Barrington, Hersey welcome changes

Barrington wasn't going to let this one slip away after a rough third quarter Friday night.

Hersey wasn't going to just fade away quietly after a rough first half on the road.

That's where both teams showed what's different so far this year in their early Mid-Suburban League football showdown.

Barrington improved to 3-0 and matched its win total of last season. But Hersey made sure it was not as easy as the 35-14 score might suggest.

"I was talking to a few of my buddies," said Barrington senior fullback Jeremy Rafidia, "and they came out much tougher than I thought. I was impressed."

Especially after Rafidia scored on a 21-yard swing pass from Matt LeMire and then had a crushing block to spring J.L. Etienne's 42-yard touchdown run in the first 41/2 minutes.

And a 21-point halftime deficit that may have been insurmountable in the past no longer seems that way for a Hersey program that has already matched its combined win total of two the last three seasons.

"These guys are not packing it in," said first-year Hersey coach Dragan Teonic. "I loved the way they responded. They are going to compete."

They marched 71 yards with to start the second half on the impressive running of Chris Polinski. They rolled 78 yards the next time as Brad Zaucha hit Stephen Kuc for a 25-yard touchdown on fourth-and-18.

Suddenly it was 21-14 and the large contingent of Hersey fans who made the trip were going wild.

"We came out a little flat but we battled back," said Hersey senior linebacker/offensive tackle Jason Olson. "I like the way our team came back in the third quarter and actually battled."

So now how would Barrington respond to the swift shift of momentum? Winnable opportunities lost last year added up to its first losing season since 2000.

"When we needed it, that's when we started to get going and the kids made plays," said Barrington coach Joe Sanchez.

It continued a pattern that started when Libertyville rallied from a big deficit in the opener. Last week Elk Grove rallied to force overtime.

And for the third straight time the Broncos regrouped.

"Obviously that's where the maturity comes in and you don't lose your composure," Sanchez said.

Barrington responded with a 73-yard drive that combined some power from Chase Murdock behind his big line and precision passing from LeMire to Zach Dulla.

The defense stopped Hersey and Barrington finally sealed it with a 52-yard drive. Ben LeCompte put the exclamation point on the perfect start with his third interception of the night.

"We have a little more heart," Rafidia said. "I feel like we're all in it to just win it. We're all in it and we all want to win and love this game."

Hersey also showed it's in to win a few more in the final six games.

"We just have to keep working hard like we always do," Olson said, "and finish off with some wins."

Those attitudes are making a difference for Barrington and Hersey.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com