Dillon Fitzpatrick’s 220 rushing yards beat Fremd on a difficult, emotional day for Barrington

Barrington’s football stadium is cared for meticulously. The concession stand’s pork chop sandwich is famous and the Barrington High School Quarterback Club, a parent’s group established 73 years ago, raises money for special touches that elevate the program into the area’s elite. 

The close-knit community had more to deal with than just the football game against visiting Fremd on Saturday. 

“One of our teammates lost his mom unexpectedly this morning,” Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said. “For many of the boys, hearts were heavy. I know my heart was heavy. I’m proud of our kids and our coaches. I’m really glad we were able to come out on top and do it for one of our boys and their family today.”

Barrington leaned on running back Dillon Fitzpatrick in the 13-7 win against the Vikings. 

The senior had 35 carries for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He regularly found a way to add another two or three yards after the initial contact with a defender. 

“If they aren’t going to tackle your legs you keep going,” Fitzpatrick said. “The offensive line did a great job creating nice lanes for me to run in.”

The game was tied at 7 after three quarters. Barrington (5-0, 1-0 MSL West) took the lead early in the fourth on a four-yard run by Fitzpatrick, but the extra point was missed. 

Fremd (1-4, 0-1) had a chance to win on the final drive. The Vikings began at their own 25 with 2:09 to play. 

Barrington’s defense held strong, completely shutting down Fremd’s running game, as it did for all four quarters. That forced sophomore quarterback John O’Brien to try and create something on the run for the Vikings. 

“[O’Brien] was under fire the whole game,” Fremd coach Lou Sponsel said. “It’s hard back there. We have to get back to work and get better up front. When you have a young group like this you have to keep building.”

The Vikings had just 27 total rushing yards. O’Brien was 10-for-23 for 124 yards. Fremd’s touchdown came on a one-yard run by Luke Mcilhon midway through the second quarter. 

“Our focal point was [Fremd receiver Brennan Saxe],” Barrington’s Matt Marusich said. “He had like 16 catches for 250 yards last week. We had a good game plan and got to know their offense really well during the week.”

Saxe, a junior, had four catches for 39 yards. Davyn Kuhl caught four passes for 51 yards.

Marusich, a defensive back and wide receiver, didn’t enjoy the stress of the final drive. 

“It’s scary,” Marusich said. “I don’t want to be in that position again. That was horrible. We need to be better.”

All four of Fremd’s losses are to ranked teams (Lake Zurich, Hersey, Maine South) but qualifying for the playoffs will be a battle now. 

Barrington has been one of the area’s surprises. The Broncos were 4-5 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012. 

“We expected to be here at this point,” Fitzpatrick said. “We went to work right away in the off season, running and lifting as much as we could and that is what has propelled us this fall.”