In the Evanston football team’s 27-17 loss to New Trier, Wildkits junior wide receiver/cornerback Malik Ross displayed both his playmaking abilities and his growth as a player.
Ross finished with five catches for 101 yards — including a 50-yard touchdown he caught from senior quarterback Drew Dawkins with 2:13 remaining in the first half — in the Central Suburban South game on Sept. 28 in Evanston.
On the touchdown reception, which trimmed New Trier’s lead to 10-7, Ross caught the ball along the sideline, turned upfield and made a late move on a defensive back. It was his second touchdown catch of the season.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Ross praised Dawkins for keeping the play alive.
“I saw Drew scrambling, and we always work the scramble drill, and I just run toward the near sideline and find open space,” said Ross, who lives in Evanston.
Ross, who was a backup running back on the varsity as a sophomore, said he has enjoyed the switch to wide receiver, where he often lines up in the slot for Evanston (3-3, 0-2).
Through six games, Ross has 25 catches for 272 yards. The Wildkits still have Ross carry the ball, both out of the slot and the backfield, and he had rushed 33 times for 138 yards and five touchdowns entering Evanston’s Week 7 trip to Niles West.
“There are a lot of things Malik does for us,” Evanston coach Mike Burzawa said. “He’s an important part of our team, a true competitor.”
Ross often found himself lined up against New Trier 6-7 senior receiver Brian Kaiser, a Northwestern commit. But with Kaiser having recently missed two games with a concussion and neck strain, and with New Trier running the ball successfully (46 carries, 302 yards), the Trevians did not throw the ball in Kaiser’s direction.
New Trier coach Brian Doll suggested the move also may have been strategic. After Kaiser’s big game against the Wildkits in 2016 — when he had a 33-yard touchdown catch and a 53-yard reception — the Trevians knew the big receiver would get extra attention from Wildkits defensive backs. So, Kaiser was used as more of a decoy and blocker.
Ross said he was surprised New Trier didn’t try to get the ball to Kaiser, but said he believes his game plan against the receiver had been sound.
“I played softer coverage against him because he’s a bigger receiver,” Ross said. “Usually I play more of a press, try to jam and play man coverage. But against a real tough, big receiver, you back off a little and make sure they don’t get anything over the top.”
When it became apparent New Trier was committed to the run, Ross said he closed the space down on Kaiser, which helped give him a faster route to the ball carrier.
Ross said tailoring his coverage to the opponent and situation is an example of having a better understanding of the cornerback position than he did as sophomore, when he was essentially playing defensive back for the first time.
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“I know I was not as good last year as I am this year,” Ross said. “I have that experience and I know I can compete with any receiver. Now, I’m making plays, and it feels natural. Playing offense always felt natural, it was never a struggle. Now, defense feels that way.”
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press