Conor Tully is a player not lacking for energy.

Fun to coach, intelligent, a team captain, Oswego’s senior linebacker is the type of supportive teammate who will let someone know if they messed up – but with a smile on his face.

“He looks like he enjoys every single minute of practice,” Oswego coach Brian Cooney said.

Same goes for game days.

“I’m going to bring my all and bring the energy, get myself psyched up and get crazy. It kind of comes naturally,” Tully said. “I go out there, first or second play, hit the person for the first time. It locks me in for the rest of the game.”

Tully, too, values the opportunity to play.

He broke a bone in his foot the last week of camp leading up to Week 1 of his junior year. He felt a sharp pain in his foot, but tried to practice through it. Eventually trainers sent him to a doctor who diagnosed the break. Tully missed his entire junior season.

“I was amazed when I found out the injury, but in a bad way,” Tully said. “Once I found out I was out for the season I couldn’t do much. Probably a month or so after the season I started doing workouts for the team. But it was a long time.”

Tully returned to competition to play baseball last spring.

He’s come back in a big way this fall, leading 7-2 Oswego in tackles heading into Friday’s Class 8A first-round home game with Naperville North.

“It’s a great feeling after missing the whole year of football from sophomore year,” Tully said. “To be able to perform at such a high level has been amazing. I’m happy with how I’ve been able to play and affect games. Our whole linebacking group has played well.”

Tully indeed not only leads Oswego in tackles but also tackles for loss and forced fumbles.

“He doesn’t shy away from contact, he’s got a tremendous amount of personality and energy on the field,” Cooney said. “Other guys pick up off of that, and feed off of that.”

Tully played interior line, center, as an eighth-grader in youth football.

He lost some weight and grew a little and has played linebacker throughout high school.

“I feel like I can do everything,” Tully said. “I can play in the box if coach needs me, I can go outside and cover someone as well. I can be anywhere in space filling the hole.”

Tully, at weakside linebacker, has filled a position with a strong pedigree in the Oswego program.

Mikey Claycombe played that spot last year. Evan Brown and Sean Graff are other standouts who have played the position.

“Conor fits that mold,” Cooney said. “He does a great job of playing in the box and is active outside of the box. It’s a hybrid, a unique position. He has the ability to play sideline to sideline. He has a high motor and looks the part.”

Oswego East braces for Bolingbrook rematch

Oswego East coach Tyson LeBlanc offered a different perspective on his team’s playoff rematch with Bolingbrook this Friday.

“You like to play somebody that you have not played,” LeBlanc said, “but at the same time we played them Week 5. That is half a season ago. They have done some really good things, won our side of the conference. We are excited to play them at what we consider full strength. We are ready for the challenge.”

Indeed, LeBlanc was quick to point out that his team was missing its top two receivers, Lincoln Ijams and Donavin Eason, in the teams’ first meeting. Bolingbrook beat Oswego East 32-7 on Sept. 26, at the time handing the Wolves’ their first loss.

“Two guys with 100-yard receiving games the last two weeks,” LeBlanc said.

It’s no secret to LeBlanc what his team has to do to slow down Bolingbrook, riding in on a six-game winning streak. It starts with containing the read-option game with running back TJ Lewis and quarterback Tyson Ward.

Easier said than done. Lewis rushed for 197 yards and three TDs, Ward 110 yards and two TDs in the previous win over Oswego East. They combined for over 300 yards and four TDs in last Friday’s win over Yorkville.

“You have to pick your poison,” LeBlanc said. “Which of those guys do you want to carry the ball and make sure that guy ends up with the ball in his hand. For them, it’s scary because both of those guys are scary. It’s about being disciplined, gang tackle, get hats to the ball.”

On the other side, LeBlanc said it’s about his offense getting into manageable third downs and convert on third downs.

“Play the type of ball that got us six wins this season,” LeBlanc said.

Clean football, too. The Wolves coughed it up four times in the previous game.

“We gotta be better,” LeBlanc said.

Soph steps up in Yorkville loss

It ultimately was in defeat, but the heroics of Yorkville sophomore Jayden Ruth last Friday at Bolingbrook weren’t lost on his coach.

Ruth, a receiver and defensive back, took a vicious hit midway through the fourth quarter.

Ruth went to the sideline, but just a few plays later returned to haul in a 33-yard TD catch from Jack Beetham, at the time the go-ahead score.

“Especially being a sophomore and playing both sides of the ball, he’s impressive,” Yorkville coach Dan McGuire said. “And Jack, that’s one of the better throws that he has made. Situationally, to do that then, that’s impressive.”

Head of the class

McGuire’s first reaction to his team’s playoff draw was a reflection on the growth of the Yorkville school and community. The Foxes will be hosting Glenbard North in a Class 7A first-round game on Friday.

Of Glenbard North’s 17 playoff appearances since 2001, 13 were in Class 8A. On the flip side, McGuire recalled Yorkville’s first playoff appearance that he was a part of as the freshman coach, in 2002, was a Class 5A game at Geneseo.

Now Yorkville’s enrollment is greater than Glenbard North.

“It’s crazy how times have changed,” McGuire said. “To go from 4A and 5A to now we are playing Bolingbrook on one Friday and Glenbard North the next is pretty surreal to me, to see how much growth we have had.”

Running men

McGuire’s Yorkville defense had quite a challenge last Friday, containing standout Bolingbrook running back Lewis.

The Foxes have another huge task this week.

Glenbard North’s headliner is senior running back Donato Gatses, who has rushed for 1,721 yards and 20 TDs. Gatses has gone over 100 yards in eight of nine games. Last Friday, Gatses rushed for 264 yards and five TDs in a win over Wheaton North.

“Off the tape, his speed stands out,” McGuire said. “He is clearly a fast kid. He sees the field really well, he reads blocks well, he does not force things in a particular location. It’s difficult to defend. His speed and vision are the two big things.

“We have to be able to limit the run and the explosive runs because he can turn a five-yard run into a 50-yard gain. We want to start with the lead, get off to a strong start at home and limit those big plays.”