The Evanston High School football team made it back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season in 2024, and now four players off that roster have been recognized for their efforts.

Seniors Clayton Cook, Tarrin Haws and Braunson Sims and junior Brayden Wallace were named to the 3A West All-Conference and 3A All-State Teams over the weekend. EHS head coach Steve Moore said it’s rare that all the All-Conference picks also get chosen All-State.

“I was hoping we’d get more All-Conference, but in the West, it’s tough,” Moore said. “But we were happy that all four were picked All-State, as well. That never happens, so that’s a good thing.”

Speaking about Cook, Haws, Sims and Wallace as a collective, Moore said all four are hard workers, on and off the field.

“Those four are competitors,” Moore said. “They work hard, and they want to compete — they have that competitive drive. You go to those coaches meetings, and we obviously nominated a lot more than what we ended up with. So it’s kind of a bittersweet feeling — you’re happy for the kids that got it, but you feel bad for the ones that didn’t get it, for whatever reason. I don’t think you ever walk out of those things fully satisfied, but I’m definitely happy for the kids that got it, for sure.”

Clayton Cook

Known primarily for his skills on the hardwood early in his high school career, Cook didn’t start playing football in high school until his junior year. With his height and athleticism, he quickly became a favorite target of quarterbacks Cohen Morrow and Braunson Sims, as well as a proficient run blocker.

Cook finished the 2024 season with 21 catches for 272 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, he finished with 79 points (44 tackles, 3 for loss).

“A lot of coaches respected what Clayton was able to do at the tight end position — a 6’4 kid, 205-210 pounds, a big, physical force,” Moore said. “He was definitely a threat in the passing game, but did a great job blocking for us, as well, even when he was in the true tight end spot, blocking at the line of scrimmage. When we’d spread him out, he’d get downfield, and once he got his hands on you, he took care of business. Just a big, dominant kid that played really well. He played well on both sides of the ball, all year long.”

Tarrin Haws

Haws anchored both the offensive and defensive line for the past two seasons, though he’s on the All-Conference and All-State teams as an offensive lineman. Unfortunately, offensive numbers aren’t kept for linemen, but defensively, he finished with 63 points (46 tackles, 7 for loss, 1 sack).

“We’ve had two of the top rushers in the state the last two years, so you have to give a lot of credit to the guys up front,” Moore explained. “Tarrin has been a staple on the offensive line, and a big reason for those yards. Both sides of the ball, to be honest, it was tough to decide on which side to place him on for this list. He did a great job at left tackle for us, and when we needed yards, we knew where we needed to go. Very physical player at the point of attack, and really our emotional leader up front — played with a lot of heart, a lot of passion, high motor. Really happy for him to get that.”

Braunson Sims

For the second straight season, the Red Devils’ starting quarterback earned All-Conference and All-State recognition.

On defense.

While Sims put up solid numbers under center in 2024, his skills in the defensive backfield are what earned him his postseason accolades. The athletic senior finished the season with 55 defensive points, including 22 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups and a blocked kick. Sims’ speed and coverage skills made offensive coordinators think twice before throwing to his side of the field.

Offensively, Sims threw for 734 yards and five touchdowns; he also ran for 397 yards and five scores.

“For Braunson to take on the quarterback position this year — that’s a heavy load, but he did it, and did a really good job for us,” Moore said. “To be able to play on the other side – he came back this year with a lot of experience in the defensive backfield, so I think that helped him out a bunch. And he improved from last year — his coverage was much improved this year, a really good open-field tackler, aggressive, dominant. Well-deserved — he’s a kid we relied on heavily on both sides of the ball.”

Brayden Wallace

Wallace had a breakout season as a junior in 2024, flirting with 1,000 yards when it was all said and done, and surprising everyone but those who know him best — his teammates and coaches.

“Brayden was probably one of our hardest workers in the off-season, in terms of the weight room, and attending every football thing we put on,” Moore said. “He was very, very motivated throughout the off-season, so it really didn’t surprise me, the year he had.”

Wallace finished the season with 933 yards on 144 carries — a gaudy 6.5 yards per attempt. His 93.3 yards per game average was fourth in the state in 3A, and his seven rushing touchdowns led the team. Wallace was sure-handed out of the backfield, as well, catching 12 passes for 124 yards.

“I knew the experience we had coming back up front [on the offensive line], coupled with how much time Brayden put in, he was primed to be successful,” Moore said. “He just got bigger, faster and stronger. He was a 3-sport athlete, so he competed all year long. I know track did him wonders — just running, and getting faster. I’m definitely happy for him, and well-deserved. He put in a lot of time, and worked really hard.”

The EHS football team celebrated their season with their awards banquet Monday night, where Moore said the four that received postseason honors would be recognized. That said, each player would be quick to credit their teammates.

“All four of those kids would be the first to say it’s not about them,” Moore said. “You don’t get any of those accolades without the team behind you, without a good supporting cast. We stress it all year. And that’s the hard part about individual awards — it takes away from the team concept that we preach all year. But I am happy for those kids. It’s the ultimate team game, and you don’t get any of that without a fairly solid support system. I do feel bad for the kids that didn’t get chosen who maybe were deserving, but you can only walk away with so many.”