On Friday, Oct. 25, New Trier’s Varsity Football season came down to one game against Evanston.  “It’s always a tough game,” said head coach Dan Starkey.

Going into the Evanston game, New Trier was 4-4 with losses to perennial powers such as Maine South and Warren, in addition to tough opponents in Schaumburg and GBS.  After a rocky 0-2 start to the season, New Trier regrouped against Niles North winning 52-0.  “The Niles North game really showed us who we could be” said Starkey. The Trevians railed off three straight wins, beating Deerfield, the aforementioned Niles North, and a shootout against Waukegan.

However, things didn’t get easier for the Trevians.  New Trier then lost two games in a row: first, there was a 42-17 loss to Maine South, followed by a 42-14 loss to GBS.  “We knew we were a better team than the way we played and we just wanted to get back to work and practice harder,” said junior nose guard, James Doan.

The future looked bleak. The Trevians would need two wins in two games over then 6-1 Niles West and historic rival, Evanston, in the season finale.

“We just continued to believe” explained Starkey.  “The seniors work ethic was good all week in practice and we were confident going into Niles West.”

Following the GBS loss, New Trier caught fire.  On homecoming weekend, the Trevians ran over Niles West, both literally and figuratively.  Lead by a 263 yard, 5 touchdown performance by junior Kevin Mulhern, the Trevians kept their post season hopes alive with a 36-7 thrashing of the Wolves.  “It was a must-win game.  Our offense was firing on all cylinders and we were getting a big push up front which led to all those scores, said Mulhern.

“Coming out with our backs against the wall and to play that well was impressive,” added Starkey.

The season reached its boiling point in the final game against Evanston.  Evanston (5-3 at the time) was fighting for seeding; New Trier needed a win to become playoff eligible.  “We’re playing at Evanston, a great rivalry, their Senior Night, and our backs are against the wall again.  It’s going to be a tough game,” said Starkey after the Niles West game.

On the Thursday prior to every game, Coach Starkey holds Bleacher Talk, a weekly meeting with the whole program (Freshman B through Varsity) in the Winnetka cafeteria to discuss the game ahead and award individuals for their efforts the previous week at all levels.

At Bleacher Talk before the Evanston game, Coach Robert Spagnoli, a coach and teacher at New Trier for over 20 years, spoke to the teams about the history involved with the Evanston rivalry.  “It’s important for the younger coaches and players to know about the rivalry,” said Coach Starkey.  “They benefit from knowing about past traditions.”

The Trevians came out firing.  New Trier’s first points came with 4:21 left in the first quarter when senior quarterback Matt McCaffrey capped off a 14 play, 68 yard drive with a 1 yard touchdown run. The Trevians got on the scoreboard again when senior kicker Connor Durbin connected on a long range field goal with 7:28 left in the first half.  Kevin Mulhern ran for the games final score on a 65 yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.

“It felt good to put another score up early in the third quarter,” he explained.  “It was another game where if we didn’t win the half, there was a chance we wouldn’t play another one next week.”  New Trier held off the Wildkits the rest of the game, shutting them out by a final score of 17-0.

The Evanston win capped off a dramatic season for the Trevians, who were plagued with injuries throughout. “Lots of players had to step up,” said Starkey.  When starting quarterback Frank Nicholas was injured early on in the season, backup Matt McCaffrey had to step into football’s most important role.  “Matt was consistent in school, in practice, and was a leader on offense,” said Starkey. However, McCaffrey was not the only player to provide consistency for the Trevians.

Starkey also explained how seniors Michael Sernus and and Mike Frett provided consistency on the defensive and offensive lines, respectively. Similarly, juniors Charlie Schroder and Scott Hammes proved to be indispensable offensive resources throughout the season, in addition to Mulhern’s emergence as a lead back midway through the season.

Next up for the Trevians is #3 seed, Glenbard North (8-1) in the first round of the Class 8-A football playoffs. “They have a very good running back and offense,” said senior offensive lineman Mike Foy, who is out for the season after tearing cartilage in his knee during week 3.  “Offensively, we will try to control the clock and establish our running game, and our defense will continue to play well up front like they have for the past two weeks.” It will be a tough test, but the red-hot Trevians look poised for a monumental upset.