Football Preview: Barrington

2012 record: 3-6 overall, 1-4 MSL West

Last playoff appearance: 2011

Head coach: Joe Sanchez, entering 12th season

Game to watch: Barrington at Jacobs, 7:30 p.m., Friday. For the first time in years, Barrington opens the season against someone other than Libertyville. An early win against a solid Jacobs program could give the Broncos a ton of momentum.

Who made the most of the offseason?

Scott Miller (5-foot-10, 155-pound WR) and Matt Moran (5-7, 165-pound DB) are a pair of juniors. “Those guys have grown up tremendously, and are gonna turn a lot of people’s heads,” coach Joe Sanchez said. Senior QB Daniel Kubiuk, a third-year varsity player, added he was “confident this could be a special season if everyone keeps working hard enough and as a team.”

What adjustments did the program make during the offseason?

“I think probably the biggest adjustment really is just that we’re a year older,” Sanchez said. “Last year’s senior class was fantastic, but it was a small class … 22-23 kids. Which meant that the brunt of our team was made up of juniors and sophomores. By the end of last year, we had 10 sophomores up on varsity. That one year of experience can translate into a higher expectation level now.”

Who took the best trip during summer vacation?

Senior OL Nitin Singh (6-1, 235 pounds) said his family went on vacation to Africa. “We went to the country Tanzania, saw a bunch of animals … lions … we stayed in tents overnight.” As for the mosquitoes over there? “They weren’t too bad, really,” he said with a laugh.

Who will be a difference maker this season?

Watch out for senior linebackers Colin Castagna (6-4, 230) and Dan Hanley (6-0, 190), who won’t be fun for opposing offenses. The Broncos have significant depth at the linebacker position, too. “We’re gonna have four of our first five games on the road,” Sanchez said. “We need all of our guys to come out quickly and be difference makers.”

— Tim Froehlig

What I did over my summer vacation … Michael Carbonara

“We took part in a team camp at NIU. For three days and two nights, we all bonded. There was a great vibe. Ate together, got to know each other … it was like a second family away from home. It was awesome. That’s the kind of thing that will only serve to help us out in the long run.”

— Carbonara is a senior wide receiver