Evanston
| Evanston Wildkits | |
| |
|---|---|
| Location: Evanston, Illinois | |
| Coaches | Terry Gatchell (head), Benjamin “Beni” Keown (assistant) |
| National Appearances | HSNCT: 2024, 2023, 2019, 2018 |
| Program Status | active |
| School Size | 3500 |
| NAQT Page | link |
Evanston Township High School is a public high school in Evanston, Illinois. It currently competes as a member of the Central Suburban League (CSL). It also competes in Class AA, the "large school" division, of the Illinois High School Association's (IHSA) State Championship Series. The current head coach is AP Chemistry teacher Terry Gatchell, who took over duties in fall 2017.
History
The Evanston scholastic bowl team is by no means a storied program. The team had perhaps its best season in 1991, when it placed 4th in state. Other notable seasons include 1994 and 2004, in which Evanston won the Central Suburban League regular season championship, and 2000 and 2001, when the team won the CSL tournament. Additionally, in 2014, Evanston, led by All-Sectional players Adam Frim and Geoffrey Wallis, took both the CSL divisional and tournament crown.
Recent years have been kinder to Evanston scholastic bowl. The Wildkits won both the Central Suburban League regular season and tournament championships for the 2016-17 season, and successfully defended both titles for the 2017-18 season. The team also placed 3rd at the 2016 David Riley Memorial Kickoff, 3rd at the 2017 New Trier Varsity Tournament, tied for 1st (with Homewood-Flossmoor) at the 2018 Ultima, all in the Standard division.
This success would later be repeated in the 2022-2023 season, which saw the Wildkits win the Central Suburban League tournament championship, and in the 2023-2024 season, where they went 14-0 in the Central Suburban League season and subsequent championship tournament. The team placed 4th at the 2023 Reinstein, and 1st at the 2023 Ultima, both in the Standard division. The team placed 2nd at the 2024 Ultima in the Upper division. At the 2024 HSNCT, Evanston won a tense prelim game against former HSNCT champions Detroit Catholic Central 370-290.
Noted Team Accomplishments
- IHSA State Finals: 1991 - 4th Place
- IHSA Sectional titles: (2) 1991, 1989
- IHSA Regional titles: (3) 2021-2A, 2019-2A, 2018-2A
- Central Suburban League Champions: 2024, 2023, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2014, 2001, 2000, 1994
- NAQT High School National Championship Tournament: 2024 - T33rd, 2023 - T65th, 2019 - 158th, 2018 - 183rd
IHSSBCA Individual Awards
The following were honored by the Illinois High School Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association (IHSSBCA) for outstanding play through their All-Sectional/All-State Program. Each sectional comprises roughly 24 geographically concentrated teams, and thus roughly 125 starting players. Through the 2006-07 season, the top ten players were recognized in each sectional,(starting with 2007-08, the number was raised to 15) with teams restricted to no more than two nominations (three nominations starting in 2007-08). There are twenty All-State awards given each year (10 First Team, 10 Second Team) in each of Illinois' two classes.
All-Sectional Honorees
- 2012-13: Adam Frim, Geoffrey Wallis
- 2013-14: Adam Frim, Geoffrey Wallis
- 2014-15: Seth Paternostro
- 2015-16: Seth Paternostro
- 2016-17: Nathan "JJ" Shankar
- 2017-18: Nathan "JJ" Shankar, Benjamin "Beni" Keown
- 2022-23: Samuel Kemeny
- 2023-24: Samuel Kemeny