On Sept. 28, New Trier Varsity Football beat longtime rival ETHS 35-28.

The rain cleared out just in time for the homecoming game, and for the navy jerseys to roll in. Evanston came in at 4-1 before facing the Trevians, an excellent start to their season

The stadium was packed, both teams were energized and ready to play.

Senior cornerback Carson Kosanovich said that the highlight of the game was, “Probably winning, but for sure the Green Team. It means the world when people come out for the boys.”

All players are aware of how important the rivalry with Evanston is to the school . Senior running back Brian Sitzer explained, “We had a great week of practice coming into this game. Our coaches reminded us of the history of this game and how big of a rivalry New Trier and Evanston have.”

Sophomore lineman David Davidkov said that the intensity in practice went up and “we focused a lot on our technique.”  Davidkov batted down two passes in the first quarter.

Although Kosanovich ran an interception back for a touchdown, he said that the star of the game was “the line as whole.”

“We prepared by watching lots of film, especially since we don’t watch it before games sometimes,” he said.

The team put this energy to use, especially in the first two minutes of the game. Kosanovich’s interception early on in the first quarter, carrying it another 20 yards for a score, gave the Trevians an early lead in the game. He picked off another pass later in the quarter and it led to another touchdown.

According to the Winnetka Talk, Kosanovich explained that the first interception was the spark that united the Trevians, “There was great energy after that, and that kind of got us going.We had a lot of liveliness after that.”

“To me, the highlight of the game was Carson Kosanovich’s pick six because it really set the tone for the rest of the game and got our momentum going,” said Davidkov.

The players said that the touchdown put all the players’ focus into the right place and heightened the energy.

Sitzer added, “It was a great way to start a game and put points on the board fast.” This got the student section amped up as well. “That play gave us a ton of energy that carried on. It pretty much set the stage for the rest of the game.”

This was Sitzer’s first game back after an injury early in the season. He made his mark with a 78-yard touchdown reception midway through the first half.

With Evanston ranked 25th in the state by NBC sports Chicago, it made the win even more meaningful, and it made the action more fun for the team.

“ETHS were all great competitors getting after it each play, hitting hard, and playing aggressively. They made it a really fun game to play in,” Davidkov said.

NT players respected ETHS for coming back in the second half after falling into a 15-point hole.

“Going into the second half down 21-6 is always difficult, so props to them on continuing to fight,” said Sitzer.

The win allows for the team to gain more confidence. They know the specifics they need to impove on in upcoming games.

Davidkov explained, “There are a lot of things we can work on and we will continue to get better as a team.”

This win against ETHS was meaningful for the team, not only because of the rival, or because it was the homecoming game, but because it gave the team momentum going into the rest of the season.

“This game was huge for us. Not only did we win a rivalry game, but that was our second conference win,” said Sitzer. This game could have huge implications down the road.”