Barrington finishes with a 'W'; Hoffman plans for the future

Barrington walked off its home field in Week 9 victorious after a 40-7 Mid-Suburban West win against Hoffman Estates on Friday.

However, for the first time since 2001, the Broncos (3-6, 2-3) will end the season with a losing record.

"We're not where we thought we were going to be," said Broncos coach Joe Sanchez. "But I'm proud of the way the guys fought and persevered."

Sanchez said it was important for the team, specifically the seniors, to walk off the field with a win in the final game.

"Walking off with a win does a lot. It gives us something to build on for the off-season," he said.

For the Hawks (0-9, 0-5), Friday's game was a microcosm of the season, according to coach Bill Helzer, who was not happy with the penalties his team was committing and stopping their drives.

Hoffman went on a drive on its first possession of the game and on fourth and inches, junior quarterback David Gutierrez broke free for a 36-yard touchdown, but the play was called back by a penalty away from the play.

The Hawks did not score on the drive, and Barrington sophomore running back Chase Murdock caught a pass from senior Terrance Terry and found his way into the end zone 48 yards later.

Both Murdock and Terry had big games to close out the season. Terry had a touchdown rushing, passing and receiving.

"We went out the right way. I just appreciate the coaches giving me a lot of touches. Im grateful," Terry said.

Murdock finished off his first year on the varsity by becoming the first sophomore at Barrington to rush for 1,000 yards since Dan Pohlman in 1997.

"It's special, but I have to give the credit to my offensive line," he said. "They did it all, along with my fullback."

The Hawks' lone score came late in the fourth quarter when senior linebacker Steve Green recovered a fumble and returned it 77 yards.

After the game, Green could do nothing but show love for his team.

"It's not whether we lost, but if we learned from our mistakes," he said. "We all stuck together and fought all year. We are a family."

As he was walking off the field, Gutierrez said he is determined to not feel this way again.

"The juniors need to step up for next year," he said. "We need to get in the weight room and work hard. We don't deserve this. I won't forget this feeling."