Antioch’s Andy Bowles made the best of bad luck.
Two years ago, after suffering a serious ankle injury late in the regular season, he came to a realization.
“I needed to be more serious with football,” Bowles said. “It was kind of a wake-up call for me.
“I really started to work hard. I did at least double the work that I was doing previously. I was constantly working. I wanted to make sure I was bigger and stronger.”
As a result, Bowles has become an important multidimensional player for the Sequoits, who will try to win a sixth straight Northern Lake County Conference title this season following the graduation of star quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and his brother, Dino.
A 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior running back and linebacker, Bowles was voted a captain by his teammates and has offers to play at Roosevelt University and Augustana College.
“I don’t know if I would be where I’m at today if not for that injury,” he said. “I probably would’ve rolled through that sophomore season, playing up on varsity and gotten a good amount of playoff time.
“I learned more about working out, just how the body works, and had a trainer inside and outside school. And I learned a lot about lifting and exercising. I worked my tail off.”
Bowles increased his standing broad jump from just over 8 feet to a program-record 10 feet. His 40-meter time dropped from 5.1 seconds to 4.5 seconds.
“Andy worked himself into a player,” Glashagel said. “He’s going to do everything for us this year, playing offense and defense and even special teams. He’s not leaving the field. I told him that he better be in good shape.
“He’s put on a lot of muscle and is just a gifted athlete. He has done a great job and really grown over the years. He’s become more verbal but also a lead-by-example guy. He’s a coach’s dream.”
Bowles said he’s amazed at his progress but isn’t finished. He wants to continue to build on those leadership skills and help the Sequoits get back to the playoffs, which haven’t been held by the Illinois High School Association since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Antioch opens the season Friday at home against Catholic Memorial of Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Looking further ahead, Bowles said he’s not picky about the position he plays in college.
“I played defensive end in youth football and even offensive line and tight end,” he said. “I transitioned to running back later. I haven’t played much center or quarterback. But I’ve thrown a few passes. … I’ll do the best I can to prepare myself this season.”
Team: Antioch.
Spring record: 6-0.
Offensive leaders: Andy Bowles, senior, RB; Quade Moll, junior, QB; Joey Neumann, junior, TE; Tommy Van Sickle, senior, OL.
Defensive leaders: Hunter Bukowy, senior, DB; Aiden Niemczyk, junior, LB; Leo Reband, senior, DB; Briar Russell, senior, DE.
Playoff history: 20 appearances; most recently lost 14-7 to Cary-Grove in the 2019 Class 6A second round.
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
