Coming off two tough losses against St. Laurence and Palatine, the ETHS football team aimed to turn things around in their Homecoming game against Prospect.
Just two minutes into the matchup, senior quarterback Colin Lavitino threaded the needle to find senior wide receiver Ryan Wambo, who raced 69 yards for a touchdown, giving the Wildkits a early 7-0 lead. However, Prospect quickly responded, tying the game at seven just three minutes later. Junior running back Mike Pryor then put the Kits back in the lead with a six-yard touchdown run. Shortly after, Prospect took advantage of the Kits’ poor special teams’ performance and scored twice in their ensuing possessions. The Knights went into the half with a 21-16 advantage.
In the second half, the Wildkits struggled to keep pace with Prospect’s efficient offense, ultimately falling in a high-scoring affair, 49-29.
“I thought the game would be decided by who had the ball last, but in the end, they were just more physical than us, and the game got away from us,” said head coach Mike Burzawa.
Despite the loss, Evanston showed offensive promise, totaling 413 yards—195 through the air and 218 on the ground. The team benefited from the return of Livatino, who had been sidelined due to injury in the previous two games.
“I thought we executed well; we were able to get both the running and passing game going tonight. We have to give credit to Prospect for being the better team tonight,” coach Burzawa remarked.
The offense’s improved performance was overshadowed by Prospect’s dominant run game, which consistently broke tackles and turned seemingly short runs into significant yardage.
Run defense will be a key focus for the Kits in this week’s practices as Evanston prepares to face Glenbrook South, a team that rushed for over 400 yards in their last meeting.
“We’ve had a really tough schedule so far this season, and it doesn’t get any easier,” said Burzawa. “I have faith in our guys to step up in the upcoming conference games.”
