Ryder stars in New Trier’s first win over Glenbrook South in 5 years

Jackie Ryder remembers the pain his team felt one year ago. 

In Week 9 of the 2025 season, amid a resurgent campaign, New Trier (5-3 at the time) suffered their most disheartening defeat of the year: a 45-0 lopsided loss courtesy of conference counterpart Glenbrook South. 

Nearly a calendar year later, Ryder made sure that feeling of anguish was a distant memory for the Trevians. 

New Trier’s standout senior quarterback authored a stellar performance that included five total touchdowns while leading the Trevs to a glorious 35-28 win over the Titans on Oct. 9 at Robert Naughton Field. 

The victory is yet another highlight in what’s been a magical season for New Trier thus far. New Trier’s conquest also marked its first win over Glenbrook South since the shortened spring 2021 season. 

“It’s just crazy where we were a year ago to where we are now; it’s a complete 180,” Ryder told The Record after the game. “To be able to help lead the team to a victory like this, it’s just a special feeling. I’ll never forget this with it being my senior night. This is definitely up there with the top memories of all-time. I couldn’t be more happy and proud to celebrate with the team.”

Ryder finished the evening passing for 210 yards, completing 12 of his 15 pass attempts and four touchdown passes — three of which were 25 yards or more. He also rushed in a score. 

“We have a lot of weapons this year, but our offense runs through No. 5,” New Trier head coach Brian Doll said. “Jackie really had a nice game tonight and he made some big plays for us.” 

The university of Purdue commit is one of the driving forces behind the recent renaissance of New Trier football. In the three seasons from 2022-’24, New Trier totaled nine wins. So far in Ryder’s two years under center, the Trevians have amassed 12 wins and counting. 

“I remember I texted coach Doll … before our first game and told him that this was going to be a special year for not only this team but this program,” Ryder said. “It’s just been really awesome being able to turn this program back into the winning culture that it once was and it’s just a special feeling being out here in front of my town and just playing under these lights. 

“I’m super happy that I was able to help bring this place back to its former glory. I couldn’t not be more proud for this team and myself.” 

How it Happened

A slow start on Friday night did not derail the Trevians as they rallied past an opening to the contest that Doll described as “not ideal.” 

The Trevs went three-and-out on their first series. The Titans then immediately put New Trier on its heels with a drive to New Trier’s redzone in just three plays.

But New Trier’s defense stood tall, holding South to a 31-yard field goal attempt that the Titans could not convert. 

New Trier then responded in a hurry.

Senior running back Throy Nightingale Jr. broke free for a 58-yard run on the first play of the ensuing series. Ryder then several plays later finished the scoring drive with a 4-yard touchdown scamper to put New Trier up 7-0. 

The Titans had a big drive waiting, though. They went 65 yards in nine plays to even the score at 7-7. 

That deadlock was short lived as the Trevs answered with an 80-yard drive capped with a 13-yard touchdown reception by junior Ben Sullivan. 

New Trier added on during its next possession with a spectacular score. On third and 20, Ryder connected with Nightingale Jr. for a 27-yard touchdown that featured an excellent throw and catch from the pair of senior leaders.

From there, New Trier extended its lead later in the second quarter with Ryder fired a perfectly placed pass to junior Paul Liang, who finished off the 47-yard score. 

Glenbrook South made things interesting before halftime with a gutsy call on fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line that resulted in a touchdown to trim the Trevs’ lead to 14 going into half. 

New Trier found the end zone once more on its second play of the third quarter when Ryder and John Baxter linked up for a 57-yard touchdown.

GBS made the game interesting with two late scores but the Titans’ comeback dreams were put to bed when Baxter recovered an onside-kick attempt with under a minute to play. 

A variety of Trevians made an impact Friday. Nightingale Jr. finished the game with 109 rushing yards across his 15 attempts while also grabbing three catches for 36 yards. Liang was once again a key contributor with four catches for 79 yards. (Liang also had two long punt returns wiped out because of penalities.)  

Seniors Devin Lietzau and Tyler Vanderkamp each had an interception while Rick Miller, Alex Fairchild, Cole Mason, Declan O’Meara, Logan Zettek, Levi Solomon, Mason Freiburger, Jake Peters and Brooks Depalo all made key defensive plays for the Trevs. 

The matchup also notably featured a staggering 33 penalties as each team was penalized more than a dozen times across the four quarters of play (New Trier 15, GBS 18).  

‘It feels unbelievable’

To say Glenbrook South has been a thorn in New Trier’s side over the past five years would be an understatement. 

Aside from the Maine South Hawks, no team has flummoxed the Trevs quite like the Titans have in recent memory. Since New Trier’s opening-week win over the Titans in 2021, GBS had outscored New Trier by 101 points across its five straight wins heading into 2026. 

But the Titans reign of terror over the Trevs is no more following New Trier’s Week 8 win, which pushed the team to seven wins — a total that has not been reached since 2018. 

“It feels unbelievable,” O’Meara said. “I’ve been playing football since the third grade and I think this is the first time we’ve ever beaten them, so this is really an unbelievable feeling, especially being able to do it during my last year.”

A leader of the Trevians defense, O’Meara added that the victory is a testament to the team’s hard work from the end of last season until now. 

“It just shows that the work in the offseason does pay off,” O’Meara said. “One percent better every lift, one perfect better every practice and it’s paying off now.” 

Doll, who’s coached the Trevians since 2014, noted that the victory was one of the most meaningful wins across his tenure at New Trier. 

“It feels pretty sweet,” he said. “They’re a great program and Dave (Schoenwetter) has done a hell of a job. … It feels really good for our program.

“I’m really happy for our seniors on senior night to get a win against a quality team,” he added. “It’s been a little time since we’ve played a team of that caliber, so it’s nice to get out here and play a real football game like that and it was a physical game tonight.” 

The longtime Trevs coach believes there’s even more in store this year for his team. 

“I think it’s great that we got this win but I think this group has more,” he said. “I think they have another big win in their pocket and that is what I’m excited for. I don’t think this is all that we’re going to see from them this year. I think there is some more coming from this team. They have their sights set on some big things and I think they’re capable of doing it.”

Ryan Field on deck

A fitting end to a dream regular season so far will come for the Trevians next Friday night, Oct. 16, when they will take on the Evanston Wildkits (5-3) at Northwestern University’s new stadium. 

As first reported by The Record, the New Trier-Evanston matchup will be the first high school football game played at the rebuilt Ryan Field, which just opened earlier this month. 

“It’s a great privilege to get to play in that stadium. It looks amazing, and it couldn’t be a better space for this team to end the regular season,” Ryder said. “It’s just been a super special year. We can’t wait for that game.”

Doll described the opportunity to play at the new Ryan Field as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” for the players.

Now with seven wins in tow and an opportunity to reach the 8-win regular season mark for the first time since 2016, the Trevs are set up for an advantageous playoff seeding — plus an all-but-certain first-round bye and guaranteed home playoff game.

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