For the second straight week, the Barrington High School football team allowed more 30 points to its opponent.

But unlike last week’s victory, the Eagles’ offense failed to keep pace on Friday night and lost to South Kingstown 35-26. Barrington had its chances to even the score against the Rebels and even take the lead, but miscues and missed opportunities took a toll. 

The slip-ups started in the first quarter. After the defense made a nice stand, the Eagles’ offense fumbled and gave the Rebels first and 10 at the BHS 13 yard line. Four plays later, SK scored and took a 7-0 lead.

Barrington responded on the ensuing kick-off. AJ DiOrio took the kick and exploded through the Rebels’ kick coverage. DiOrio was knocked out of bounds at the South Kingstown 10 yard line. Barrington scored two plays later when Payton Murphy barreled into the end zone. 

The Eagles missed the extra point, however, and trailed 7-6.

Barrington had some other miscues in the first half, including a penalty on a kickoff, and a pass interference call that gave SK a first down deep in the Eagles’ end. Eventually, the Rebels scored and made a two-point conversion, making it a two-possession lead at 15-6.  

The Rebels went up 22-6 with five minutes remaining in the first half, but Barrington eventually cut the lead to 22-12 when McClelland fired a touchdown pass to Mitchell Ivatts with 34 seconds remaining. 

Barrington missed the extra point and on the ensuing kick-off, the Eagles squibbed the kick, giving the Rebels a chance to score again. Barrington’s defense held, and went into the half trailing 22-12. 

Barrington Coach Sandy Gorham said there is room for improvement by the Eagles’ special teams. 

“Yeah, it’s hurt us the last two games,” Gorham said. 

The Eagles cut into the Rebels’ lead at the start of the second half. Barrington drove the ball down the field with runs by Murphy, DiOrio and McClelland, and eventually scored on a pass from McClelland to Evan Anderson. Will Hopkins kicked the extra point and the Eagles drew to within three points at 22-19. 

The Rebels again had the answer, scoring on a long pass with seven minutes to play in the third quarter. The Eagles blocked the extra point, leaving the score at 28-19. Barrington’s offense fired back at the Rebels, as DiOrio ripped off another long run, but the gain was called back on a holding penalty. The teams traded punts and with 10 minutes remaining in the game, Barrington’s offense took the field with a chance to cut into the lead again. The Eagles’ drive stalled, however, and Barrington turned it over on downs. 

South Kingstown grabbed the ball and the momentum, driving the length of the field for another touchdown, pushing the lead to 35-19. 

The Eagles’ second-stringers responded with a fast scoring drive, but Barrington went for the kick and not the two-point conversion. The kick was good, but the game remained a two-score difference at 35-26. Barrington also opted not to go with the onside kick.

“We didn’t seem to play as fast as I thought we would. I thought it was a good match, actually better than Cranston East. We’re not a super fast speed team. I just don’t think we played fast,” Gorham said.

The coach also acknowledged that injuries have forced some of Barrington’s younger players into key roles.

“You’ve got young, inexperienced kids in there and it showed. We’ve been decimated (by injuries),” he said. “Will’s down. And James — the two DiGiacomo’s with knee injuries. The depth has really hurt us on the offensive line. Hopefully we’ll get Garrett Wolhrab back, which will be good, getting Aimon (Bickford) back eventually.

“But we just didn’t seem to have ‘it,’ whatever that ‘it’ is. We had ‘it’ down in Westerly, emotionally. We didn’t have ‘it’ tonight.”