Barrington follows Osterhues’ lead, but Lyons Twp. scores the victory
By now Barrington junior running back Lamar Osterhues and the Broncos running attack are not going to surprise anyone.
Opponents know the Broncos want to run the ball, and they know it’s usually going to be in Osterhues’ hands. But that’s not to say defenses can figure out ways to stop the speedy back.
After scoring 20 touchdowns and running for more than 1,100 yards as a sophomore, the Barrington star and his teammates have great expectations for the 2026 season, which kicked off Friday night at Lyons Township. While the visitors came up short in a 24-19 contest, Osterhues showed again why several big-time college programs are vying for his services.
After a lightning delay in the fourth quarter with the Lions on top 24-12, Osterhues busted a dazzling 29-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-one to give his team hope. Unfortunately for Barrington, which went 10-2 last year, Lyons managed to pick up a couple first downs and run out the clock.
“At the end of the day, it just comes down to who wants it. Who’s going to be the most physical team,” the back said of his team’s mentality. “We preach it at practice. If they want to stack the box, we’re still going to move the ball because that’s what Barrington is.”
It helps that the Broncos have four seniors on the offensive line, including 6-foot-3, 305-pound Jack Kavanagh, who loves pushing around defenders.
“O-line is moving guys. We know there can’t be one guy messing up. You got five guys … you make it a fist. You can hit a lot better with a fist,” he said. “That mentality up front is created by the boys that I’ve played with for years now. Our motto is IRON. Intensity. Relentlessness. Ownership of the line, and nastiness.”
The Broncos had a couple costly turnovers on Friday could not quite ever get over the hump. But wide receiver/returner Vince Costa did answer the Lions’ first touchdown with a 95-yard kickoff return to make it a 7-6 game after one quarter. Quarterback Crew Uebelhor did add a 1-yard score on a keeper, but most of the offense came through Osterhues.
He finished with 18 carries for 92 yards and capped his night off with the score that made things interesting down the stretch.
“I’m excited, but there’s no Lamar without the O-line,” he said, naming Oklahoma, Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri among the many schools that have contacted him. “I appreciate my guys up front. We’ll get back and get ready for next week.”
The Lions were led by running back EJ Kuhlman, who gained 132 yards on 32 carries, but they also had a great effort on defense that held Osterhues under 100 yards, something not many teams have done.
“That’s a real good football team we beat,” Lions coach Jon Beutjer said. “That running back is very fast and athletic, and every year Barrington makes a deep run in the playoffs.”