Wheaton North falters at Evanston

It was a rough start for Wheaton North.

The Falcons fell short against Evanston 27-13 in the football teams' season opener at Evanston.

Evanston's defense registered three big interceptions.

"Evanston controlled the line of scrimmage in both ends of the ball," Falcons coach Joe Wardynski said. "We weren't able to stop the running game, we got outplayed and we got outcoached."

Wildkits junior running back Quadre Richardson recorded 204 yards, 28 carries, and 3 touchdowns.

"He's a very special back," Evanston coach Mike Burzawa said. "The first quarter took him a while to get him going and get his vision, but I think he settled in and had a big night. And it all started out front force."

Although they failed to capture the first victory of this season, the Falcons feel confident. Senior Wheaton North running back Antowon Tolbert was disappointed with his 40 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on 14 carries.

"We just need to keep our heads up and take one game at a time this season," Tolbert said. "As a player, I want to work on my speed. Our blocking can improve more so I can sneak through the holes, but I need to get better to help the team out."

Tolbert gained a total of 432 yards last season for the Falcons. Since former star Sam Singleton graduated last year, Tolbert is now taking the role as Wheaton North's offensive lethal weapon and go-to dangerous threat.

"Antowon is going to be our workhorse, there's no doubt," Wardynski said. "He worked very hard for us tonight and we got to do a better job opening some holes for him. We need to let him show what he can do, and we also fell behind in a few scores."

The Falcons play at Lake Forest in Week 2.

"We learned tonight that we're not where we need to be, so changes definitely need to be made." Wardynski said. "We'll see if we can come with better results for next week."