With complete dominance on both ends of the ball, Evanston only needed 24 minutes to earn its first victory of the season Friday night.
The Wildkits beat up Lincoln Park both physically and metaphorically, seizing a 42-0 lead on a Geron Williams touchdown run with 6:23 remaining in the second quarter. The Wildkits took their 42-point advantage into halftime and at that point Lincoln Park was forced to forfeit because it didn’t have enough healthy players.
Evanston bucked its recent string of season-opening losses with a dominating performance against Lincoln Park. Evanston began its last three seasons with losses to Loyola, falling 40-0 in 2011, 35-0 in 2010 and 23-9 in 2009.
“It was good to come out with a win finally after getting beaten up the last couple years on opening night,” said senior Zachary Husain, a two-way standout on Evanston’s offensive and defensive lines. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves. We still have to focus every week and keep progressing.”
Evanston (1-0) controlled each facet of the game. The Wildkits’ defense allowed 18 yards, and their offense scored on each possession except for when quarterback Sawyer Lindblad took a knee to end the first half.
Senior running back Alex Vergara led the Wildkits with 78 yards rushing on four carries, and junior quarterback Chris Little began his varsity career by going 5-for-8 and throwing two touchdowns – a 20-yard strike to Vergara and a 24-yard screen pass to Deontre Yarbrough.
Little also had a 25-yard scamper for a score.
“I’d definitely say it is,” Little said when asked if Friday night’s blowout was a best-case scenario for the start to his varsity career. “I’m really happy to get more comfortable with my teammates and better (my) chemistry with them.”
Before the game was called, Evanston held a ceremony honoring its 2012 Hall of Fame inductees. The class includes the school’s 1965-1966 boys soccer team, the 1951-1952 football team, Shalina Clarke (track and field, Class of 2006), Eric Friedler (tennis, Class of 1972) and longtime coach and athletic director Willie May.
