A torn shoulder labrum and biceps tendon forced Huntley‘s CeCe Romano to miss her junior season of softball and senior season of basketball.

Back on the diamond in the spring, the Red Raiders catcher pushed pain aside.

“It’s definitely been a road to come back,” Romano said. “Unfortunately this year I’ve struggled a lot with shoulder pain, but my teammates and coaches have had my back through it all. I’ve never had people believe in me this much. It makes me feel better to come out and perform the best I can, even when I might be a little low.”

“It means the world to me.”

The tough Romano, one of 10 seniors on Huntley, and the Red Raiders found themselves in a familiar position Saturday against an equally-tough Barrington squad.

Meeting for the 10th straight season in the playoffs, the Fillies scored two runs in the fifth, and Katie Taraschewsky shut down the Red Raiders for a 2-0 win in the teams’ Class 4A Barrington Sectional title game at Barrington’s Field of Dreams.

Barrington (36-0), which has defeated Huntley (26-9) in two straight sectional finals – both by a 2-0 score – advance to play Oswego in a NIU Supersectional at 4 p.m. Monday.

The Raiders finished a win shy of their fourth sectional title in program history, and first since 2024 when they beat Barrington 5-3.

“Playing Barrington feels like a routine,” Romano said after her final high school game. “We look forward to it every year. We know it’s gonna happen.”

Taraschewsky became Barrington’s all-time winningest pitcher, earning her 91st career victory and moving to 32-0 on the year.

The senior right-hander limited the Raiders to five hits, all singles, and stranded six runners between the third and fourth innings.

After one-out singles by Huntley’s Layla Olson, Aubrina Adamik and Katelyn Bayness in the bottom of the fifth, Taraschewsky got out of the jam when No. 3 hitter Piper Heimbrodt hit a soft liner that was caught by second baseman Morgan Donahue. Donahue then turned and fired to third base for an inning-ending double play, catching the runner too far off the bag.

Huntley only had one other inning where a runner reached scoring position, with courtesy runner Alyssa Weniger stranded at second in the third. Taraschewsky retired the last seven batters she faced.

“She’s just so gritty,” Barrington coach Perry Peterson said of his ace. “She’s just tough with what she does.”

Olson (2 for 3) went all seven innings for Huntley, allowing two runs on 10 hits, one walk and five strikeouts. After giving up two runs in the fifth, she stranded two runners in each of the final two innings.

Barrington had two-out run scoring hits by Lianna Maggio and Nina Brebach in the fifth. Brebach hit a slow chopper to Olson and just beat a throw to first. The Raiders argued that the ball hit Brebach’s foot on the batted ball, but the play stood.

“Katie did a tremendous job in the circle. Held us at bay,” said Huntley coach Mark Petryniec, who surpassed 500 career wins in his 22nd season. “We had a couple chances there, just couldn’t get the runs in.”

Olson, a rising junior, got better as the year went on in her first full season in the circle. She watched last spring as Huntley lost to Barrington in the sectional final.

“It’s very exciting to go against (Barrington),” Olson said. “I just wanted to help support my team. I knew they’d be difficult to play, but sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.”

“Could not ask anymore of her,” Petryniec said. “She has continuously stepped up for us, pitched her behind off and gave us every opportunity to be successful. We’ve watched her progression and she’s a true No. 1 right now.”

Freshman left fielder Piper Heimbrodt went 0 for 3 but came up big for the Raiders throughout the season, climbing the order and becoming someone opposing teams had to be careful with. She made a nice running catch in the seventh and that same inning threw out a potential third run for Barrington at the plate.

Petryniec said this year’s team may go down as the top hitting and fielding team in program history.

“This team was really easy to warm up to,” Heimbrodt said. “The first few practices we all immediately bonded. Everyone stepped up. I always had a ride home, always had somebody cheering me on and picking me up after a strikeout or anything like that.”

Adamik, Bayness and Hobday each had one hit for Huntley, which fell short of winning the Fox Valley Conference but earned its 11th straight regional title.

Adamik, who will play next year at Akron, recently became the program’s all-time leader in games played.

“We knew it was bound to happen,” Adamik said of facing Barrington. “We all played our hearts out. We wanted it, but just came up a little short. My time here has meant everything. Met my best friends, the coaches have made a big impact on me and everyone that has come through this program. Wouldn’t want to end my career at any other school.”