Ellis Johnson is self-admittedly a bit of a quiet, introverted young man. But when he straps up his pads and takes the field as the quarterback of the Bradley-Bourbonnais football team, he finds his voice.

Johnson was on fire all night in Friday’s home game against Waubonsie Valley, finishing the night 18 of 22 for 231 yards and three touchdowns in the Boilermakers’ 35-6 win over the Warriors.

The Boilers improved to 3-0 and 1-0 in the Southwest Valley Conference Red Division while the Warriors slid to 0-3, 0-1.

“I think it comes to my advantage in times that get tense,” Johnson said of his reserved nature. “I think I’m able to stay poised and bring everyone to the same level. But at the same time I lead by example as well, and my attention to detail helps everyone out I think.”

Johnson completed his first 10 passes of the night, with the Boilers ahead 14-0 by the time his first incompletion came in the second quarter. They wasted no time finding the end zone, as the first drive of the game was capped off by the first of two 37-yard touchdown connections between Johnson and Lyzale Edmon to give the Boilers an 8-0 advantage a shade under four minutes into the game.

His two touchdown grabs give Edmon five for the season through three games. The lone junior to make the Class 7A All-State first team last year, Edmon couldn’t imagine a much better start to the season both individually and as a team, where the Boilers have now outscored their opponents 118-13 through the first third of the regular season.

“I’m having so much fun,” Edmon, who had five catches for 91 yards, said. “It’s my last year, and I’m trying to go out with a ball, go out with a ring, just all I can.”

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Football: Bradley-Bourbonnais vs. Waubonsie Valley Week 3 Bradley-Bourbonnais' LyZale Edmon runs in a touchdown during the Boilermakers' 35-6 victory over Waubonsie Valley Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette/Tiffany Blanchette)

Following a Warriors punt, Issac Allison capped off an 11-play, 76-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge to make it 15-0 Boilers with 26 ticks left in the first. The Boiler defense forced another quick punt, one Edmon muffed just inside the Boiler 40-yard line, but the Warriors were forced to punt again just four snaps later.

With the ball at their own 20, the Boilers marched down the field again, with Calvin Kohl catching a short pass and dashing 26 yards for the Boilers’ third score in as many drives to start the game and give them a 22-0 halftime lead.

After the Warriors were able to get inside the red zone for the first time on the first drive of the second half, quarterback Collin Ford was stopped in the backfield on a 4th and 4 from the Bradley-Bourbonnais 13-yard line. Edmon caught his other touchdown on the ensuing drive, and after the Warriors found paydirt on Ford’s 7-yard strike to Jack Van Der Watt, Ky’ren Edmon’s 33-yard touchdown with 8:33 left put the game on ice.

While the Boilers were dynamite again offensively, totaling 415 yards of offense, the defense was largely able to contain the dual-threat Ford, and in turn, the Warrior offense. Ford was held to 14 for 22 passing for 90 yards and a pair of interceptions to Lyzale Edmon and Rylon McCue, going 1 of 6 for -3 yards and a pick in the first half. On the ground, Ford had almost half of the team’s rushing yards, totaling 80 yards on 15 carries.

Tye Thurmond, one of four senior defensive linemen starting for their second seasons, led the defense with four tackles for loss. He said he felt like the Boilers just might have “the best defense in Class 7A,” and also that their defensive line room continues to make each other better.

“We all love each other,” Thurmond said. “I love all my defensive linemen. We help each other out very much. I think I wouldn’t be who I am without them.”

It’s the third straight season the Boilers, who take on St. Mary’s Southside Catholic Prep (St. Louis) at Milliken University in Decatur next week. There’s still plenty of season left and improvements to be made, but Boilers head coach Mike Kohl has loved what he’s seen so far.

“It feels great, man,” Mike Kohl said. “I’m so excited for these guys. The work they put in, people don’t realize how much it takes to be a good high school football team in our division. To beat a team like Waubonsie Valley is huge for our kids.”

On the flip side, the Warriors now sit at 0-3 as they chase consecutive playoff berths for the first time since 2015 and 2016. As they prepare for another road game at Andrew next week, head coach Adam Pucylowski said that while each area of the team had their moments, the Warriors will need to have their offense, defense and special teams all come together.

“With coach Kohl they’re well-coached, they’re physical,” Pucylowski said. “We had a heck of an opponent we were going against and we’ve got to find ways to put it together. We’re just struggling to play complementary football, so we’ve got to get the boys on the same page.”