Quarterback put Wolves on the map
Prairie Ridge star has accounted for 44 TDs
It was all on the line in the second round of the playoffs.
Prairie Ridge was down by three to rival Cary- Grove with 19 seconds left. A 24- game winning streak and the chance at consecutive Class 6A state titles hung in the balance.
“I told our offensive coordinator that if we were going to lose, it would be in Samson’s hands.” Wolves coach Chris Schremp said.
Prairie Ridge quarterback Samson Evans, the Sun- Times 2017 Player of the Year, has been stellar the last two seasons, and that chilly day in Cary was no exception.
“I just looked into the crowd and thought to myself, ‘ Is this going to be it?’ ” Evans said. “There is no way this will be it. Losing that game didn’t feel right. There were some guys who thought the game was over. Coach called the play and just put the game in my hands.”
The Wolves were 66 yards from the end zone. Evans got the snap and took off.
“Once I hit the corner, I saw I had one guy to beat,” Evans said. “I had made a guy miss before and knew I could do it again. My legs went over his hands, and once I landed after jumping over him, I knew I was gone.”
What followed was his defining moment.
“I thought, ‘ Holy crap, he’s going to do it again,’ ’’ Schremp said. “With the view I had of that play, I didn’t see him score, then I heard the guys on my headset screaming.”
Touchdown, Evans. He has accounted for 44 this season, but that was the special one.
“I hit the end zone, and I just got mauled,” Evans said. “Everyone kept saying, ‘ Thank you, thank you for giving us the opportunity to keep playing.’ It was one of the best moments of my life.”
“He’s done it all his life,” Schremp said. “Whenever we need a big play, he seems to make it. He is just one of those kids who rises to the occasion, and the bigger the game, the better he plays.”
Schremp first saw the 6- foot, 200- pound prospect play when he was in elementary school.
“Even then, he just made it look so effortless,” Schremp said. “He can see the field and cut back and had such unbelievable balance. You just knew this kid was going to be something special.” Evans wasn’t so sure so quickly. “It was probably later for me, in seventh or eighth grade,” Evans said. “When I was younger, I didn’t look athletic. I don’t know if I do now, but I definitely didn’t then.”
He had help along the way from older brother Shane, an offensive lineman at Purdue.
Evans learned about football, recruiting and more from his brother.
“I always looked up to him; he always pushed me very hard,” Evans said. “There were times that I just wanted to stay home, and he always was there to push me out the door.”
He learned about adversity during his sophomore year.
“Some people said I lost the semifinal game for us,” Evans said. “That will always be in the back of my mind. I just kept replaying the pitch I made in my mind. We had a solid lead in the fourth quarter, and it crumpled. I learned that I had to put my team in the right spot at the right time.”
Since that moment, that’s exactly what Evans has done. The Wolves are riding a state- best 27game winning streak and will play for a second consecutive undefeated season and Class 6A state title Saturday against Nazareth.
“I love coaching [ Evans]; he’s a special kid, and I will never forget the four years with him,” Schremp said. “These were the best years of my coaching career. He has put Prairie Ridge on the map.”
Evans will continue his football career at Iowa, but he has one more high school game left. Samson has 1,957 rushing yards and 610 passing yards and has thrown no interceptions.
“The last four years have been the best of my life,” Evans said. “I will cherish these memories. The bonds between my friends and coaches will last a lifetime.’’
Win or lose Saturday, Evans’ legacy is secure. He’s one of the best athletes in the history of the Fox Valley Conference.
Follow me on Twitter @ Beth_ Long.