Barrington at Maine South today on CSN

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Matchup: No. 10 Barrington (9-1) at No. 26 Maine South (7-3), Class 8A playoffs, 1 p.m. Saturday

Where to watch: Live broadcast on CSN at 1 p.m. and live stream available on CSNChicago.com and the NBC Sports app

Overview: This second-round Class 8A showdown on Saturday afternoon is a rematch from Week 3 of the regular season. Barrington beat Maine South, 41-27, in the non-conference game. Quarterback Ray Niro completed 11 of 15 passes for 165 yards. He also had 16 carries for 119 yards, racking up four touchdowns overall (two passing, two rushing). Barrington's only loss this season came in Week 8 to undefeated Palatine, 49-31. Barrington features three Division-I level verbal commits in senior defensive end Jackson Perkins (Navy), senior linebacker Blake Holley (Navy) and senior wide receiver Josh Babicz (North Dakota State).

Last week, Maine South was able to recover a West Aurora fumbled snap on the Hawks’ one-yard line with under two minutes to play to preserve a 42-40 win. The Hawks and head coach Dave Inserra will rely on their potent spread offense with senior quarterback Nick Leongas, junior running back Fotis Kokosioulis and with a very strong group of receivers. Senior offensive/defensive lineman Kevin Jarvis, a four-star offensive guard, is the Hawks' emotional leader. He is verbally committed to Michigan State.

When Barrington has the football: The Broncos needed to adjust on the fly in last week's 28-7 win over Leyden as Niro left the game late in the third quarter with an ankle injury. In stepped Babicz, who took over under center and led the Broncos to the win. Barrington has relied all season on the speed and run/pass ability of Niro, along with the big-play ability of senior running back Logan Moews. Barrington features a strong group of receivers who also have good size and length. Keep an eye on junior wide receiver Jake Parsons and senior wide receiver Mac Molli. The Barrington offensive line, anchored by John Stefan, is also a strength this season. The biggest question, though, will be Niro. How effective can he be on Saturday?

When Maine South has the football: The Hawks mirror their opponent this week in many regards. The Maine South offense also has a terrific pass/run mix with Leongas. Kokosioulis is an inside/outside threat running the football. Kokosioulis is a hard-nosed runner who is way above average in the  power and balance categories. He is hard to bring down on the initial tackle. Maine South can — and will — throw the football all over the field. The Hawks have multiple receivers. Senior wide receiver Matt Holbrook came up huge in last week's win over West Aurora.

Key matchups to watch: Which team's defense will show up and make a handful of key stops? I'm fully expecting the scoreboard to remain very busy at Maine South on Saturday afternoon. Both offenses can score quickly and in several different ways. The team that can 1. avoid turnovers and 2. make a key stop, or force a key turnover, will win.

Impact player for Barrington: Niro. He might not be the biggest kid out there, but Niro has a terrific arm, touch and a better-than-you-think north/south speed. The Barrington read option starts with Niro's ability to make smart decisions. He has been seldom been wrong in his reads this season. If Niro can't go or is in a limited role, then it won’t be good news for the Broncos.

Impact player for Maine South: Leongas. He plays like a multi-year starter, so it's hard to fathom this is his first full varsity season as a starter for the Hawks. Leongas, much like his counterpart Niro, makes terrific reads and decisions both in the run game and the Hawks passing attack. Leongas ability to tuck it and run is underrated here.

So who wins? Maine South 45, Barrington 38. If Niro is fully ready to go on Saturday, I could easily flip this pick. I have a feeling this game could very easily become a shootout and could be a real classic. I'll take Maine South in a thriller.

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