Heading into the rivalry game at New Trier, most fans were sulking in their seats with little hope of victory. Evanston football was on a four-game losing streak and had yet to win at New Trier since 2010. Yet at the end of the game, the players were huddled around the away bleachers singing the ETHS fight song with the fans at the top of their lungs after a 40-20 demolition of the Trevians. 

“I just feel so happy for our seniors; beating New Trier two years in a row—that’s something that has not been done in a long time. A legacy-defining moment,” stated head coach Mike Burzawa.

The 18-15 away win against the Trevains in 2010 came just two years into Burzawa’s reign as head coach and wasn’t seen again until last night. 

“It’s the oldest rivalry in Illinois high school football, and our players know how important it is to our community. It’s never easy, but we just played amazing football throughout the game,” said Burzawa.

An iconic performance by senior quarterback Colin Livatino led the team to victory. Livatino totaled 402 yards and five touchdowns in the blowout win. This performance, along with his late-game heroics in last year’s clash against New Trier—where he connected with running back Damain Timberlake for a 46-yard game-winning touchdown—cemented his legacy as the Trevians’ ultimate weakness.

“He’s been with this program his entire life; he was born the same year I came here, so to see him play the way that he did tonight was really special. It’ll be a memory in the Livatino family for a long time,” remarked Burzawa.

The Kits were aggressive from the first whistle. New Trier’s kicker and Northwestern commit Nikola Dujandzic kicked a 51-yard field goal, giving the Trevians an early lead. Still, the Kits roared back as Livatino hit a short slant to sophomore wide receiver Justin Johnson, who dashed past the New Trier defense for an 80-yard touchdown. New Trier took a 10-7 lead, but the Kits answered back as Livatino connected with Johnson on a deep fly route for yet another 80-yard score. These big plays kept coming for the Kits’ offense, which took a dominant 27-13 lead heading into halftime.

Despite the Trevians cutting the Kit’s lead to just seven midway through the third quarter, there would be no blocking the Kit’s offense in the second half. The Kit’s would go on to win by a whopping 20 points; a historic margin. 

“We dominated both sides of the ball and were extremely physical, I could not be more proud,” stated Burzawa.

The Kits will try and carry their newfound momentum into their next game against Deerfield at home on Thursday, October 10.