Wildkits Run Over Vikings In Season Debut, 49-6

Miles Osei insisted that the fact that he didn’t choose any of the three quarterbacks he inherited in his first year as Evanston’s head football coach as a starter for the season opener doesn’t mean he lacks confidence in any of them.

Osei just figured Evanston’s best chance to win was to turn a Wildkit into a Wildcat.

With junior Justin Johnson taking direct snaps from center, Evanston scored on its first offensive series and rolled to a running clock 49-6 victory over Niles North Friday night in the season opener at Lazier Field.

Osei had promised to do whatever it takes in a given week for his team to win --- and lived up to that vow with a strategic move that surprised most of the capacity crowd in the ETHS stands.

Johnson, usually a wide receiver or cornerback, carried four times for 68 yards and scored on a 2-yard run at the start of a long night for the visiting Vikings. ETHS added two more scores in the first quarter, which lasted an entire hour on the actual clock because of penalties, cramping and an injury to a Niles North lineman.

The start of the Miles Osei Era at ETHS --- following the 17-year tenure of former coach Mike Burzawa --- also featured 152 yards rushing from junior Sean Hopson in his varsity debut, including a 76-yard scoring scamper, and a dominant performance by both the offensive and defensive lines.

Evanston piled up 381 yards rushing and senior quarterback Jake Everds, who took over on the second offensive series, completed both of his pass attempts for 61 yards.

The defense limited Niles North to just 128 yards of total offense. North quarterback Adonis Williams was forced to scramble for his life most of the night, was sacked three times and finished with 19 carries for 38 yards on the ground. He also completed 5-of-16 passes for 79 yards.

“It feels good to get that first win, but we still have a lot to work on,” Osei said. “It’s exciting to see our kids succeed like that, but we can’t be satisfied.

“We’re going to do whatever works and we’re going to stick with it. The Wildcat (where someone other than a player listed as a quarterback lines up to take the snap from center) is part of our offense. It gives us a good opportunity to get the ball in our playmakers’ hands. We’re just making sure that a kid who needs the ball, gets the ball.

“I thought our kids did a good job of stepping up to the occasion (on offense). We always expect to score when we have the ball. We’re just trying to run a lot of different formations to see what works.”

Johnson, a conference track champion, showed his speed and versatility by carrying the ball on four of the five plays it took for the Wildkits to march 66 yards following a Niles North punt to start the contest. The junior standout breezed into the end zone on a 2-yard run, then was flagged for excessive celebration. He couldn’t have known then that Evanston would score on all six possessions in the first half on its way to a 42-6 advantage at halftime.

Hopson, the son of the former ETHS star linebacker of the same name, dazzled the home crowd on the next possession. He tried to run off right guard, then cut back and raced 76 yards to paydirt to boost the score to 14-0 with 4 minutes, 35 seconds left in the first period.

Hopson also contributed a 20-yard run during Evanston’s next scoring drive, but this time it was teammate Tyree Innis’ turn to tack on six points. Innis scored on a 4-yard run and again later on a 2-yard burst, finishing with 9 carries for 91 yards and topping his entire rushing total from last season in his first game as a senior.

Everds got in on the scoring fun with a 4-yard TD run, and right before halftime threw his first touchdown pass, a 48-yarder to junior Colin Byrnes.

Junior Amari Watson returned the (short) second half kickoff 68 yards for a touchdown and the running clock, according to Illinois High School Association slaughter rules, went into effect in the fourth quarter.

Evyn Bell, Ian Sims and Josh Olivier each recorded quarterback sacks, but North’s Williams did help his team avoid a shutout with a 13-yard run in the second quarter.

Evanston will play at St. Laurence next Friday at 7:30 p.m.