What a rush: Sizing up the strong group of MSL running backs
Barrington's Lamar Osterhues may be small, but he can't hide.
Especially not after his eye-opening varsity debut in 2024. He moved up to varsity for the last few games and finished the year with 177 rushing yards, plus four touchdowns, in a second-round playoff loss to Warren — as a freshman.
Needless to say, opposing defenses have been locked in on Osterhues this season, even before the Broncos went through four quarterbacks due to injuries.
“We knew people were going to stack the box and try to take him away,” Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said. “Lamar is talented enough where it doesn't have to be a huge running lane, and he's talented enough to create his own space.”
The Broncos have talent on the offensive line, that's not as issue. But they also have a new offensive system this year after Ron Planz shifted from head coach at Lake Zurich to offensive coordinator at Barrington. Then there was the tough opening schedule and four starting quarterbacks. Junior QB Archer Haley has stayed healthy and led the Broncos to four straight wins after an 0-4 start.
Osterhues, a junior, began the campaign as maybe the best-known rusher in the Mid-Suburban League, and he's gained 855 yards in seven games. But it's been an especially strong year overall for MSL running backs.
With the regular season wrapping up this week, this is a good time to add up the stats and highlight some strong performances. Once the playoffs end, there are probably six runners in the conference with a decent chance at passing 1,000 rush yards.
The current stat leader is Buffalo Grove's Matthew Kaput, with 1,116 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's the unicorn of this group, because he stands 6-foot-3 and also plays heavy snaps at linebacker.
According to BG coach Jeff Vlk, Kaput needs 175 more yards to break the school's all-time rushing record, held by Tom Zbikowski, who went on to play for Notre Dame and the Baltimore Ravens. Two more touchdowns will make Kaput the school's leading scorer, and he's already helped the Bison (5-3) reach the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Prospect's Matthew Donnelly and Hersey junior Jackson Travis fit in the same general category. Playing next to Division I quarterbacks, they balance out the offense and make their teams more dangerous.
Donnelly has already crossed the 1,000-yard mark, with 17 touchdowns, even though the Knights are often sitting starters in the second half. Travis, with 798 yards, has played just seven games, because Hersey won a game by forfeit, and is averaging an impressive 9.6 yards per carry.
Rolling Meadows' Luke Harvey got off to a fast start, with 145 yards in the opener against St. Patrick, and later a 266-yard game. The Mustangs have lost to a lot of good teams along the way, but Harvey is still at 900 yards on the season.
Conant's Jackson Spizzirri has taken advantage of the team's switch to a wing-T offense to run for 841 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Hoffman Estates junior Riley Lennert is an interesting case. He had a pair of 200-yard rushing games, but his season total is 600 yards. That's because he plays linebacker full time, so the Hawks try to limit his time on offense.
“He doesn't come off the field defensively,” Hoffman Estates coach Tim Heyse said. “The two games he had 200 yards, our other running back was injured, so he carried the load. His body got really banged up in those two weeks and we need him healthy, so we share carries.”
Fremd senior Jayden Faulkner is another back who could put up bigger rushing totals, but the Vikings try to keep him fresh, which could pay off in the playoffs. He's at 528 yards on 87 carries.
By the numbers
MSL running backs’ stats
Att Yds TD Yds/carry
Matthew Kaput, BG 179 1,116 13 6.2
Matthew Donnelly, Pro 121 1,001 17 8.3
Luke Harvey, RM 137 901 13 6.6
Lamar Osterhues, Bar 128 855 8 6.7
Jackson Spizzirri, Con 119 841 12 7.1
Jackson Travis, Her 83 798 13 9.6
Riley Lennert, HE 87 600 5 6.9
Jayden Faulkner, Fremd 87 528 7 6.1