Barrington gets lift from Douglas

We all know that sharing is a good thing.

Except when it comes to winning championships.

Last season the Barrington boys golf team felt it had a talented lineup that could win the Mid-Suburban League title.

The Broncos were right, but they finished as co-champs with Rolling Meadows when a strong Mustangs team won the MSL tourney to create a tie in total points.

This year, though, there was no sharing of the crown.

Barrington swept through Mid-Suburban League play with a perfect 11-0 record, then edged Hersey at the tournament on a fifth-score tiebreaker to win the title outright.

"That was a lot of fun," said Barrington junior Ross Frankenberg, who along with Jason Batliner, Ryan Quinn, Travis Smyczynski and Charlie Douglas contributed to the winning total.

"It was a good ending to the conference season. It's (the MSL championship) a highly regarded title to have. Actually, whether you're co-champs or single champs, it's still great."

Douglas, one of the few seniors on the Barrington squad, has been a pillar of consistency for the Broncos this year.

"He has really come in to his own this year," said Barrington coach Mike Kallenbach. "Charlie shot under 40 in six of seven (9-hole) matches this season, and he was right at 40 in the other."

"He's very close to his family, and that keeps him centered," added Kallenbach. "He keeps the team loose -- he's kind of the comedian of the group."

Douglas comes by his golf talent naturally -- his mother, Sally, was captain of the women's golf team at the University of Illinois.

That was one of the reasons the senior took up the game early. Douglas said he was 3 or 4 when he received his first set of clubs.

"We both took up the game at a young age," added friend and teammate Frankenberg, "and we both belong to the same country club, Barrington Hills.

"Charlie is such a hard worker. He's always trying to figure out the best way to improve his game and better himself, to compete against the other great teams in the area.

"He's greatly improved his short game this year, which has made him one of the better golfers in the area."

Now the impressive Barrington golf team heads to Prairie Isle Golf Course, where it will stride to the first tee in the Prairie Ridge regional as reigning -- and sole -- MSL champions.

"We've won some big matches this year," said Douglas, "and it was nice to win the title outright."