Although the final score of Barrington’s 49-28 win over visiting Fremd on Friday, Oct. 16, seemed one-sided, there was drama.
Fremd (5-3, 1-3 MSL West) trailed 28-14 late in the second territory and was driving into the territory of the Broncos (7-1, 3-1), who remain in a first-place tie in the conference. But Barrington senior safety Zack Rizzio stepped in front of a Vikings receiver and picked off a pass that eventually led to the Broncos scoring to take a decisive 35-14 halftime lead.
It was Rizzio’s first interception of the season and resulted in a quick visit from his father, Gary, who has been a coach in the Barrington football program for two decades.
“He was in the press box when I made the interception. But during halftime he came down and I hugged him,” Rizzio said. “It’s cool that he’s a coach. If I ever need anything from him, he’s always around.”
Rizzio added, “He expects a lot out of me, so it drives me to work harder and make smart decisions on and off the field.”
Back to the interception, Rizzio was more than happy to discuss the play.
“It was amazing,” Rizzio said. “The ball was a little underthrown and I just undercut it. That changed the whole momentum of the game.”
Rizzio added his second interception late in the fourth quarter to stop another Fremd drive on the Barrington side of the field and got hugs from his teammates on the sidelines.
“Both those takeaways were crucial,” senior defensive back Jacob Barron said.
“Zack did a great job tonight. He made some great plays. Very athletic,” Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said.
Barrington senior quarterback Johnny Davidson threw for 419 yards and five touchdowns (37, 25, 43, 45, 37), while also running for a 4-yard score. He was 21-for-28 passing. His favorite target was senior wide receiver Jake Zyzda, who had 10 receptions for 253 yards and four TDs. Junior wideout Josh Babicz hauled in seven of Davidson’s passes for 145 yards and one score.
Besides his interceptions, Rizzio was in on tackles as well, including a jarring hit of a Fremd returner on a kickoff return.
“Zack is a pretty physical player,” Barron said of his 5-foot-10, 180-pound teammate. “He’s a ball hog. I really enjoy playing back there with him.”
Rizzio came up to the varsity for the playoffs his sophomore year. He was a part-time starter last year, recording one interception.
“He’s been playing football for a long time. His best football is still in front of him,” Sanchez said.
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Mark Perlman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @markdavidperlma