The sight of Nick Hendricks’ 30-yard touchdown pass soaring into the hands of a wide open Devin Boehm is likely impossible for either the Evanston or New Trier to forget.
The touchdown erased Evanston’s two-point lead and gave the host Trevians the 15-9 victory Friday night.
On the game-winning drive, Hendricks completed two passes to Spencer Cotten in advancing the ball to the 35-yard line. A penalty moved the ball to the 30, and set up Boehm’s touchdown catch.
New Trier (5-3, 3-1 Central Suburban South) won for the fifth time in in last six games since starting the season 0-2.
On the winning-play, the 6-4 Cotton was the quarterback’s first choice, but he slipped. Hendricks bought time by rolling to his left and he tossed the high-arching touchdown to Boehm for the dramatic winner. It was the Trevians’ fifth win in their last six games since starting the season 0-2.
“We had a couple of out (routes) – a flood I guess – and my main target slipped,” Hendricks said of the game-winning play. “I saw Devin in the end zone and I threw a high-lofter to make sure he got it. And I just heard the crowd go silent and then erupt.”
Hendricks, who has been New Trier’s back-up quarterback for the majority of the season, started in place of Frank Nicholas, out after suffering concussion-like symptoms last week against Niles West. He was effective throwing against Evanston (4-4, 1-3).
The senior quarterback completed 19 of 25 passes and threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Hendricks threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Cotten with 29.4 seconds remaining in the first half that put New Trier up 7-6 until Evanston’s Patrick O’Mahoney converted a 35-yard field goal with 3:12 remaining in the game.
New Trier and Evanston both felt they deserved to win Friday night, which left players on both sides tearing up afterward for very different reasons.
“At the end, when we were celebrating with the coaches I teared up a little bit,” New Trier senior guard Perry Nitiss said. “Evanston’s our biggest rival. We love playing them. It was on our home turf. It’s our last guaranteed game on our field and we just wanted to go out with a bang and get a win. (Winning like this on senior night) is the most amazing thing.”
