Super 25 countdown: Barrington

Updated: August 15, 2011 3:28PM

Hard to blame Chase Murdock if he’d just like to forget about last football season.

If it wasn’t one thing, it was another slowing down Barrington’s standout running back. First it was a case of mononucleosis, then turf toe and finally a back injury. Somehow Murdock battled through all that pain to gain more than 1,000 yards and help the Broncos return to the IHSA playoffs after a one-year absence.

“It was brutal mentally and physically,” said Murdock, who is looking for better days ahead for himself and the Broncos.

With a solid group of linemen and Murdock back, the future looks bright for Barrington, which is No. 15 in the Sun-Times preseason Super 25.

Noting the Broncos will average between 255 and 260 pounds across the line, Murdock said, “it’s going to be another fun year pounding the ball.”

“It all starts with our big returner, Dan Voltz,” Barrington coach Joe Sanchez said of the 6-foot-5, 289-pound Wisconsin recruit who is ranked No. 4 nationally among offensive guards by Rivals.com.

“Dan is looking awesome,” said Murdock (6-1, 210), who has a scholarship offer from Northern Illinois. “Every time coach gives me a call to his side, I get excited. He’s really fun to run behind.”

Junior Mason Darrow, a varsity starter last season, also returns for a unit that won the lineman challenge against some stiff competition at the Wheaton Warrenville South 7-on-7 event last month.

“I’d like to put up 2,000 yards rushing,” Murdock said. “With the line we have, I think we can do that.”

“We think we potentially have a good group on the O-line and D-line,” Sanchez said. “On the outside, we have two returning guys who have a lot of experience. Inside, we’re going to pass the eyeball test.”

Murdock also will start at linebacker, making him one of four projected two-way regulars for the Broncos. Also expected to see double duty are wide receiver/defensive back Sam Handler, cornerback/wide receiver Dylan Zyzda and tight end/defensive lineman Lee Conforti.

“You want to try to put the best players on the field,” Sanchez said. “(But) with the number of kids we have going both ways, we have to stay healthy.”

Murdock clearly understands the importance of that, given what he experienced last year.

“We don’t have too much depth this year,” Murdock said. “We do have a lot of guys going both ways. It gets a lot of athletes out there.”

What the future holds for those athletes remains to be seen. But Sanchez is upbeat: “If things fall into place the way we envision they could, it could be a fun year.”

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