Special comeback for Barrington
Special teams play got Barrington back into the game.
The offense and defense took it from there.
On a night when Rolling Meadows quarterback Bobby Suchecki and Broncos signal caller Daniel Kubiuk put the ball in the air a combined 78 times, host Barrington rallied from an early two-touchdown deficit to win 48-28.
Broncos senior linebacker Colin Castagna had 2 blocked punts and recorded 4 sacks in leading his team to the Mid-Suburban League crossover victory.
“We spent all summer working hard to make sure we’d be ready for games like this,” said Barrington junior Scotty Miller, who caught 2 touchdown passes and also grabbed an interception from his defensive back position.
“We were in two close games this season prior to this,” Miller added. “So we know what it takes to fight to win.”
After Meadows struck quickly in the first quarter with two Matt Dolan touchdown catches from Suchecki to take a quick 14-0 lead, Barrington answered.
First, Miller caught a 71-yard strike for a TD, then Broncos Dan Hanley and Mark Bornhofen scored on consecutive blocked punts by Castagna to give Barrington the lead.
“One hundred percent it was special teams that turned the tide,” said Meadows coach Matt Mishler. “We basically gave away 3 touchdowns. Without those we would have been right there.”
A 29-yard run down the left sideline on a lateral by Mustangs junior Jack O’Neill brought Meadows (1-2) back to a 21-21 tie.
But Barrington running back Dumaso Mkwananzi (11 carries, 58 yards) scored from 6 yards out to give the home team a one-touchdown halftime lead.
Barrington (3-0) broke the game open in the second half behind touchdowns by Mkwananzi (1-yard plunge), Miller (31-yard reception) and Mike Carbonara (18-yard run).
Suchecki (29-of-52 passing, 283 yards) scored the final Mustangs’ TD on a 1-yard sneak.
Barrington’s Kubiuk finished 13-of-26 for 248 yards while Mustangs receivers Alex Niecikowski (11 catches, 115 yards) and Dolan (10 for 60) each enjoyed big games in a losing effort.
“We came out with a lot of intensity as I expected us to do,” said Mishler of the Mustangs’ effort. “We took some punches, but we kept battling back.”
“We basically shot ourselves in the foot tonight, but to the guys credit they kept fighting to get back into it.”