The year 2007 may not go down in the national consciousness as the year bookended by former Hermiston quarterbacks winning big games, but it should stand that way in the minds of the Bulldog faithful at least.

It started in January with the Fiesta Bowl between underdog Boise State and powerhouse Oklahoma, which was a game so chalk-full of drama and excitement that it quickly became the top iTunes video download the following week.

Football fanatics and casual viewers alike found something to enjoy about the way the game ended, with Jared Zabransky pulling the instant classic Statue of Liberty to score the winning two-point conversion in overtime. It was school-yard football at its best, and that performance alone earned “Z” the cover of the 2008 NCAA Football video game by EA Sports, as well as national notoriety.

And while the nation at large may associate Zabransky with the little-university-that-could in Idaho, Hermiston knows where the QB learned about poise.

Fast-forward 11 months, to the practically overlooked NAIA Championship game between Carroll College and Sioux Falls University in the small town of Savannah, Tenn. The smaller collegiate level may not bring much attention, but as this week’s Sports Illustrated cover shows, it was also a game to remember.

Playing in the deep mud, Hermiston native John Barnett kept Carroll moving forward and helped the school to its fifth national title in six years. Though he wasn’t able to show off his arm in the conditions, he added some rushing yards of his own and, as he put it, “just handed the ball off to Gabe (Le)” who ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

Barnett also was named the Frontier Conference Offensive Most Valuable Player, a unanimous pick after carrying the Fighting Saints to a perfect season.

The championship game wasn’t quite the Fiesta Bowl – it was much colder and much less watched – but it was a true national title, with a playoff bracket leading up to it. And if EA Sports decides to put together 2009 NAIA Football for a video game console next fall, don’t be surprised to see Barnett on the cover.

Both quarterbacks were stars at their levels, leading their teams to undefeated seasons in their final campaigns and both were in the Hermiston football program at the same time.

It takes a lot to bridge the gap from high school to college football, especially high school to college quarterbacking, and though many have dreams of making it, very few ever do. The fact that two from Hermiston in the past decade have managed to not only make the cut but succeed at the next level shows the talent Hermiston football is capable of producing.

Zabransky is still waiting for a shot in the NFL, which can take a long time to come if it ever does. But no doubt he can take comfort in watching an undrafted quarterback like Tony Romo become a golden boy after just a handful of starts.

Barnett’s football career ended in greatness, and though the Mud Bowl won’t likely see time on ESPN Classic, he’ll still be remembered as a winner to the good folks of Helena, Mont. and, of course, Hermiston.

Whether or not the country at large ever thinks of Zabransky or Barnett again, both have made their hometown proud.

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Daniel Wattenburger is the West Sports Editor for the East Oregonian. E-mail him at dwattenburger@eastoregonian.com