Christopher football player Evan Vernon made big plays on both sides of the ball for the Cougars.
Crucial third-down catches for the offense, big stops for the defense. He was awarded First Team All-League honors for three consecutive years, as CHS went 40-8. Christopher reached the Central Coast Section Division II championship game in his junior year and the Cougars were unbeaten sole league titlists last season.
Vernon graduated this past spring and has moved on to play at Lake Forest College, near Chicago.
Statistics illustrate part of the story on Vernon, an athletic linebacker and wide receiver. In his senior year, he collected 155 tackles, fourth most in CCS and 27th most in California. He was named Blossom Valley Athletic League Defensive Player of the Year.
In the last three years, Vernon’s tackle total was 394—221 of which were solo stops. In the fall 2024 season, he racked up 23 in the playoff game against Menlo, 22 against Lincoln, 21 versus Oak Grove, 16 against Branham and 15 in the Live Oak game.
In his junior season, he was at his best in the biggest games, producing 19 tackles—16 of them solo—in the huge playoff upset of Archbishop Mitty and 18 against Live Oak.
At wide receiver last fall, he caught 55 passes for 807 yards and seven touchdowns—an impressive 14.7 yards-per-catch average. Vernon’s career totals, nearly entirely from only his last two years, were 88 receptions for 1,283 yards and 12 scores, with a 14.6 average.
“What amazed us all is on the field, he is tenacious and wills us to win, the ultimate competitor,” said Darren Yafai, Christopher’s coach through the fall 2023 season. “He’s athletic but plays above his abilities. Gets more out of what he’s been given than you’d think possible. He’s about 5-9 and 165-170 pounds but he plays like a Division 1 linebacker.
“His sophomore year at 5-8 and at best 155 pounds, he started every game at middle linebacker which is unheard of for a soph that size. But all he did was make a tackle on every play so we had to keep him there.”
The other side of the Vernon story is that he was at his best in the most crucial times. Pulling in a long third-down completion against tight coverage in a playoff game against Menlo; or play after play in Christopher’s monumental and historical upset of Mitty in the fall 2023 playoffs.
The Cougars had closed a 28-19 deficit to 28-26 but needed a stop to get the ball back. In the final minutes, Mitty was looking to run out the clock. On third and one, Vernon teamed with Josiah Garcia to stuff Monarchs running back Lazaro Faraj-Washington for a one-yard loss. The Monarchs punted and quarterback Jaxen Robinson led the Cougars down the field for a touchdown and a 32-28 lead.
There was more. Mitty fought back and reached Christopher’s 21 yard line with eight seconds left. On the final play, Mitty quarterback Joey Campagna threw a pass toward the end zone. Vernon knocked the ball down for an incomplete pass, and the Cougars celebrated the win, a No. 8 seed upsetting the No. 1 seed with a win over a West Catholic League powerhouse.
“Evan is one of the most tough guys I’ve ever played with,” Robinson said. “I’ve played sports with him my whole life and he truly showed me how to push yourself to the limits.
“From running Mantelli together to working out at Christopher together, Evan has always been the guy who wants to get better every day no matter what. His leadership and work ethic created a culture at Christopher that will never be forgotten.”
Vernon played all over the field on both offense and defense and did more. Special teams. Long snapper. “His versatility is unprecedented,” Yafai said.
“On defense, he played every linebacker position, defensive end and both safety spots,” Vernon’s former coach continued. “On offense, he played all four receiver positions and filled in at running back. Evan played on every special team. The first week of his sophomore year we needed a long snapper for punts and PATs and field goals and us coaches joked, ‘Let’s try Evan, he can do anything.’ Within five minutes he was snapping good and was perfect within a few days. Kept the job for three years.”
On the field, there was nothing beyond Vernon and he always was contributing. He was also a leader off the field, on the campus.
“He had a GPA above a 4.0 and was in ASB student government, a true leader on campus in every way,” said Yafai, who also teaches History at Christopher. “Evan is known for being the consummate gentleman that says hi to just about every person on campus daily.
“We used to joke about how Evan would give the pre-game speech, make the game-winning play and drive our school bus home. We actually broke down one time after a game and joked that Evan was repairing the engine and then would drive us home.”
Vernon started playing football at age five. The sport was popular at home and he said he quickly fell in love with the game.
“It’s the ultimate team sport and I love the ability to just go hit someone with no punishment,” Vernon said. “It also gives me a good feeling knowing that I came through for my teammates and coaches. I loved all these things about football when I was a kid and obviously I still do now.”
The family has athletes through and through. Father Sean Vernon played football at Overfelt High in San Jose. Mother Melissa Vernon was involved in sports in El Paso, Texas.
Younger brother Ethan Vernon is currently a sophomore linebacker and wide receiver at Christopher. Older sister Alicia Vernon competed in water polo at CHS and West Valley College. Younger sister Addison Vernon is also a water polo player and intends to play in high school.
“My parents and coaches were crucial in my development as it pertains to football,” Evan Vernon said. “They supported me every step of the way but were also willing to be honest with me because that’s what it takes to make improvements.
“My parents taught me to never quit—and finish what I started. And with the help of my coaches, I continued to build on what I knew and my physical capabilities. I’ve had great coaches that have pushed me to my limits and trained not just my body but my mind as well.”
Vernon cited the 2023 playoff victories over Mitty and Menlo as highlights of his career. He felt it showed everyone what a special team Christopher had.
“Other than on the field, I just enjoyed being with the guys at team dinners or on bus rides. We all became super close and many of those people will be friends and brothers for life,” Vernon said
Yafai’s contacts helped lead Vernon to an opportunity in academics and football at Lake Forest College. Lake Forest was 10-1 last season, 9-0 in the Midwest Conference. The Foresters are 36-7 over the last four seasons, 32-4 in MWC play and have reached the NCAA D3 playoffs three of those years.
Vernon visited Lake Forest and chose to play there, selecting it over other options, including JC ball. He plans to major in Communications and looks toward the sports analyst world or other sports-related positions as a career.
