37

That's the total points allowed by the Fremd defense during its six-game win streak headed into the 8A playoffs on Friday night at home against Plainfield North.

37

That's still the number of points the Vikings D has let up after defeating the Tigers 19-0 to push its win streak to 7, the team's fourth shutout of the year.

"We have a ton of respect for that football team over there," said Vikings head coach Lou Sponsel. "They are a classy group of kids and great athletes … they are a fun team to compete against, and our kids love a challenge."

Fremd quarterback Ryan Saxe was having all types of fun on the gridiron.

After a scoreless first quarter where both teams couldn't muster much offensively, Saxe and the Vikings got things going late in the second quarter as the junior signal caller scored on a 2-yard TD run with 3:15 left in the half.

Fremd got the ball back with a little over a minute before intermission, and Saxe made the most of it by scoring on a dazzling 37-yard TD run with...

It's "Back to Business" in Barrington.

And business is booming.

After consecutive losses to Conant and Fremd in Weeks 6 and 7, the Broncos rebounded with convincing wins over Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg, the latter coming on Friday night in a 50-15 home victory.

"We had some tough games against some really good teams," said Barrington head coach Joe Sanchez. "We had to own it and be accountable for it and I was really proud of the way our boys and coaches kept battling, finding a way to keep getting better."

The Broncos got off to a quick start when quarterback Tommy Fitzpatrick scored on a 14-yard TD run at the 8:32 mark of the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.

Just three minutes later, running back Quinn Ketel was off to the races on a 63-yard TD scamper to extend Barrington's lead to 14-0.

Schaumburg stormed back and Shamaree Brown hit pay dirt from 14 yards out to trim the deficit to 14-7.

And just when it appeared as though the Saxons would tie the game following a Bronco...

After a 35-21 loss to Maine South in Week 3, Fremd Vikings head coach Lou Sponsel spoke with conviction that his team "We'll get it fixed and get right back to work."

Boy did they ever.

After starting the season 1-2, the Vikings have reeled off five consecutive victories with the latest coming on  Friday night at Conant by a score of 20-12 to capture the MSL West crown.

Conant started the scoring early in the second quarter, using a 16-play drive that spanned over 9 minutes that culminated in Malik Frederick's 13th rushing TD of the season. Jack Hipchen blocked the PAT to keep it 6-0 Cougars.

Midway through the second quarter, Fremd quarterback Ryan Saxe started to find his groove hitting Hipchen and Saxe on a Vikings drive that got deep into Conant territory.

Facing a 3rd and 13 from the 17, Saxe found Hipchen who tip-toed down the sideline for a score to make it 7-6 Vikings at the half.

The Cougars retook the lead late in the third quarter on a Giuseppe Dugo 7-yard TD run, but with j...

Palatine junior quarterback Joe Ayala tossed two second-half touchdown passes and added a score on the ground to help the Pirates upend visiting Hoffman Estates 21-0 in MSL West action Friday night.

Running back Ronald Todd gashed the Hawks defense for 169 yards on the ground as the Pirates moved to 2-5 overall on the season and avenged it's 47-44 loss to Hoffman from a year ago in the process.

"At the end of the day, we won the battle up front with the O-line and D-line, won the war in the trenches with the "Nasty Nine," said Pirates head coach Corey Olson. "I was really proud of our guys tonight."

After a scoreless first half, the Hawks received the second-walk kickoff, but shortly thereafter, turned the ball over to set up Palatine at the Hoffman 36. Ayala wasted no time matriculating his team down the field and hit Luka Popovic on a 21-yard TD strike with 9:55 left in the third.

Roughly six minutes later, Ayala and company were on the march again and with his team facing a 3rd an...

Hoffman Estates used a balanced attack through the air and on the ground to get back in the win column with a 21-16 victory over visiting Schaumburg.

Jojo Lovelace threw for 243 yards and 2 scores, both of them to sophomore sensation, Jashawn Johnson (insert stats), to help the Hawks improve to 4-2 and one step closer to a playoff berth.

In the process, the Hawks wiped the bitter taste of last week’s 31-6 loss to Conant in the Mayor’s Cup.

"We were pretty down on Monday (following loss to Conant), but then got after it pretty good the rest of the week," said Hawks head coach Tim Heyse. "This was a great bounceback win for us."

With a notoriously prolific offense, it was actually the defense that proved to be the cataylist in the game, tallying an impressive 8 sacks on the evening while holding the Saxons to 0 yards passing in the first half.

Quite the turnaround from a week ago.

"Our defense is getting better and better each week," said Heyse. "I can't remember the...