J.T. Barker has high expectations for himself on the golf course this season. With a successful summer, the Bethlehem Catholic senior has plenty of reasons to believe his year will be on the upswing.

Barker fired an 11-under, 139 to capture the 14th annual Sportsfest title and also teamed with teammate Nick Maff to capture the Wasser Cup. He then went on to qualify and play in the Pennsylvania Amateur.

On a team that once again was expected to be in contention for the newly formed Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, Barker has been pleased with his team's showings in the opening weeks of the season.

"I think we might be doing better than we expected," he said. "We're basically a young team that will get better as the season goes along. I really believe we can continue to improve."

As far as his own play, Barker wants to raise the bar and believe he is on his way by tightening certain aspects of his game.

"I think I can play better than I am right now," he stated. "I have been shooting around where I want to be, but I want to be able to put it all together. There are things I know that I can improve on and the scoring will come.

"I have learned to hit the ball better and I have been doing that. I also want to work on my scoring as well as I can."

His play during the summer can be a catalyst for his play in the fall.

"The summer wasn't too bad," he noted. "I had a good run and I proved that I can play well in tournaments. I know I can play with all the best."

"He had a good summer and stepped up his game," added Bethlehem Catholic head golf coach Tim McGorry. "Over the years, he has improved his game and he is a leader for us this season."

Barker, whose J.T initials stand for John Thomas, started playing golf at the age of 10 and began competing at 12. He credits the encouragement of his father, Thomas, and his grandfather, John, for their inspiration along the way.

"My dad took me out when I was young and always told me to just shoot my best no matter what my score was," he said. "He was very supportive and never put any big expectations on me. He always has told me to go out there and have fun. My grandfather also helped me learn the game when I was younger.

"I found out that golf was a sport in which you could practice anytime you wanted. I am practicing and working on many parts of my game every time I go out. It's awesome that I can go and play every day and get better at my game."

In the future, Barker plans to likely take a year off or attend a college in the south. Overall, he will focus on his golf game.

"I really want to go south to play golf," noted Barker. "I'm not really sure what I want to do, but I have a couple of things in mind. I may take some time off and then try to figure out things together during the winter."

Barker also knows his family will continue to be in the mix as younger brother, Jordan, 11, already is making his presence felt.

In the meantime, Barker plans to finish strong and leave his mark at the school and in the conference.

"I feel good about the rest of season," he said. "I have been hitting the ball better and my game is piecing itself together."