Micquel Roseman is one of a handful of key players for the Evanston football team who plays both ways, and the members of the Wildkit coaching staff are still trying to find out the perfect balance for the number of snaps each of those players gets on offense and on defense.
Even though he’s led the team in rushing attempts so far this season, Roseman’s switch from safety to cornerback have made him even more valuable on defense and most of his action has come on that side of the ball.
Fresh legs made a difference for the senior running back Friday night in Northbrook as the Wildkits upended previously unbeaten Glenbrook North 28-14 in a Central Suburban League crossover contest.
Roseman carried 14 times for 145 yards and contributed touchdown runs of 2, 6 and 46 yards as the visitors rallied from a 14-3 deficit in the second half and improved to 2-1 on the season.
Roseman led the Wildkits in rushing as a junior, before Kendale Coleman transferred in and took the starting tailback job in preseason camp. Coleman (11 carries for 66 yards Friday) is still the starter and ETHS head coach Mike Burzawa knows he can count on both runners if the Kits continue to commit to the running game like they did against GBN.
Evanston amassed a season-high 230 yards on the ground to go with 140 passing and wore down the Spartans in the second half.
“Down 14-3 on the road, we could have folded, but that’s not our character. You guys were warriors tonight,” Burzawa told his team in the post-game huddle. “Good teams win on the road, and tonight was a great step in the right direction for us.
“We basically have two starting running backs (Coleman and Roseman) this year. They’ve shared the load all year and we tried to work it so they both will have fresh legs. They’ve been in a pretty good rhythm so far this year, and I thought as a team we came out a played that second half like a wounded animal. We really responded well.”
“I felt a lot stronger in the second half tonight,” Roseman said. “Kendale is the one who’s always pushing me to get better and I’m trying to get that starting job back. We’ve got a ton of good competition going for us on this team, and we had good balance tonight.”
Glenbrook North’s John Clark carried 26 times for 156 yards and it was his 2-yard plunge with 8 minutes, 47 seconds remaining in the third quarter that shoved the Wildkits into a 14-3 hole. That TD climaxed a 71-yard, 8-play march, but ETHS responded with what could turn out to be a season-defining drive of its own.
The Kits marched 80 yards in 10 plays and Roseman hit paydirt from the 2. After a GBN punt, Evanston found the end zone again, this time driving 57 yards in just 7 plays. Tray Banks converted a third-and-6 situation with a 17-yard burst on a pitchout to set up another plunge for Roseman from the 6.
Coleman blocked a GBN punt and that led to Owen Ennis’ second field goal of the game, a 27-yard with 9:33 left in the game. Roseman’s 46-yard TD dash sealed the win with 5:46 to play.
Interceptions by Jacob Greiter and Immanuel Woodberry in the red zone sparked the defense, along with a team-high 10 tackles and 1 assist for linebacker Jalan Jenkins.