Suburban Life football notes: Ben Bielawski adds quality bulk, off to fast start as leader of Downers Grove North defense

Downers Grove North's Ben Bielawski (58) spies the running back during a football game against Downers Grove South at Downers Grove North High School on Tuesday, Sep 9, 2022.

Ben Bielawski is thinking about changing his sport of choice in college.

All signs had pointed to the Downers Grove North senior to wrestle in college.

A standout wrestler, Bielawski viewed wrestling to be his best chance to extend his career to college.

But Bielawski, the son of Downers Grove South defensive coordinator Dan Bielawski, is slowly changing his mind about college. He’s starting to explore the possibility of playing football.

Well, that’s what can happen when you amass eight sacks and 12 tackles for a loss in three games heading into Friday’s pivotal West Suburban Silver game at York (3-0, 1-0). He recorded four sacks in the season-opening win over Hoffman Estates.

“I haven’t put myself out there for football very much because I kind of wanted to do it with wrestling,” he said. “But I’ve had a lot of success in football, so it would be sweet to play in college. I want to keep my opportunities open.”

So what’s the difference between Bielawski from last season to this season?

He gained nearly 25 pounds from the end of his junior football season, putting his frame at a solid 6-foot and 225 pounds. He dropped down to 182 pounds in the wrestling season, but attacked the weight room in the offseason to add quality bulk which translated into a powerful physique capable of overwhelming offensive linemen.

And he has a secret recipe to gaining weight — his mother’s chicken pot pie.

“I think 180 to 225 pounds is a huge jump, but staying in weight room and shape, I feel a lot better, stronger and faster than last year, " he said. “I owe a lot of credit to wrestling. As soon as wrestling stopped, I knew I had to get in the gym. My mom is a good cook, so that helped a lot.

“I was gradually seeing my numbers in the weight room go up. I knew after seeing that, I would see a change on the field and be able to move the big boys around. The added strength and my motor really helped me.”

Downers Grove North's Ben Bielawski (58) takes the field against Downers Grove South prior to kickoff at Downers Grove North High School on Tuesday, Sep 9, 2022.

Downers Grove North coach Joe Horeni said Bielawski, a captain, is a hard worker with a relentless motor who has tremendous leadership skills.

“Ben’s always been a super confident and physical kid, and he comes from a hard-nosed football family,” Horeni said. “His hands are so quick and it has benefitted him in wrestling and football. He can play with leverage and manipulate his hands and get inside pass blockers. He’s always been super strong, but it had been tough carrying weight due to wrestling.

“His desire was to wrestle in college, but after seeing his success not only as a player but a leader and captain, you would love to see him get opportunity to play football in college.”

The Trojans’ next opponent, York, enters the key early season contest as one of the hottest teams in the state, but has yet to be truly tested. The Dukes have outscored their three opponents — Schaumburg, Morton and Proviso West — by a total of 154-7. The Trojans (3-0) also are playing extremely well, outscoring their three opponents — Hoffman Estates, Willowbrook and Downers Grove South — 93-20.

“York is explosive offensively, and their quarterback is a great thrower and a big-time running threat,” Horeni said “They have a really quick running back and good wide receivers. Defensively, they run a similar scheme to us and got some good players out there.

“We have to keep their offense off the field and also we have to sustain drives and be opportunistic with the ball and figure out a way to turn them over and get a short field.”

Career day for Glenbard South QB

Glenbard South junior quarterback Michael Champagne surprised himself on Friday night. On a team with numerous highly skilled players, Champagne, a second-year starter, made history in a 56-21 victory over Larkin.

Champagne passed for 268 yards and a single-game school-record five touchdowns to go with 70 yards rushing and a TD. Champagne said there were many factors for his record-breaking night. The Raiders (3-0, 3-0 Upstate Eight) have scored 149 points this season. They play at Streamwood (1-2, 1-2) on Friday.

Champagne said his experienced offensive line, along with talented running back Jalen Anthony Brown (165 yards on 18 carries against Larkin) and wide receiver Cam Williams, a Notre Dame recruit who had six receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns, make his job easier.

“I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by so much talent and a great coaching staff, which definitely makes my job a lot easier,” Champagne said. “The protection my offensive line gives me is crucial…They’ve been amazing this year.

Champagne said he started to get a good feel that it could be a special night close to halftime.

“Throughout the first quarter, we took our time driving down the field and controlling the game,” he said. “In the second quarter, we found success on some big chunk plays and I found rhythm throughout the game. You could say we were kind of in the zone.

“When I saw my final stats, I was very appreciative, since that was the first time I’ve had six total touchdowns in a game.”

Champagne said another factor in his strong start stems from his comfort with the offense due to his work in the offseason.

“My feel for the offense and varsity football, in general, is significantly better than last year,” he said. “I have a different level of confidence this year, and I find it much easier to get in a rhythm and find consistency. I have a better understanding for how to slow down the game and just do my thing.”