High school football: Prairie Ridge moves past Samson Evans era; Lydon steps in at QB

CRYSTAL LAKE – The Evans household is a little quieter these days.

Not by much, though.

“Samson’s pretty quiet, so it’s not much more quiet than usual,” Prairie Ridge sophomore wide receiver Carter Evans said.

Carter Evans’ older brother Samson Evans has relocated to Iowa City, Iowa, where he is preparing for his freshman season playing football for Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. Eldest brother Shane Evans is in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he plays on the Purdue offensive line.

“It’s different, but I’m getting used to it,” Carter Evans said. “More freedom around the house.”

The difference is noticeable on the Prairie Ridge practice field, too. Samson Evans and the Wolves’ class of 2018 graduated the most successful group in school history. It included five four-year varsity starters, who helped the program to back-to-back Class 6A state championships.

The remaining Wolves will try to figure out who will fill those voids.

“I just can’t think about filling shoes,” quarterback Connor Lydon said. “I’ve got to be my own person and play my own game. Go 1-0 every week.”

Lydon, a junior, will step in as starting QB in place of Samson Evans. He’s not new to the varsity playing field. He earned reps in many games last season after the starting unit had put the score out of reach. He even started one game when Samson Evans was injured.

Lydon believes he knows the playbook and his reads as well as anyone. It’s a tool he learned from his predecessor.

“You can argue he knew the offense like the back of his hand,” Lydon said. “He taught me everything – the little things, fine details, what to look for, my reads. It has helped a lot.”

Samson Evans and fellow Iowa-bound lineman Jeff Jenkins dropped in on a Wolves summer practice last week when the team was on a trip to Carthage College. Samson Evans’ advice to Lydon was to forget about the 28-game win streak and take it week by week.

Quarterback is only one piece of the puzzle. Prairie Ridge graduated the majority of its 2017 starting lineup.

Former running back Zach Gulbransen ran for 1,202 yards as a senior last year. Seniors Jackson Willis and Ethan Kirchberg will have their chances at running back now.

Willis ran for 832 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior. He said it feels as if many of his teammates already have some experience, between the JV squad and earning time at the end of varsity blowouts.

“We’ve had a lot of guys step up,” Willis said. “You’ve got to get them up to speed real quickly, and they’ve done a great job getting up to speed. They’ve been really awesome at filling those roles and not necessarily trying to live in the shadow of those [former players], but offering what their talents are to the game.”

Willis aims to provide the team with intensity. He hopes to be the type of running back who can provide tough yards.

“[I know] what the pacing of the game is and what I need to work on and what I need to improve at,” Willis said. “That’s sort of a calmness in those situations to help other guys and pick them up.”

Carter Evans was a freshman last year playing on the varsity squad. Being three years younger than Samson, the two hadn’t played much organized football together.

“I only played with him for one year,” Carter Evans said. “So I’m pretty much used to it. It was weird having him on the field last year [with me]. It was different.”

The Evans family will be busy this fall with Carter’s games Fridays and Samson and Shane playing Saturdays.

“I’ll be going to probably a game every weekend,” Carter Evans said.

He remains undecided who he will root for Nov. 3 when Iowa plays at Purdue.