy who plays running back the whole game gets beat up pretty good," Flatley said. "So I think it's going to make him feel better on Sundays if he plays some wideout and he plays some running back."

Berkery said he's a much more natural running back, the position he played as a 10-year-old in a Garden City youth league. But he doesn't mind bouncing around positions.

"I actually enjoy the mix between catching the ball and running the ball," he said. "You're not just stuck playing one position, you get to move around a lot."

Berkery's first move from a Garden City junior varsity to varsity squad was as a lacrosse player. "Football is just one of my many hobbies," said Berkery, a senior who will attend the University of Pennsylvania where he was recruited to play lacrosse.

With the lacrosse team Berkery got to experience the dynamic of being around older players and learning from them. When he made the move to varsity football, he was prepared--mostly.

"In football the kids are a lot bigger," Berkery said. "Lacrosse you can fit in no matter what. But in football the kids are always bigger from JV to varsity, so it's a big jump."

He came up near the end of his freshman season, stuck as a sophomore and is now a veteran. Along the way, weight lifting sessions helped him go from looking like a freshman to a 5-10, 185 pound senior, pounding opposing defenses.

"Instead of getting hit really hard, you're going to be the person hitting people pretty hard now," Berkery said. "After all the work you put in, you finally feel like you're getting stronger. You're finally catching up to everybody who was working out before you were."

Right now at Garden City, splitting Berkery's role is working out. His touchdown catch might have seemed like a footnote in a 45-0 win over Westbury, but it was a big play to build from.

"It's good to go in the first game and have a receiving touchdown," he said. "It gives you confidence to move forward. I feel like I'll be able to do both all season."

Saturday's star turn gave a glimpse of what might be to come, especially after listening to Flatley's scouting report.

"He's a very, very shifty runner with good straight ahead speed," Flatley said. "But also, the ability to make people miss him."

Especially when he's gone.