The football career of Evergreen Park’s Omarrion Evans began in eighth grade.

It could have ended there, too.

Evans played a little bit for the Harvey Colts, but his 90-pound body didn’t seem right for the sport.

“I was underweight, so I didn’t get that much playing time,” he said. “I was eating hits, but the coaches said I was underweight. They weren’t going to let me play and didn’t want me to get hurt.

“I didn’t play much, and younger me, I just quit.”

Evans, who returned a year later to play two seasons on the lower levels at Richards, is in his second year at Evergreen Park. He weighs 155 now. And he opened the 2025 season with some electrifying plays.

The senior receiver/running back caught a 49-yard pass in the second quarter for a touchdown and added a 90-yard TD run in the third to help the Mustangs to a 26-2 nonconference victory Thursday afternoon over Ag Science at Gately Stadium in Chicago.

Sophomore quarterback Brady Bruen ran for two TDs in his varsity debut and threw the long strike to Evans for Evergreen Park (1-0). He had 15 carries for 23 yards, but take away four big losses for sacks or fumble recoveries and he accounted for 58 yards on 11 carries.

Defensively, the Mustangs didn’t allow a TD as Jacob Ruvalcaba had an interception deep in his team’s territory and returned it to the 10-yard line in the third quarter, thwarting the Cyclones’ best drive of the game.

Trevon Willams paced Ag Science (0-1) with 50 yards rushing, including a team-best 33-yard run in the third quarter. The Cyclones are coming off an 8-3 season that ended on a rough note in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs when they lost 51-6 to Dixon.

Evergreen Park quarterback Brady Bruen (11) finds running room for his second rushing TD against Ag Science during a nonconference game at Gately Stadium in Chicago on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown)

Evans, meanwhile, nearly came up with an interception on defense and finished with four carries for 111 yards. The 90-yard dash along the right sideline one play after Ruvalcaba’s interception amazed his teammates.

“He’s fast — really fast,” Bruen said of Evans. “I was surprised he didn’t go out of bounds. He had two people outside blocking his path.

“But like I said — he’s fast.”

Evans knew he didn’t have a whole lot of room to work with during that run along the sideline as Ag Science’s players were watching and yelling.

Evergreen Park’s Tyler Phelps (6) tries to turn the corner against Ag Science during a nonconference game at Gately Stadium in Chicago on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown)

“High knees,” Evans said of the sequence. “That’s what they teach us. The coaches always tell me, ‘You’re fast and nobody should ever be able to tackle you.’

“I took that to heed and made a 90-yard run.”

Evans also is getting some college looks from a variety of teams, including Ball State, Southern Illinois, St. Xavier and Knox.

The Mustangs, who had a string of five straight seasons of qualifying for the Class 5A playoffs snapped last year, are itching for a return.

Evergreen Park’s Omarrion Evans (1) looks at the home crowd at halftime against Ag Science during a nonconference game at Gately Stadium in Chicago on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown)

Evergreen Park coach Jim Ramazinski confirmed that Evans will play a big role in helping this year’s team try to achieve that goal.

“He’s the heart and soul of our team,” Ramazinski said. “He’s our practice leader and was our leader in the offseason. He’s a guy who gets us all juiced up and ready to go and then he delivers on the field.

“That’s what he is. He is through and through a football player.”

Evans, also a strong athlete in track, joined three teammates on the 400-meter relay team that ran a 43.08 in the spring, which was good for third in the program’s record books.

But football remains Evans’ main love. And he wants to keep playing.

“When I have that ball and I get real shifty, that’s my favorite part of football,” Evans said. “That and scoring touchdowns.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/28/omarrion-evans-evergreen-park-ag-science-ihsa-football/