Trevians cannot slow down Titans

It’s not always the size of the dog in the fight. But sometimes it is.

Glenbrook South used its size advantage to push New Trier around on and around the line of scrimmage en route to a 38-16 conference win Friday, Oct. 18, in Northfield.

The undersized Trevians (2-6) have been up against it all season in the trenches, but never was it so evident than against the Titans (4-4), who racked up more than 300 yards rushing on the evening.

“They are just bigger and more physical than we are,” New Trier coach Brian Doll said. “That’s offseason weightlifting and that’s size and that’s running plays right at you and saying we’re going to knock you back. And they did, and I’m not surprised. We are giving up 50 to 60 pounds a kid right now up front. It’s hard for our kids to compete.”

Facing the size disadvantage, New Trier’s plan was to shorten the game with sustained drives, Doll said, and it worked. Just not for long.

The Trevians chewed up much of the first quarter with an 11-play drive that ended in Niki Dugandzic’s 43-yard field goal. But the Titans used the final three minutes of the first quarter as effectively as you can, scoring two touchdowns to nab a 14-3 lead.

“The tides turned quickly there,” Doll said. “We were trying to eat a lot of clock, and the first quarter went — besides the last two touchdowns — kind of the way we hoped. … They had some quick strikes that hurt us.”

As GBS’s offense picked up, New Trier’s grinded to a halt in the first half. The Trevians punted away their only two possessions of the second quarter, while the Titans added two more scoring drives, taking a 24-3 lead into halftime.

The Trevians scored twice in the second half, but so did the Titans to keep the hosts at an arm’s length.

New Trier found the end zone on a 1-yard run from senior quarterback Patrick Heneghan, set up by a 28-yard pass to senior Ben Zieziula (7 catches, 84 yards), and a 22-yard pass from Heneghan to Alex Fairchild.

Heneghan finished with 134 passing yards, while sophomore tailback Declan O’Meara picked up 53 rushing yards in just his second varsity game.

The senior-night loss Friday adds to an already difficult season for New Trier.

“It’s been tough,” Zieziula said. “Sadly, it’s the same spot we were at last year. It’s never fun losing. We just have to keep our heads up and finish out the last game strong. It’s gone by fast. It’s tough.” 

New Trier will look to end on a high note next Friday when it visits Deerfield in the season finale. The two teams are in similar places as they were last year when they met, New Trier at 2-6 and Deerfield at 4-4, fighting for its playoff life.

At this point in the Trevians’ season, not much is left to play for. But there are some things.

“Just having pride,” Zieziula said. “There’s no better feeling than being with a team. We know we’re not going to make the playoffs so we have to continue working hard and do it for the guy next to you. 

About the final game, he added, “We just win. We can’t go out losing. We know it’s our last game; there’s nothing we can do about it. We have to win. There’s no exceptions.”

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