Seniors Celebrate With Third Straight Win

Sean Hopson Jr.'s not getting as many touches as he did a year ago for Evanston's football team.

But that's OK with the senior. He'll trade yards for victories any week of the season.

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The Wildkits rolled to their third straight victory to open the 2026 season, overwhelming hapless Maine East 56-0 and hanging 50 points on a foe for the second time this season.

Hopson, who scored only a total of three touchdowns while rushing for over 900 yards as a junior, scored twice Friday night at Lazier Field and helped turn up the heat on the winless Demons.

It was Senior Night at ETHS, probably the earliest on the calendar the program has ever celebrated its senior class. For Hopson and his classmates, it's a chance for them to look ahead --- rather than reflect on their careers at the of the season --- after winning their first three contests for the first time since the 2018 campaign.

Typically, the last home game for any sport is when seniors are recognized. But second-year head coach Miles Osei noted after another lopsided win that any time is a good time to celebrate the Class of 2027.

"If you wait until the last game, there's a lot of stuff going on, and the weather might not be as good as it was tonight," Osei said. "I know the basketball team moved their Senior Night up last year and that was pretty unique. But other teams are trending that way, too. People are more excited to be outside and honor the seniors on a night like this.

"Instead of looking backward (at the end of a season), the kids have their senior year to look forward to. What can we achieve? What can we look forward to?"

Hopson carried the ball 5 times for 63 yards Friday, including TD runs of 11 and 29 yards, then watched from the sidelines while the reserves took over for ETHS. Junior Lewis Scott also ran for two scores (29 and 25 yards) and senior quarterback Aiden Payne threw a pair of TD passes to Kamryn Farlow (40 yards) and Andrew Roseman (23 yards) in the running clock rout.

The Kits built a 49-0 advantage at halftime and held the score down in the second half by substituting and milking the play clock. The hosts scored their only TD of the second half when junior defensive back Jayden Lowers ripped the ball out of the hands of a Maine East runner and returned the ball 65 yards for a score.

The Demons (0-3) finished with minus 57 yards rushing and 60 passing.

The Senior Day celebrations might somehow have seemed premature, coming before Labor Day, but the Kits had no trouble regaining their focus and getting down to the business at hand.

"To tell the truth, I didn't really care too much about it being Senior Night," Hopson said. "I expected to play a little bit more, but that's what happens when you play pretty good like the whole team did tonight. I like being a team player and helping my team win, even when I'm not getting as many touches. I just focus on getting wins.

"I'm just working, working trying to get better. We have a new offensive coordinator (former Prospect head coach Brent Pearlman) who has done a really good job of motivating us and making us play together.

"He never lets anyone slide in practice. He's always on us about playing our best and about cutting up the field more. I messed up one time tonight, and I came out, but he coached me up and I scored on my next carry."

Osei said Hopson's unselfishness has spread throughout the roster and that's one reason the Wildkits have already matched the number of wins ETHS has earned in each of the past three seasons.

"We have a bunch of guys who understand it's a team game and they're not putting themselves ahead of team. Sean's one of them, and that's really nice to see," said Osei. "He's a super humble kid and he's like the glue for this team.

"When you're not getting as many carries, you can say poor me, the coach isn't being fair, or you can rise to the occasion and make every touch you get a special opportunity."

ETHS piled up 35 points in the first quarter as junior quarterback T.J. Gant also reached the end zone, on a 4-yard burst.

The Wildkits host Glenbrook South on Thursday --- not Friday --- at 7:30 p.m. in the Central Suburban League South division opener.