The new mailman (Part 2)

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A reader (man, I am so thankful to have a reader) responded to the original incarnation of this blog about Matt Barkley in which I said he had set some school records.

The reader (whom I wish I could pay) said Matt Leinart holds the Mater Dei school record for passing yards in a game, when he ‘completed 31 of 47 for 447 yards and 4 TDs against De La Salle his senior year.’

OK, now the first reference I saw to the so-called Barkley record was in the Orange County Register. And since I’ve now been called out for perpetuating a mistake, I called Bruce Rollinson, who actually answers my phone calls. He even calls back if necessary.

Bruce (I don’t call him Rollo directly), what’s the school record for passing?

‘Don’t know, Martin,’ he said. ‘And to find it, I’d have to dig it out. We only keep records from my tenure here. The records weren’t very well kept before that. That’s why I never talk about records because I don’t know.’

Rollo had to get to class: ‘My memory says it was Leinart against DLS, something like 456.’

So, it seems, Barkley did not set a school record when he passed for 303 yards in his first game against West Covina, or when he passed for 435 in his second game against American Fork, Utah.

And, frankly, I’m relieved. I thought 303 was a soft record. Though 435 is a much more fitting accomplishment -- and American Fork is a competent team that was ranked No. 10 in its state -- throwing for 447 yards (or 456) against a team the caliber of De La Salle in 2000 brings everything into balance. Something is right in the world, even if we’re wrong.

- Martin Henderson