Davonte Evans’ 4 TDs put Argo on brink of first playoff berth since 2013

By Steve Metsch
Correspondent

Despite scoring four touchdowns to help Argo to its biggest win in seven seasons, Davonte Evans did not fly home after the game.

“He’s riding the bus. He’s not flying” Argonauts interim coach Jason Korkosz said. “He is Superman, though.

“He does it all. He puts the team on his back when he has to. He’s done that his whole career.”

Evans’ four scores including three in just over four minutes during the third quarter of a 32-29 win over Shepard on Oct. 14 in Palos Heights.

The win puts the Argonauts (5-3 overall, 2-3 South Suburban Red) on the brink of only the fourth playoff berth in program history. The five victories make them playoff eligible, and while they will likely have enough opponents’ wins to qualify, they can clinch a spot by defeating Evergreen Park (6-2, 4-1) in the final week of the regular season.

“A huge win for the program,” Korkosz said of the victory over Shepard.

Argo last qualified for the postseason in 2013, and in the seven full seasons since then has endured two winless seasons and two others in which they won one game.

The Astros fell to 2-6, 1-4.

It was a huge night for the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Evans, a senior in his third varsity season, including the truncated spring 2021 campaign.

Argo trailed 7-0 after a first half played in a steady downpour. It was still raining in the third quarter when Evans took over.

Shepard running back Elijah Tyson trues to escape the grasp of Argo’s Maciej Jarosz. Photo by Steve Metsch

Opening the second half, Argo had the ball at its own 13-yard line when Evans broke free to score on an 87-yard run. That cut the Astros’ lead to 7-6 as the two-point conversion failed.

“I just followed behind my blockers and took it to the house,” Evans said.

On the next series, sophomore wide receiver Cameron Tryon bobbled a thrown ball. Evans grabbed it and returned 42 yards for a touchdown with 7:45 left in the third quarter for a 12-7 lead.

Argo senior Johnathan Walker then recovered the ensuing onsides kicks.

It was Evans again, this time around the right end for his third touchdown and an 18-7 lead with 5:57 left in the third.

But the Astros roared back, eventually taking a 21-18 lead on 30-yard and 25-yard scoring runs by senior running back Xavier Rogers, the second with 10:48 to play in the game.

Evans’ fourth score, this one from 30 yards out, gave the Argonauts a 25-21 lead with 6:57 to play.

“I just kept working,” Evans said. “I said, ‘hand me the ball.’ I’m going to make it happen every time.”

It looked like the Argonauts had sealed the win when Walker strolled in from 9 yards out for a 32-21 lead with 2:57 to play, but Shepard’s Khamarion Wade caught a 6-yard TD pass from sophomore quarterback James Lascola with 1:12 left. The two-point conversion cut the lead to 32-29.

Argo senior John Robinson iced the game by fielding the onsides kick.

“I put Robinson there, specifically,” Korkosz said. “We had a feeling they were going to kick that way because they had their better players on that side.”

Shepard coach John Rone said Evans is probably the best player in the South Suburban Red.

“Crazy game. Crazy season,” said Rone, whose Astros failed to make the playoffs for the first time in his four seasons at the helm. “I give them credit.”

Korkosz, the Argonauts’ special teams/running backs coach, was filling the place of head coach Phil Rossberg, who served a one-game suspension.