New Trier overcomes two-score deficit and grabs triple-overtime win in girls flag football

The moment was as much a sigh of relief as it was a celebration for New Trier flag football.

On the heels of three straight losses, the Trevians capped an epic comeback on Wednesday, Sept. 11, with Lyla Andelin’s triple-overtime scoring reception, a walk-off conversion that gave New Trier a 13-12 victory against visiting Glenbrook South.

“It felt great, especially off those losses,” Trevians quarterback Victoria Wainscott said. “We really wanted this game and I could tell everyone’s energy was really high, and everyone participated in this win.”

A second-half touchdown gave the Titans a 12-0 lead with under 15 minutes to play in Northfield. (High school flag football is played in two, 20-minute halves.) The Trevians then went to work.

Wainscott led consecutive scoring drives — a three-and-out forced by New Trier’s defense sandwiched in between — to knot the score. Wainscott, who was 8-of-11 passing in the second half, first found Andelin for a 13-yard TD to get New Trier on the board, and then, late in regulation, she connected with Ilana Styles (6 catches, 55 yards) over the middle for the game-tying score.

“The girls just started to believe,” New Trier coach Mark Colegrove said. “We completed passes and took care of the ball. Taking care of the ball in this sport is hugely important, and the girls came together and rallied and kept believing.

“They’ve been doing great all year. This was a time when they actually saw the benefits of that hard work.”

New Trier stopped a final-minute GBS drive to force overtime, when the teams traded possessions and could try for either one- or two-point conversions.

Each team failed to convert their first two attempts. One of the Titans’ attempts, a pass, was broken up by New Trier sophomore safety Kathleen Ellis.

New Trier senior Tala Tabahi stretched to swat down the Titans’ third attempt, giving the Trevians a chance for a walk-off win.

From the 5-yard-line (a one-point try), Wainscott zipped a pass to Andelin over the middle. She caught it just past the goal line for the score.

“(Colegrove) called an empty (set), all hitches and just said find the open person,” Wainscott said. “I saw her open.”

Wainscott completed 18-of-28 passes for 222 yards to go with the two touchdowns and overtime conversion. Holly Hales caught five passes for 47 yards, Ellis two for 39, Andelin two for 34 plus the conversion and Isabella Myung two for 26.

New Trier improved to 3-3 on the season, which is the second for the program and first under the management of the IHSA. The Trevians are one of 162 teams statewide participating in the inaugural IHSA campaign, which culminates with a state series beginning the week of Oct. 7.

“I’m pretty proud of them. It’s a special group,” Colegrove said of his team. “A lot of these girls are returners. We don’t focus on the end result; we focus on taking care of us as a team, doing what we’re supposed to do, doing our job. I’m just really excited for them. If they keep being disciplined, playing as a team, who knows.”

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