ETHS suffered its fifth straight defeat on Friday night, falling at home 18–6 to Glenbrook South. Despite the loss, the Kits showed encouraging signs of improvement. They won the turnover battle and managed to contain a GBS offense that had been averaging 32 points per game entering the night — a particularly notable feat given the absence of star junior cornerback and wide receiver Justin Johnson, who was sidelined due to injury.
“We played with a lot of passion on defense. I thought their effort, rallying to the football, was a good model for the entire team,” commented Head Coach Miles Osei.
The defensive tone was set early, with both teams going three-and-out on their opening drives. GBS then marched to the ETHS twenty-six-yard line, where senior quarterback Andrew Bonvechio was forced out of the pocket and was able to throw the ball downfield. However, Kits senior safety Brian Mayday jumped the route and intercepted the ball at the 1-yard line.
However, the Kits couldn’t capitalize on the turnover. Pinned deep, junior running back Sean Hopson was tackled in the end zone for a safety. On the ensuing GBS possession, the Titans took advantage of the free kick, as Bonvechio connected with senior wide receiver Parker Ward for the game’s first touchdown, extending the lead to 9–0 at the end of the first quarter.
The ETHS offense struggled to gain traction, putting their defense right back on the field. GBS delivered the game’s defining play when Bonvechio hit senior Vince Prikos, who sprinted 64 yards to the 1-yard line. Bonvechio then capped the drive with a quarterback keeper, pushing the lead to 15–0 midway through the second quarter.
“Our offense needs to stop putting our defense in bad situations. They need to give our defense a break, so they’re not constantly forced to be on the field,” noted Osei.
ETHS finally sparked to life with four minutes left in the half. Hopson took a handoff left and exploded down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown, bringing the ETHS student section — the “Kit Pit” — to life. For a moment, it looked like the Kits might claw their way back. The defense came up with a key stop, and the offense drove to the GBS 34-yard line. But the Kits came up short on fourth down, ending the half with missed momentum.
The second half turned into a defensive battle. ETHS held GBS to just a 34-yard field goal from junior kicker John Mavrianos with two minutes remaining, but the offense failed to respond. The Kits never reached the red zone, and their quarterbacks combined to go just 3-of-15 for 24 passing yards.
“It got to the point where we told our guys, ‘Score and you stay in the game. Don’t, and it’s somebody else’s turn,’” explained Osei.
While the start of the Osei era at the varsity level has been rocky — with a 1–5 record — the JV team has provided a bright spot for the program’s future. The JV Kits have recorded strong wins over GBS and Fremd and currently sit at 4–2.
“They’ve really bought into what we want to be as a program. Our coaching staff, led by Coach Brown, has done a remarkable job of instilling the values we established from day one,” said Osei.
The Varsity Kits will be highly motivated to bounce back next week as they face rival New Trier in the Homecoming game — which features a controversial 1 p.m. kickoff next Saturday.
