Titans hang on to upset Barrington

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:12PM

Glenbrook South held onto a lead for a change Saturday night.

The Titans blew a 31-point lead in their regular season finale against Evanston, but it was a different story in the Class 8A playoff opener at Barrington.

Glenbrook South, a No. 11 seed, held on to a 28-point lead at halftime and stunned sixth-seeded Barrington 35-28. The Titans scored 21 points in the first half off three of the Broncos' four turnovers.

The Titans were able to run out the clock on their final drive, a contrast to a 34-31 loss to Evanston when the Wildkits scored five consecutive touchdowns in the second half.

Glenbrook South (6-4) will host 14th-seeded Palatine (6-4), a 28-14 winner Friday night against Glenbard North.

John Strickland's two touchdowns to end the first half would be enough. Strickland (26 carries, 142 yards) scored on a four-yard run and caught a 36-yard pass from Matt Jenkins (5 of 12, 173 yards, two TDs) to give Glenbrook South a 35-7 lead at the half.

Strickland put the game away with a one-yard gain at the Barrington 17, which allowed the Titans to take a knee to end the game.

"The coaches worked hard, the line worked hard," Strickland said. "If it was not for that line, I would not get that (one) yard in."

One of Glenbrook South's key plays late in the fourth quarter was Jenkins' 22-yard pass to Zach Jones, which kept the Titans' final drive alive after Barrington (7-3) came within seven points on backup quarterback Mark Bennett's 24-yard TD pass to Zach Dulla.

"We had to go to John exclusively, which I think is the play we like," Glenbrook South coach Mike Noll said. "I think we won the game when Zach Jones made a hell of a catch on the fade here."

Barrington quarterback Matt LeMire's threw two interceptions in the first half and was replaced by Bennett in the second half. The Broncos' second half rally started with Bennett's five-yard TD run with 8:15 to go in the third quarter.

Nico Martinez (30 carries, 230 yards) scored his second TD on a 21-yard late in the third quarter. Martinez played for injured leading rusher Chase Murdock, who was ruled out after suffering a fracture to his lower back in the regular season finale to Palatine.

The Broncos lost three consecutive games to end the season.

"Whatever the reason, we couldn't punch the ball into the end zone; it was a combination of things," Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said about the losses. "I wish I could tell you one thing."

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