Wildkits Fall Short In Fourth Quarter Again

Even the most optimistic fan of Evanston’s football team probably didn’t believe the Wildkits still had a chance to reach the Illinois High School Association state playoffs entering Week 7.

There’s no room for you in the playoffs if you can’t win the fourth quarter.

The Kits experienced déjà vu all over again in a rare Thursday night encounter as a 2-point conversion pass attempt with 21 seconds remaining fell incomplete in a 21-19 Central Suburban League South division loss to Deerfield at Lazier Field.

A season of filled with frustration hit a low point Thursday now that ETHS (2-5 overall, 1-2 CSL South) has officially been eliminated from postseason consideration. The Wildkits have been within one score in the fourth quarter against four of those opponents they’ve lost to --- and have nothing but losses to show for it.

All that’s left now is to try to find a way to win in season-ending games against Glenbrook North and Maine South.

“It’s another tough one for us to swallow,” admitted head coach Mike Burzawa after Colin Livatino’s PAT pass was knocked down in the end zone in the final seconds of play. “This one eliminates us from the playoffs, and that’s disappointing. We need to play smarter, we need to be better, we need to find a way to finish better in the fourth quarter.

“We couldn’t get into a rhythm on offense all night and give credit to Deerfield (4-3 overall), because they’re a good football team with a bunch of two and three-year starters. They showed that tonight. Their DBs (defensive backs) played us better than we anticipated and neutralized our playmakers, and they really got after us with their pressure from the defensive line. We needed a better plan tonight.

“We just seemed to be in too many 3rd and long situations after the defense settled in and kept us in the game. And our lack of discipline really hurt us at times, too.”

Evanston had two chances to pull off a come-from-behind victory and both, surprisingly, were possible because of stops turned in by a beleaguered defensive unit that hasn’t been able to produce clutch plays when the Wildkits were still within striking distance in some of those defeats.

Thursday, Deerfield missed a 35-yard field goal attempt by Ethan Weiner with 4 minutes left in the game after a drive stalled at the ETHS 18.

The host team marched to midfield, but quarterback Livatino’s screen pass on second down was intercepted by Deerfield’s 6-foot-4 defensive end, Jack Berger to deny that comeback try.

Then Warriors’ running back Quinn Schimanski (22 carries for 137 yards) coughed up a fumble just when the visitors were about to put the game on ice and run out the clock. Evanston sophomore Evyn Bell came up with the loose ball and ETHS was in business at its own 33 with 2:08 still left on the game clock.

Two completions by Livatino, who was under extreme duress in the pocket all night, and a roughing the passer penalty moved the ball to the Deerfield 29. From there, sophomore receiver Justin Johnson --- who had returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter --- made a sensational twisting catch of Livatino’s toss down the left side to move the ball to the 2.

Two plays later, Livatino hooked up with Dallas Amos for a 2-yard TD pass in the back of the end zone. The 2-point PAT try, necessary because the Wildkits had an extra point kick blocked earlier in the game, went awry when Deerfield defensive back Harrison Erdman swatted It away from intended receiver Ryan Wambo.

“That was certainly a heartbreaker for us,” said Burzawa after pleas for a holding call against the Deerfield secondary by ETHS coaches on the sidelines fell on deaf ears. “I guess we picked the wrong 2-point play, but we’ve had success with that play in the past. That’s where that other missed extra point came back to haunt us.”

Livatino, who has enjoyed almost spotless pass protection from the offensive line even in other losses, was smacked around by the Warriors Thursday. He was sacked three times and only completed 14-of-21 passes for 129 yards.

Evanston surrendered touchdowns on Deerfield’s first two possessions of the game, another pattern familiar to Wildkit fans. But Mike Pryor’s 1-yard TD plunge cut that deficit in half at the 4:48 mark of the second quarter, and Johnson pulled the Kits within a single point when he sped half the field to paydirt after stealing a pass thrown by Deerfield’s Mac Jones (7-of-17 for 125 yards and one touchdown).

Deerfield scored what turned out to be the game-winner after a 50-yard scamper by Schimanski set up a 9-yard touchdown run by Evan Yobion midway through the third quarter.