The Bolles Bulldogs finished with a record of 8-1 in their regular season this year.
The Bulldogs had a tough week one loss to Raines, but they bounced back and went on to win their eight remaining regular season games, including key wins against Oakleaf, Bishop Kenny, and Riverside.
Head Coach Matt Toblin said, “We were disappointed with the loss…but ultimately that does not define our season.” The Bulldogs put the loss behind them and went on an impressive eight game win streak, and are looking to continue the win streak in the playoffs.
The offensive side for Bolles has looked very strong this year, with skilled and talented players like quarterback Ethan Drumm ‘25, wide receiver Naeem Burroughs ‘26, tight end Corbyn Fordham ‘26, wide receiver Chase Collier ‘25, and running backs Emmet Grezbin ‘25, Tyrone Neal ‘25, and Xander Edwards ‘28. This talented offensive lineup has put up multiple forty point games this season.
A group that is not talked about enough is the offensive line. The offensive line is made up of JJ Sparks ‘26, Cameron Sharp ‘25, Ryan Ingram ‘26, Reid Koelbel ‘26, and Caleb Barnes ‘26. They have really held this offense together. Toblin said, “The offensive line is a group that makes everything go…they have really gelled as a unit of playing smart and physical football.” Without the offensive line, this offense would not have all the success it does today. Toblin believes that the success in offense was a team effort, but he gave the offensive line a special shoutout.
Bolles’ defense has been successful too. They shut out Baldwin, Andrew Jackson, and Wolfson this year. They also held Trinity Christian to only seven points. Toblin highlighted several upperclassmen as instrumental, including linebacker MJ Jenkins ‘25, linebacker Troy Holloway ‘25, safety CJ Ennis ‘25, and cornerback Jalen Ross ‘25. These seniors have really stepped up and have been true leaders of this defense.
This 8-1 season was not all because of the players, though. Toblin thanked his coaching staff for maintaining the Bolles football culture throughout the program. Toblin said, “It is the culture within the program of happy not satisfied.” All year these coaches have pushed these players to become the best they can be by keeping this culture all year long, and it has ultimately been really successful.
This regular season is not all that’s in store for Bolles Football. The playoffs are here and there are many things this team wants to improve on. Toblin emphasized that he wants to help the players continue to “work on their craft.” Bolles has been taking advantage of these weeks they’ve had off and are putting this extra time to good use.
Another huge part of the Bulldogs’ success will be getting injured players back, like Emmett Grezbin ‘25, Chase Collier ‘25, Corbyn Fordham ‘26, and Naeem Burroghs ‘26. They have been using these bye weeks to recover and they all should be good to go for the playoffs.
This 2024 Bolles Bulldogs team has been different from the rest, Toblin said. “This team has been able to toe the lines of smile everyday, but be the hardest working team in America.” This hard work has translated to success in the regular season, and now all eyes are on the playoffs.
How will this team look next season? The seniors have demonstrated to the underclassmen what it takes to win. There are many underclassmen that will be vital to this team next year, including Naeem Burroughs ‘26, Corbyn Fordham ‘26, Simeon Caldwell ‘26, JJ Sparks ‘26, Asher Ghioto ‘28, and Xander Edwards ‘28. With leadership from the seniors and talent on the field, the Bulldogs are on the hunt for another state championship.