Barrington upsets Warren 40-33 in wild opening-night win
After falling to Warren in three straight opening games, the Barrington football team found the magic touch on Friday night on its home field.
On third-and-10 from the 21-yard line, senior Matt Marusich caught a sideline pass from junior Nick Peipert and then magically bounced off a would-be tackler and made it into the end zone for the final score in Barrington's wild 40-33 victory over the No. 5 ranked team in Class 8A.
Senior Will Nazha's interception with 2 seconds left sealed the Broncos' dramatic win.
The game was tied at 26 and 33 before the home team sealed it with Marusich's 3rd TD reception of the game. He also blocked a punt and an extra point.
Senior running back Dillon Fitzpatrick ran for the Broncos' first two touchdowns in the first quarter.
His 71-yard run with 6:19 left made it 6-0 and less than 1:20 later he scored on a 36-yard run that made it 13-0 after the extra point.
After the first TD, Travis Soto's interception gave Barington the ball at the Warren 36-yard line.
On the Broncos' next play, Fitzpatrick took a shotgun snap and raced up all the way to the end zone. Senior Colby Parkinson's extra point made it 13-0 with 5:03 left.
Barrington recovered 2 fumbles in Warren territory and Warren recovered one in the final seven minutes of the first quarter but neither team put points on the board.
After blocking a 32-yard field goal attempt, Warren marched 83 yards for its first TD, a 3-yard run up the middle by Donovan McNeal, who also had a 37-yard run in the 8-play drive.
The Warren defense then stopped Barrington on fourth down at the Blue Devils' 28. The visitors needed just a play to score on a 72-yard run by Aaron Stewart off left end for a 14-13 lead with 6:49 left in the half.
Barrington answered with 2 touchdowns in the final 6:18 of the first half.
Calvin Jackson's 70-yard run and Peipert's 17-yard pass to Marusich in the back of the end zone with 2:29 gave the Broncos a 26-14 lead at intermission.
Marusich set up the TD when he blocked a punt to give Barrington possession at the Warren 14.
Warren began the second half with an 82-yard TD drive, capped by McNeal's 2-yard surge up the middle before Marusich blocked the extra point making it 26-20.
McNeal's 46-yard TD scamper tied the game at 26-26 with 10:11 left.
Marusich's 36-yard TD catch from Peipert put the Broncos ahead 33-26 with 7:48 left in the final quarter.
Warren tied it at 33 when a 74-yard nine-play drive ended with McNeal's fourth TD of the game, a 2-yard run with 3:10 left.
Barrington then started its winning drive from its own 34-yard line, including a 33-yard catch to Marusich 3 plays before his game-winner.