Hungry Wildkits Put Up 50 Points In Season Debut

Evanston head football coach Miles Osei used the word "hungry" to describe the players who made up the majority of the starting lineup for the first time in their varsity careers on both offense and defense.

Everyone got fed Friday night at Rockne Stadium.

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Seven different Wildkits scored touchdowns in their 2026 debut, a 50-6 thrashing of Chicago Phillips. The running clock, according to Illinois High School Association slaughter rules, was in effect after ETHS piled up 44 points in the first half.

It marked the first time Evanston has hung 50 points on an opponent since a 53-50 overtime victory against Indian Trail (Wis.) in the 2022 season opener. Program records show it was the 30th time in history they've scored at least 50 points in a contest.

Without the running clock, Osei's squad would likely have challenged the 1951 school record 80-7 rout of Highland Park. The Kits dominated every phase of the game --- offense, defense and special teams --- even though there were so many new faces in place.

Phillips didn't put up much of a fight. The Wildcats won the Class 5A state championship as recently as 2018 and also claimed the Class 4A state title in 2016. But they only dressed 25 players Friday and finished with minus 37 yards rushing and 80 passing.

Phillips' only score came after a 55-yard catch-and-run set up a 3-yard TD pass from quarterback Sincere McCarroll (8-of-22 for 80 yards with one interception) to Zaire Benson with 4 minutes, 31 seconds left in the game against the ETHS reserves.

The winners sacked McCarroll four times in the first half --- courtesy of new starters Patrick Antonio, Josh Olivier, Levi Maman and Michael Hatchett --- and only yielded a total of six first downs, including two via penalties.

"Having that many first-time starters didn't make me nervous," Osei said. "I saw them all in camp all summer and I was not surprised. It was just good to get a game in (it's the earliest start to a season in history because of the expansion of the state playoffs) and play in a completely different environment, in a great stadium.

"We talked a lot about being able to keep your composure and staying locked in. The biggest thing for us was our composure, and they did a good job. It's varsity football and it's very new for a lot of them. But they want to win --- deeply --- and it shows every day in practice. They're working hard to adjust."

There's a first time for everything and none of those firsts recorded by the Wildkits Friday were negatives.

Justin Johnson scored the first time he touched the football --- returning the opening kickoff 78 yards untouched ---- junior running back Nate Osayande burst 15 yards for a TD on his first carry in a varsity game --- and when senior linebacker Avery Whortenberry blocked a punt for the first time in his life, resulting in a safety, the Kits had broken out to a 16-0 first quarter lead.

Junior quarterback T.J. Gant threw the first two TD passes of his career, covering 12 yards to Kamryn Farlow and 16 yards to Colin Byrnes, and Sean Hopson (4-yard run) and Aiden Payne (5-yard run) also joined in the first half scoring fun.

Senior Amari Watson's pick six from midfield was the lone score for ETHS in the second half.

Payne focused on playing wide receiver after seeing action at the quarterback spot as a freshman and sophomore, but is back in the quarterback mix again since Gant took almost all of the snaps in 7-on-7 competition this summer and didn't have a legitimate back-up.

He wanted to make more of an impact as a leader in his final season and said there's a different vibe surrounding the team in 2026.

"Hungry? Definitely. I'm just trying to make sure we win a lot of games by keeping them focused," Payne said. "These guys are dedicated, and they're locked in. If they stay focused, we're going to be a good team. The next game (home opener next Friday versus Palatine) will be about getting the nerves out in front of a big home crowd.

"I'm trying to help show them what varsity football is all about, so they're ready when we play the good teams on our schedule. Having one quarterback is not a good option for any team and the (varsity) coaches knew I had played quarterback before. There really wasn't much discussion about it.

"Me and T.J. feed off each other and we can rotate in and do whatever the team needs at that time. I do love it when the ball's in my hands. That's the difference for me between last year and this year, that I'll be getting more touches."

Against Phillips, Payne rushed for 41 yards on five attempts. Hopson paced the winners on the ground with 55 yards on six carries.