Wildkits Blank New Trier In First Flag Matchup

As one of seven seniors on Evanston’s varsity flag football roster, Hannah Honore won’t be around long enough to see whether or not head-to-head matchups with New Trier’s girls will blossom into a real rivalry in the new sport.

But Honore made sure that the Wildkits got that rivalry off on the right foot Monday night in Northfield.

In the first varsity matchup ever between the two rivals in the sport, Honore returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown to spark Evanston to a 20-0 triumph. Sophomore KyNia Hunt added a 40-yard “pick six” and junior quarterback Maggie Conforti threw a 4-yard TD pass to Katie Lindsay-Ryan as the Kits evened their record at 2-2 on the season.

This is all new for the Wildkits and the Trevians, not like basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and swimming where players on the North Shore grow up competing against each other and sometimes play on the same youth or club teams together.

All Honore knows is that ETHS has the edge now from the start of a sport that offers another option for female athletes in the fall high school season.

She loves the sport so much that she made it clear to ETHS head coach Carlton Rosemond that she wanted to play both ways --- offense and defense --- this season after excelling mostly on offense last year before the sport was recognized by the Illinois High School Association.

“100 percent, this is a rivalry, just because the towns are rivals,” Honore pointed out. “Maybe some of the other teams (at Evanston) can’t beat them, but I knew my girls could. Just knowing we got a win tonight is definitely a plus. We haven’t had a shutout this season until now, either, so this will really set the tone for us now for the rest of the week.

“That was my first interception --- ever! My Mom is always telling me two things --- first, go get the flag (on the intended receiver’s hips) and second, go get the ball. I knew I couldn’t get that girl because she was behind me, but she tipped the ball, I got it and bam! Off I went.”

Honore’s grab and dash down the left sidelines accounted for all of the scoring in the first half. It was one of three interceptions the visitors racked up against New Trier quarterback Vicky Wainscott (10-of-23 passing for only 70 yards), with Hunt and Payton King accounting for the other thefts.

Honore replaced the injured Camille Calixte on the defensive unit Monday. Besides the interception, she also caught 6 passes for 30 yards and rushed 3 times for 23 yards for the winners.

“We were about four or five games into the season last year when I asked Coach Gesky (former head coach Luella Gesky) about playing her on offense because she’s so fast,” Rosemond said. “She really became a phenomenal offensive player.

“She had already asked about playing both ways because it’s her senior year, and with Camille down, it happened sooner rather than later. She understands her responsibilities really well out there. She didn’t run track last year because of a back injury (after competing as a sophomore), but now she’s 100 percent healthy and ready to go.

“I thought our defense played lights out again tonight. We sped up New Trier’s offense and didn’t give their quarterback much time back there. When you do that, you’ll have success.”

Evanston had to lean on the defense again after Conforti threw three interceptions in the first half. She finished with 20 completions in 29 attempts for 130 yards, and also converted PAT passes to King and newly-promoted freshman Harper Wesenburg, but still hasn’t shown the consistency Rosemond requires from a player expected to be the team’s offensive leader.

“What we need Maggie to do is just take the first thing (completion) the defense gives her,” said the first-year head coach. “Our quarterback didn’t play well and we still won 20-0, and that’s great. But when she feels pressure back there (and New Trier never blitzed in either half), she has to figure out ways to calm herself down.

“She did make some good plays in the first half, but then she sailed some throws over the receivers’ heads that would have been touchdowns. And she did that because she rushed those throws.”

Rosemond believes that the rivalry will grow in this new fall sport, and may reach the level it has in other sports where New Trier has dominated the head-to-head competition.

“I think a rivalry can be a great thing,” he said. “I think it’s a rivalry when you play your neighbor up the street, because you always want the opportunity to be able to say we have a better program than you do. I’ve even talked with the New Trier coach (Mark Colegrove) about playing every year for some kind of monument, like the fire hydrant trophy they have in (boys) soccer. I think that would add some flavor to the game.

“We have girls who want to compete and get after it and playing good competition helps you in the long run. We already have pretty good rivalries with Maine South and Glenbrook South and I think it’s good for the conference to have so many programs that want to be good.”