Turnovers doom New Trier in playoff return, but program in ‘healthy place’

With three consecutive subpar finishes, New Trier’s 2024 season ended with uncertainty and doubt.

This year’s ending, though not the finish the Trevians envisioned, draws hope, instead.

New Trier’s resurgent 2025 season came to an end in the opening round of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs, with a 35-7 loss to the Warren Blue Devils on Saturday, Nov. 1 in Gurnee. In the wake of the defeat, though, the leaders of New Trier football are feeling reinvigorated. 

“I’m really proud of everything that this team has done,” New Trier coach Brian Doll said. “It’s a lot different than the feeling last year walking off the field. There were a lot of questions and a lot of what we are going to have to do to make changes. This year, it’s like such an exciting feeling to say that we’re going to build on this.” 

“We don’t like losing, it’s never fun, and you’re going to go home and feel like ‘What could we have done differently tonight?’ But I am excited about what the future holds,” Doll later added. 

First-half turnovers sink Trevs

Winning the turnover margin is always top of mind for New Trier. But on a cold, rain-soaked night, securing the ball becomes priority No. 1.  

The Trevs could not fulfill that goal Saturday as the Blue Devils took control of the postseason tilt by turning three New Trier turnovers into 21 first-half points. 

After both defenses opened the game with a stop, the Trevs made a gutsy call to go for it on fourth-and-1 deep in their own territory. New Trier got enough yards for the first down on a rushing attempt but the football was fumbled, and Warren recovered. 

The Blue Devils then took over at New Trier’s 45 and found the end zone on the second play of the series when senior Simon Castillo raced home a 42-yard touchdown. 

Warren’s formidable defense then forced a second turnover on New Trier’s next possession, intercepting a pass and returning it to New Trier’s 8-yard line. 

Three plays later, the Devils found paydirt on a 6-yard touchdown pass that extended their lead to 13-0 late in the first quarter. 

“Those are hard things to overcome,” Doll said of the Trevs’ early turnovers. “Everything just kind of added up really quickly in the first half. I think if we would have been off to a better start, the game would have felt a lot different.” 

New Trier’s offense could not find the answer it needed early in the second quarter to stall the Devils’ momentum.

Warren’s star running back Aaron Stewart broke multiple tackles to burst for a 17-yard touchdown run that gave the Blue Devils a 21-0 lead. 

A third turnover only moments before the half proved to be especially costly as it all but ended New Trier’s hopes for a comeback.

Warren senior Zion Vines-Peterson intercepted a deep pass attempt with 40 seconds to play in the second and returned it 46 yards to the house. 

Warren added a touchdown in the third when Stewart broke free for a 74-yard run. The star halfback has an astounding total of more than 2,500 yards from scrimmage. 

The Trevs got on the board late when quarterback Jackie Ryder connected with tight end Luke Mastros for a 10-yard touchdown. 

“I really don’t think the score was indicative of who we are as a team tonight,” Doll said. “I thought we should have played a much closer game with them. I think the errors early and obviously the weather played a big part in the game. They’re a very good team with a very good running back.” 

‘It means everything to me’: Trevs bid farewell to talented senior class

A talented senior class fueled New Trier’s 2025 team, accomplishing one of the program’s key goals heading into the season: return to playoff football.

The Trevs will say goodbye to the team’s most experienced offensive line in recent memory with seniors Francis Karp, Winstone Malayter, Jacob Wineman and Carter Pavia graduating. 

New Trier will also look to welcome a new group of leaders at the wide receiver position as their two top pass catchers, Keefer Baxter and Emmett Koshkarian, will graduate as well. Koshkarian finished the year only a handful of catches short of breaking the program’s single-season reception record while Baxter led the team in touchdown receptions. 

New Trier will also have to replace several of the team’s top defensive players as well. The Trevs next season will be without the heart of this season’s defense, linebacker John Fitzgerald. The All-Conference defender led New Trier with 76 regular-season tackles. 

Defensive stalwarts Aaron Pressman, Anthony Aguilar, Stephen Vellon, George Kaup, Marco Black and Max Viner will also depart. 

New Trier’s seniors finish their Trevians career taking great pride in the team’s accomplishments from this season. 

“This is a tight group,” senior Emmett Koshkarian said. “We fought so hard and we have a lot to be proud of. It feels amazing (being a part of this team) and I hope the team next year can use us as a stepping stone to go onto further and better things.”

Aguilar, who’s been a mainstay of the Trevians’ defense for multiple years, said it “means everything to him” to be part of the team that brought New Trier football back to the postseason. 

“Not only has being part of this team made me a better football player, but it’s made me a better man,” Aguilar added. “It’s made me more disciplined and I got to meet so many great people. The brotherhood that I made with these people, it’s just amazing, and the coaches teach you so much. Not only about football but about succeeding in life.” 

The Trevs will return several key players next season as well, including Ryder, running back Declan O’Meara and wide receivers Alex Fairchild and Ben Sullivan. Rick Miller, Peter Cusick and Will Molloy are just a few of the names New Trier expects to lead its defense next season. 

“I think the most exciting thing is I know this group coming up really loves football,” Doll said of the expected new contributors next season. “And that’s where it starts, if they really like it and they want to be a part of it, that’s easy to build on. I just think everything is kind of going in the right direction.”

“New Trier football is in a healthy place numbers wise, it’s in a healthy place with kids that are excited about it,” Doll later added.

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