Evanston Township High School fell 42-28 to rival New Trier on Friday, Oct. 16, in the first high school football game played at Northwestern's rebuilt Ryan Field.

An estimated 25,000 fans packed the stadium, believed to be the largest at an Illinois high school game in at least 25 years. It was also the biggest turnout in the 113-year history of the New Trier-Evanston rivalry. NBC Chicago's Patrick Fazio noted on X that more than 26,000 tickets sold for the game, exceeding the announced attendance at Northwestern's own home game against Ball State the following day.

The Wildkits twice tied the score, at 21-21 and 28-28, before New Trier pulled away with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Evanston Now reported.

ETHS dropped to 5-4 on the season. Both teams qualified for the IHSA Class 8A state playoffs.

ETHS students filled the standing-room "Kit Pit," a renamed version of Northwestern's "Wildcat Wall" in the south end zone. New Trier's student section occupied the opposite end zone.

ETHS quarterback Aiden Payne threw for a career-high 242 yards, completing 10 of 17 passes. But three interceptions all led to New Trier touchdowns. Nate Osayande scored on a 7-yard run in the second quarter, and Kamryn Farlow caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Payne in the third to tie the game at 21.

After Payne connected with Johnson to knot it at 28 on the first play of the fourth quarter, New Trier's Throy Nightingale Jr. answered with a 2-yard scoring run, then sealed the win with an 11-yard run. Nightingale finished with five rushing touchdowns and 181 yards on 24 carries.

ETHS head coach Miles Osei, still seeking his first win in the rivalry, praised the atmosphere. "I think you saw what football means to this community," Osei said, according to Evanston Now. He called Ryan Field a potential site for the state championship. New Trier head coach Brian Doll agreed.

Osei noted that injuries during the game forced lineup changes and the Wildkits struggled to adjust, according to Patch.

ETHS senior Colin Byrnes captured what the night meant for players who may never suit up in a college stadium again.

"Most of us will never play in front of a crowd that big," Byrnes told reporters after the game, before glancing at college-prospect teammates Farlow and Justin Johnson, according to Evanston Now.

"These guys probably will," he said.

The all-time series, which dates to 1913, now stands at 57-55 in Evanston's favor with six ties. IHSA playoff pairings were set to be announced Saturday night, Oct. 17.