New Trier is ‘riding high’ after dominant 35-0 Week 2 win over Waubonsie Valley

Week 1 will be remembered as the night New Trier established its running game early. But Week 2 will go down as the evening the Trevs put their passing attack on display from the jump.  

New Trier’s aerial assault, led by their stalwart quarterback Jackie Ryder, propelled the Trevs to a second-straight dominant victory as they clobbered the Waubonsie Valley Warriors 35-0 on Friday, Aug. 28, in Aurora. 

Ryder started the game completing his first six passes while guiding New Trier to touchdowns on three of its first five drives. He passed for 199 yards in the opening two quarters alone while accounting for all three of the Trevs’ first-half scores. 

By game’s end, Ryder’s stellar night, and his final line, highlighted a performance from the senior captain that was a stroke of genius. He finished the game going 19-of-24 passing for 297 yards (316 all-purpose) and four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). 

“It was just a great game from all the guys up front pass-blocking and shout-out to our receivers for getting open, catching the ball and making plays downfield tonight,” Ryder said. 

“I just felt really comfortable in the pocket,” Ryder added, while also giving special praise to his offensive line. “We had a great scheme and coach Doll knew what was going to work against their defense. I was put in a great position by my coaches and teammates tonight.” 

New Trier entered the game knowing Waubonsie Valley was “going to be pretty heavy against the run,” New Trier head coach Brian Doll said, noting that the Trevs believed they could do damage through the air. Ryder and the offense executed that game plan to perfection. 

“Jackie had a big night for us,” Doll said. “He made some huge throws.” 

Liang lights the way with ‘awesome’ touchdown

An explosive second series from New Trier quelled any worries of a slow start in the team’s first road game of the season. 

On the second play of New Trier’s second drive, Ryder tossed a short pass to junior Paul Liang, who raced by several Waubonsie defenders en route to a glorious 41-yard touchdown to put the Trevs up 7-0 early. 

“Paul’s touchdown was awesome,” Doll said. “It looks like a simple play but it’s all set up by great blocking on the perimeter and then obviously Paul making a move and turning on his acceleration. He looked really great on that and it was great to see.” 

Liang continued his excellent start to the 2026 season with another strong game. He finished the night with five catches for 64 yards. He leads New Trier through two games with an impressive 13 receptions. 

Nightingale Jr. finds success a different way in Week 2

One week after his remarkable New Trier debut, Throy Nightingale Jr. was back in the endzone once again — but this time, via different means. 

Nightingale Jr. extended New Trier’s lead to 21-0 late in the second quarter when he also took a screen pass from Ryder to the house. On second-and-eight inside the Warriors’ redzone, Nightingale Jr. caught the ball out wide and scampered 14 yards for the touchdown. 

By his Week One standards, it was a quiet night for the Trevs’ senior running back, but Nightingale Jr. still left his mark on the contest. He totaled 59 all-purpose yards, the majority of which came from his three receptions for 36 yards. 

Baxter’s big plays a boon for Trevs

The Trevs tacked on their second touchdown of the game via a 1-yard quarterback keeper from Ryder. The scoring drive was set up two plays prior when Ryder connected with senior wide receiver John Baxter for a massive 63-yard completion. 

It was only the first time of the night that the senior duo would link up, though. On New Trier’s second drive of the second half late in the third quarter, Ryder fired a 36-yard strike to Baxter for his second touchdown reception of the season. 

Baxter, who hauled in three passes for 110 yards against Waubonsie, is proving to be a big-play threat for the Trevs. After snagging a 44-yard touchdown pass from Ryder last week, Baxter already has three catches of more than 30 yards through two games.  

On the prior series, senior running back Declan O’Meara banged home a 2-yard touchdown run that capped a five-play, 45-yard scoring series for New Trier to open the second half. The Trevs have in both games so far this campaign scored on their first series of the third quarter. 

New Trier’s defense pitches first shutout since 2021

While New Trier’s offense was firing on all cylinders Friday night, the Trevs’ defense matched that momentum with a superb performance of its own.   

It was a stifling showing from New Trier’s defense as the Trevs delivered their first shutout since the pandemic-shortened spring season of 2021. New Trier held the Warriors to just 68 yards of offense in the first half and only three first downs. 

Through two games, the Trevs have allowed just 13 points. 

The 2025 Trevians did not generate their first turnover until Week 3 of the season and did not reach multiple turnovers on the season until the fourth week. But, this year, New Trier has two turnovers in each of its two contests. 

Defensive back Tyler Vanderkamp accounted for both of New Trier’s takeaways Friday night by intercepting two Warriors passes. The senior said the unit’s strong communication has been a key driver of its success. He also believes the group is playing to the expectations it has for itself. 

“I think we set a bar for ourselves and it’s going to be the highest bar we can possibly set,” he said. “The start of the game against Naperville North, myself included, rattled us a bit, but ever since then we’ve just been playing together. That bar that we set, we’re just living up to it so far and we want to just keep climbing.”

New Trier’s defensive line of Cole Mason, Mason Freiburger and Levi Solomon impressed again, while linebackers Will Molloy, Logan Zettek and O’Meara and defensive back Alex Fairchild were again key performers. 

Trevs return home with 3-0 start in mind

New Trier will head back to its home turf next Friday night, Sept. 4, for its first Central Suburban League game of the year against Vernon Hills. 

The Trevs will have the chance to start 3-0 for the first time since the spring 2021 season — but the team knows it’s imperative to not overlook the Cougars.

“Right now … we’re riding high but we have to stay level and we have to focus on one game at a time and we can’t look past next week,” Doll said. 

It’s hard to draw up a more picture-perfect start to 2026 for the Trevs thus far. That start, and the team’s plus-67 point differential, are the product of the program’s hallmarks coming together, Doll said. 

“Culture is really, really important in a program and winning is also really, really important and when you combine the two you see what you get tonight and you just see the excitement of the kids.”