Evans impresses as Vernon Hills tips Wauconda
Sebastian Evans wouldn't make a very good body double for DaVaris Daniels, since he's roughly 5 inches shorter than the Vernon Hills sophomore sensation.
But Evans did a pretty good Daniels impression against Wauconda on Friday. The 5-foot-9 senior caught 4 passes for 97 yards, rushed for 62 yards and hauled in 2 interceptions, taking the second one back for a 28-yard touchdown to help seal Vernon Hills' 24-21 road victory in North Suburban Prairie action.
"Everyone has to step up," said Evans, who now has 4 interceptions on the season. "That's a big void to fill."
Daniels was not in uniform Friday after suffering a sprained ankle early in last week's loss to Antioch. His status is questionable for next week's regular-season finale against Grant.
Vernon Hills (7-1, 4-1) did get some contributions from running back Ernie Choi (13 carries, 50 yards), who also suffered an ankle injury against Antioch. But the Cougars offense had trouble finishing off drives. The special teams scored their first touchdown when junior Eric Oberwise blocked a punt and ran into the end zone from 25 yards out.
"Sometimes it comes down to who makes plays and who doesn't," said Wauconda coach Glen Kozlowski, whose team was eliminated from playoff contention. "You've got to earn your way there."
The host Bulldogs (3-5, 2-3) were on their heels for much of the game, but never quit. After forcing a fumble and interception to keep the score 7-0, Wauconda capped a 16-play drive with quarterback Garrett Dorsey's 2-yard run on fourth down. The extra point was wide.
Vernon Hills quarterback P.J. Marsek then hit Evans on a crossing pattern that went for 52 yards, setting up Brian Smith's 30-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.
Evans and Marsek connected again on a 10-yard touchdown pass as the Cougars took the third-quarter kickoff and moved 84 yards in 12 plays to make it 17-6.
Wauconda wasn't finished, though. A fumble recovery by Kevin Jones led to a 22-yard touchdown pass from Dorsey to Dalton Cuchna. The 2-point conversion brought the Bulldogs within 17-14 with 6:51 remaining.
Vernon Hills churned out a couple of first downs, then punted the ball to Wauconda's 9-yard line with 2:44 left. Dorsey converted a fourth-and-10 by hitting freshman Jake Ziolkowski for a 17-yard gain. But on the next snap, Evans anticipated a hitch pattern and his interception return made it 24-14 with 2:03 left.
During the Bulldogs' final drive, Dorsey and Cuchna connected on 4 passes for 71 yards and Wauconda scored as time expired.
"Expectations were high coming into the season," Kozlowski said. "Sometimes you forget to put in the hard work it takes to win. I'm proud of the kids. This team played hard every week."