Bolingbrook, ranked No. 9 in the preseason Super 25, finished last season just one successful two-point conversion away from reaching the Class 8A semifinals.
A load of high-level talent and 18 players who started games are back. The Raiders ended last season as one of the best teams in the state, despite battling special teams woes throughout the campaign.
“We lost so many extra points because we had inconsistency with our kicker,” Bolingbrook coach Titcus Pettigrew said. “Now we have a full-time kicker, and we are putting our best 11 on special teams. It has been the top priority. Everyone has bought in, and we are going to make sure we win that facet of the game.”
Bolingbrook may be the only public school in the area that can match the Catholic League powers for raw size and ability. Defensive end Darieon Prescott (6-4, 255 pounds) recently committed to Notre Dame and is a consensus top-20 talent in the national class of 2028. Senior running back TJ Lewis, an Oklahoma State recruit, scored 22 TDs last season and accounted for 1,808 total yards.
Junior defensive back Antoine Norfleet has an offer from Illinois, and junior running back Jordan Donald holds an offer from Kansas State. Almost a half dozen other players are expected to impress and earn Power Four offers over the course of the season.
“We have a lot of dogs out here that are going to get recruited,” Lewis said. “Everyone will see very soon.”
Starting quarterback Tyson Ward, who runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, is back.
“Colleges instantly want [Ward] as a safety,” Pettigrew said. “I know he’s a special quarterback. But when you are six feet, that is what you are going to get. I have seen enough to know whoever gets him will get a gift. He’s the most humble kid. He’s a more accurate thrower than people think.”
Ward contributed 2,360 total yards of offense and 27 TDs last season.
“I’m going to be a more vocal leader,” Ward said. “And I’ll be staying in the pocket more, going through my reads instead of just running. It’s a lot better throwing to all these 6-4 guys.”
A slew of talented receivers transferred to Bolingbrook. They are all expected to be cleared to play, but that hasn’t happened yet. Junior Mason Williams, a standout basketball player, is playing high school football for the first time and will be a major contributor at receiver.
“We now have a team where instead of throwing to areas with a 5-6 receiver we have 6-6 and 6-4,” Pettigrew said. “[Ward] actually has targets. In our scrimmages this year, teams were shocked to see the size we have. Last year we had little dinobots.”
Prescott’s impact on defense is immense. Last season he had 65 tackles, 14 TFLs, five sacks and blocked two kicks. The secondary is exceptionally strong with Norfleet, senior Kenyon Rodgers and junior Gabriel Jenkins.
All the pieces are in place for a special season at Bolingbrook, including a nicely balanced schedule. The Raiders play challenging games against Homewood-Flossmoor, Simeon, Yorkville and Oswego to start the season and finish up with a test at Minooka.
“The building blocks for this started last year,” Pettigrew said. “We played young, and now we have veteran leaders in a lot of spots. That’s going to make a big difference.”
@michaelsobriensports Oklahoma State recruit TJ Lewis is one of the top running backs in the state. He looks ahead to No. 9 Bolingbrook’s football season. #ihsa #football #bolingbrook #oklahomastate ♬ original sound – michaelsobriensports