Class 8A: No. 5 Barrington at No. 3 Lincoln-Way East, 1 p.m. Saturday
Something has to give, and not just because both teams are 12-0. Barrington, seeking its first trip to the finals in 25 years, has a high-flying offense averaging 37.3 points a game. Among the playmakers are quarterback Nick Peipert (3,017 total yards, 37 total TDs, three interceptions), running back Dillon Fitzpatrick (1,525 yards, 23 TDs) and receivers Will Nazha (51 catches, 954 yards, eight TDs) and Matt Marusich (41 catches, 824 yards, 15 TDs). And edge rusher Devan Van Ness has 16 sacks. Lincoln-Way East, chasing its fourth state-finals berth since 2017 and second straight, has shut out its last four opponents and hasn’t given up more than 14 points in a game all season. Linebacker Conner Durkin and edge rusher Caden O’Rourke lead that unit, while quarterback Braden Tischer and running back Nuri Muhammad are go-to players on offense.
