Barrington’s Osterhues already a star, but ‘not nearly satisfied’

Running back Lamar Osterhues was anything but unknown when he enrolled at Barrington two years ago.

Osterhues’ dominance in youth leagues made coaches, teammates and fans eager to see what he would do in a Broncos uniform. He had high expectations too.

“Growing up, I was always one of the better kids on my team,” Osterhues said. “But I knew when I got to high school, I’d need to make that extra step.

“I knew I had it in me. I knew I should be on varsity right from the jump but had to wait to build up through the process.”

That process didn’t last long for Osterhues, who played just eight games on the lower levels before he was promoted to the varsity team late in his freshman season. In his third varsity game, he scored four touchdowns in the Broncos’ 35-26 loss to Warren in the second round of the 2024 Class 8A playoffs.

Also on the field in that game was Warren running back Aaron Stewart, an Illinois recruit who rushed for a state-best 2,872 yards and 46 touchdowns in 2025.

“As important as Aaron was to Warren that night, Lamar proved to be a game-changer for us,” Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said. “We got a glimpse of how special he could be.”

The 5-foot-7, 170-pound Osterhues then had to prove he could be productive for an entire varsity season. He checked that box last year, when he ran for 1,153 yards and 20 touchdowns on 168 carries as a sophomore.

“He had to learn what it was like to be the feature back on this level,” Sanchez said. “He’s so explosive and dynamic, but he now better realizes that there isn’t a home run available on every play. It’s OK to churn out 2 to 3 yards to keep the chains moving.”

Osterhues believes he has plenty more to show. The Broncos will play Lyons on the road in the season opener on Aug. 21, and Osterhues is looking forward to it.

“I’m not nearly satisfied,” he said. “I always want to do better than I’ve done. That’s why I’ve been itching for the season to come — to see how I can improve.”

One of Osterhues’ top priorities is continuing to develop his field vision, which he thinks could result in fewer collisions with defenders and more big plays.

After losing two fumbles last season, Osterhues also wants to exhibit better ball security.

“You should end every season with zero fumbles,” he said.

How last season ended still eats at Osterhues. Barrington lost 35-0 to Lockport in the state quarterfinals.

“I felt like in that game, the big stage kind of spooked me,” he said. “My team needs me to step up in big games, and I could have done better. When we got down 14-0 in the first quarter, I lost confidence in myself.”

As a veteran player, Osterhues realizes the Broncos will increasingly look to him for leadership following the departures of players like offensive lineman Owen Fors, a Northwestern freshman, and quarterback Luke Tepas, an Oklahoma State freshman.

“I’m learning how to take on a leadership role, something I tried to learn from others last year, so that when adversity hits, I can help us respond,” Osterhues said.

Senior linebacker Kane Switski, who also is expected to be a leader for Barrington, has already noticed a change in Osterhues’ demeanor.

“He’s not messing around in practice, and he’ll keep guys accountable who aren’t focused enough,” Switski said.

Switski also realizes how much better Barrington’s defense will be after chasing Osterhues in practice every day.

“We can’t really tackle in practice, so we’ll have five guys come up to him and tap him, and he’ll just keep going to the end zone,” Switski said. “We won’t play running backs who are as fast as he is.”

Osterhues said he’s even faster than he was last season. Competing in track and field in the spring, he qualified for the Class 3A state meet in four events — the 100-meter dash, the long jump, the 400 relay and the 800 relay.

Osterhues’ speed is one of the reasons he has become a target for college recruiters. He has offers from Iowa State, Miami of Ohio, New Mexico and North Dakota State, and he has drawn interest from others.

“The whole recruiting process has been cool,” Osterhues said. “To have this gift to be able to take the next step comes in stages. All I’ve ever worked for is to make it to that level. My whole journey so far has been amazing.”