Barrington graduated all four starting receivers from a team that averaged nearly 37 points a game in 2014.
Based on a 50-23 win over Glenbrook South on the road Friday, Aug. 28, the offense should be in good shape.
While there’s no game-breaker like Scotty Miller, who now plays for Bowling Green, the Broncos (1-0) look to have a group capable of producing enough plays to be dangerous to defenses.
Used sparingly last season, senior Jake Zyzda caught four passes for 84 yards, highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown reception from senior quarterback Johnny Davidson in the second quarter.
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Josh Babicz, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound junior, had three catches for 36 yards, which included a 21-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Senior Jack Nicoletti had two receptions for 14 yards, and junior Logan Moews had one catch for four yards.
“Last year was a great year for us,” said Davidson, who started as a junior on the Broncos’ 10-2 team. “But I trust the guys to get the job done this year, too. I have faith in all of my receivers.”
Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said he didn’t expect the offense to drop off too much despite the losses to graduation. During his senior season, the speedy Miller accounted for 1,361 all-purpose yards and totaled 17 touchdowns.
“No doubt it was a talented crew,” Sanchez said of last season’s senior playmakers. “But I knew we had some guys coming back who could make some plays, and you saw that out there [Friday].”
A year ago, the 6-foot, 195-pound Zyzda had six catches for 53 yards and no touchdowns. In the first game of his senior season, he showed he can be a go-to pass-catcher for Davidson.
“I paid my dues, and I learned from a great group,” Zyzda said. “When it comes your time, you got to shine.”
Although Moews finished with one catch, he helped out the offense in other ways. He ran one time for six yards and had kickoff returns of 44, 32 and 29 yards. The Broncos scored after two of his returns put the offense in good field position.
“Yeah, we lost some players, but I wasn’t worried our offense,” Davidson said.
Barrington notes
*Senior running back Nate King ran 22 times for 188 yards and two touchdowns. He did the majority of his damage to Glenbrook South in the third quarter when he rushed for 96 yards and two scores.
*Davidson ran for three touchdowns and passed for two others. The Broncos scored more than 50 points twice last year.
*This was the first meeting between the two schools since Glenbrook South beat Barrington 35-28 in the first round of the 2010 Class 8A playoffs.
Glenbrook South notes
*The Titans (0-1) scored on the game’s first possession on senior running back Ryan Janczak’s 39-yard run, but they fell behind 20-6 and then trailed 23-20 at the half. Barrington scored on the first series of the third quarter and never looked back.
*Janczak finished with 16 carries for 101 yards and one touchdown. Senior quarterback Daniel Jenkins went 14-for-24 for 185 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Senior receiver Jack Healy had six catches for 102 yards and one touchdown.
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