Herron: Bolingbrook offensive attack makes it a real threat

One of the aspects that I enjoy most about high school football is that when a program is really good at something, it usually makes no effort to disguise that strength.

Unlike some sports where mixing things up never hurts, successful football programs often boldly challenge their opponents to try to stop them at what they do best.

As has often been seen throughout the years, those who have done things well for a long time often don’t change their approach, or even need to.

That brings us to an area program that has been really good at doing what it does well for a long time, Bolingbrook.

I remember in the early 1980s, when coach Phil Acton and his staff started to turn around the Raiders’ fortunes after some building years, there was no mystery as to how it came about. The Brook was going to run the football, and then run it some more.

That formula, along with a physical defense, resulted in great success for the Raiders. From 1982 to 2015, Bolingbrook enjoyed an amazing stretch of .500 or better records in every season, failing to win at least six games only four times.

When John Ivlow succeeded Acton in 2002, he implemented some subtle changes on offense, but basically kept the old familiar game plan intact.

Bolingbrook’s running game and tough defense resulted in an amazing run of 24 consecutive playoff trips, one of the longest streaks among high enrollment schools in IHSA history. But a slew of injuries, combined with a tough schedule, brought that run to an end a year ago when the Raiders went 4-5.

So just five seasons after the program reached its pinnacle with a Class 8A title over Loyola Academy in 2011, the Raiders ended last season with a two-year mark of 9-10.

There naturally was some skepticism about whether the Raiders would return to their winning ways this year. But two-thirds through the regular season, it’s already quite clear that the Brook definitely is back.

There was a buzz in the air Friday when the Raiders hosted Lockport. With a victory, Bolingbrook improved to 5-1 and was ensured a return to the playoffs.

After junior Quentin Pringle had one of the top rushing games in area history a week earlier, a 421-yard effort with four touchdowns in a 48-24 win over Bradley-Bourbonnais, most had to figure that the ball would be in his hands a lot, including the Porters.

Instead, he only ran two times for four yards. The Raiders only had 14 yards on 13 carries, which has to be one of their lowest totals in recent memory.

While that sounds like a bad night for the hosts, nothing could be further from the truth. Bolingbrook stunned Lockport and most in attendance by going with an empty backfield and numerous receivers out wide.

Quarterback Anthony Vespo executed the game plan perfectly, connecting on 11 of 14 passes for 306 yards in the opening half, which was all that he needed to play.

He tossed scoring passes to four different receivers in the first quarter and helped the Raiders grab a 35-0 lead. When Pringle scored the lone rushing touchdown midway through the second quarter, the 42-0 score meant a running clock in the final half. The Porters kept battling, but the 42-21 final score is a little misleading.

As if Bolingbrook’s running game wasn’t enough to make opposing coaches nervous, the passing attack that it unveiled makes this offense much more dangerous.

Beside having an experienced quarterback who was spot-on in his execution, the senior can count on a variety of talented receivers who demonstrated quite clearly what can happen if they get into open space.

On a night when hall of fame cross country and track and field coach Art Pahl was honored for his 37 years as a Raiders coach, and with Bolingbrook hall of famers such as former athletic director Larry Bernard and coach Acton watching from the sidelines, it was fun to see some of the swagger back for the program that proudly wears the skull and crossbones.

While some will point to a rough second half in a 48-20 loss at Homewood-Flossmoor, Ivlow and his players are looking at their showing through all six games as a good gauge of how well they’re capable of performing the rest of the way.

After hosting Thornridge on Friday and playing at Thornton next week, the Raiders will get their biggest opportunity to show where they’re at in the regular season finale on Oct. 20. That’s when they host unbeaten and top-ranked Lincoln-Way East, which captured an impressive 29-7 victory at Homewood-Flossmoor Friday.

The area has several teams that have demonstrated they could make a nice run in the postseason. I think it’s safe to now add Bolingbrook to that list.