By JOE SIMON

j_simon@ncnewsonline.com

Ernie Burkes did a lot of running as a child.

Whether it was away from his brothers, the neighbors, his parents or down the football field, he always was on the move.

Things haven’t changed much now that he’s a sophomore at Neshannock High. Burkes ran a lot in the Lancers’ season-opening win against West Shamokin, mainly away from defenders.

“I was impressed with how fast he was,” Neshannock coach Pat Cuba said. “I knew he was quick, but he showed me another gear the other day.”

Burkes, a quarterback, rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in the Lancers’ 29-6 victory. He also completed 6 of 13 passes for 68 yards. The performance earned him Athlete of the Week honors, an award sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy and selected by the New Castle News sports staff.

Earning that accolade as a sophomore is impressive, but Burkes, a three-sport athlete, has been making an impact at Neshannock since the day he started. He saw a lot of playing time last year, when he would spell starter Michael Sanfilippo and add another dimension to the offense with his speed. This year, they’re sharing time, although Sanfilippo sat out last week’s game with an ankle injury. Burkes took advantage by carving up the Wolves’ defense with his quickness, a trait he said he inherited a long time ago.

“Running away from my brothers when they were trying to kick my butt kind of helped me out with that,” Burkes said with a laugh. “I ran a lot when I was little.”

His brothers, Bobby and Jason, probably caught up to him more often than not considering they were both standout athletes at Union. Ernie, whose real name is David, is trying to make a name for himself at Neshannock, something that’s difficult to accomplish when no one knows what to call him.

“Ernie’s my nickname; my real name is David,” said Burkes, who got the nickname because his dad was a big fan of “My Three Sons,” a TV series that ran from 1960 to 1972. “My dad, ever since I was in my mom’s belly, he’s called me Ernie, and it’s just stuck with me.”

All kidding aside, the youngest Burkes said he learned a lot about football from his older brothers. Their influence is obvious to Cuba, who says Burkes’ football IQ is what’s led him to start at such a young age. Burkes’ knowledge of the game allows him to play a variety of positions, and Cuba says he’s thriving in that role.

“Ernie’s multi-functional,” he said. “I can put him at tailback, I can put him at flanker, I can put him at split end, and he’s smart, so he knows all the spots. He even tells people where to go. As far as certain things, he can tell people where to line up and what they have to do.”

He only played quarterback against West Shamokin, but that should change with Sanfilippo likely returning this week. Cuba said the two will split time. Last year, Sanfilippo saw more time during passing situations, and Burkes almost strictly was a running QB. Burkes worked hard on his accuracy and footwork to change that perception, but he said scrambling is a hard habit to abandon, especially when he’s enjoying so much success.

“Whenever I get the ball and see open grass, I just hit it and take off,” he said. “If I see someone coming at me, I don’t think run them over, I think run by them.”

Cuba is fine with that. He has a lot of faith in Burkes, partly because of his athleticism and also because Burkes isn’t afraid of big moments. He faced plenty of them in the WPIAL playoffs, both in basketball and baseball. He served as a key contributor on the varsity teams in each sport.

“I saw the kid step up to the line and make 12 out of 12 at the foul line,” Cuba said. “I haven’t seen many seniors do that. Playing under adversity and in big situations, he’s shown he can do that, and I think that’s carried over.”

*****

THE ERNIE BURKES FILE

POSITION: Quarterback/defensive back

TEAM: Neshannock

GRADE: 10

KNOWN FOR: Burkes, a three-sport athlete, ran for a career-high 141 yards and a touchdown against West Shamokin. The sophomore quarterback completed 6 of 13 passes for 68 yards as well.

PARENTS: Robert and Marianne Burkes.

FAVORITE PRO PLAYER AND WHY: Tom Brady, New England Patriots. “How he reacts under pressure is just unbelievable.”

FAVORITE PRO TEAM AND WHY: Dallas Cowboys. “They’ve always been my team, and you’ve got to stay loyal.”

FUTURE PLANS: Burkes said he wants to study medicine after high school, but he’s unsure if he’ll play a sport.