Bowman senior Nathaniel Artest cut right to the chase.
After all, the Eagles hadn’t won a game in more than two years.
“There’s nowhere to go but up,” he said.
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And Artest and the Eagles have taken flight. They’re 2-0 for the first time since 2017, when they eventually extended their record to 4-0. Bowman ended a 20-game losing streak with a 58-12 win against Indianapolis Christel House in the season opener and followed that with a 28-16 win against Calumet Christian last week.
So Artest is enjoying the ride. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound outside linebacker/wide receiver cites a new culture and confidence, a new attitude and atmosphere, under first-year coach Gary Richardson.
“It feels great, especially since it’s my last year here too,” Artest said. “Being 2-0, it’s so much better than being on a losing streak, especially since coach got here, especially with all the practice we’ve done. He takes it real serious, and my teammates are taking it real serious.”
Artest also has raised his level this season.
“I’ve been able to understand everything,” he said. “I’ve been learning a lot more. I’ve been able to see more on the field, with coach helping me out. Overall, it’s been a great experience.”
Artest has made dramatic strides since he was a freshman.
“I was just doing whatever everyone else was doing,” he said of his debut season. “I barely got any time, and I barely understood anything. Now it’s so much better.”
Artest said his sophomore season was cut short because of “circumstances at home.” He then missed all of last season, when the Eagles went 0-10, because of issues with his grades.
“It was my mental focus and me staying on top of my grades,” he said. “I really focused on it. I got my GPA up. I wanted to go out with a bang my senior year, with all of my sports.”
In track and field in the spring, Artest won a sectional title in the 300-meter hurdles, was second in the 110 hurdles to qualify for regionals and was part of Bowman’s 1,600 relay team that qualified for regionals.
Artest has aspirations to set the program record and win the state championship in the 300 hurdles. But he views football as part of his future beyond high school.
“I plan to play college football,” he said. “I want to keep playing football at the next level. That’s what I love to do.”
Bowman sophomore wide receiver/defensive back Quentavious Fly, who has five interceptions in two games, is happy to have Artest back on the football field. Fly, who led Bowman’s boys basketball team with 16.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 4.2 steals and 2.3 blocked shots last season, also is teammates with Artest in track, having won a sectional title in the high jump and qualifying for regionals as part of the 400 relay team.
“He always pushes me,” Fly said of Artest. “He makes me work harder.”
Bowman freshman running back/defensive back Jawayne Crisler, who has 190 yards rushing and also will be a sprinter in track, said players such as Artest and Fly have aided his transition to the varsity level.
“They hype me up,” Crisler said. “Coach too. He cares more about football and our life outside of football. He’s a helping hand even when it’s not about football. He’s caring. He’s like another parent.
“It’s new around here. It’s exciting to see where we’ve come from and what we can do in the future.”
In the present, the Eagles will try to add another game to their win column when they play Lake Station (2-0) on Saturday.
Richardson, whose background includes time as an assistant at Bishop Noll, Bloom Township and Calumet as well as 20 years running the Glenwood Cougars youth program, emphasized the importance of the matchup against Lake Station.
“Big game this week,” Richardson said. “This game is a turning point for Bowman Academy. Two undefeated teams. Both teams have struggled. This is a pivotal turning point for our program.
“We’re on a mission to make people believe who we are. We’re Bowman football, and these boys have bought into the changes we’re trying to make, one day at a time, one play at a time, one game at a time. One game at a time — that’s where we are.”
But Richardson also has an idea about where he wants the Eagles to be.
“I’d rather be 10-0,” he said. “Talk to me when we’re 10-0 — that’s better. But I’m not out there on the field. These boys are the ones who are out there giving it their all. That’s what I’m most proud of.
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“Whatever the streak was, there were no W’s in this building. The mindset now is we only believe in winning. That’s all that matters. However many we lost in a row, whether it was 22 or 20 or 15, it doesn’t matter. Bowman is 2-0. That’s the only thing that matters. It’s been a long time coming.”
Artest also knows where he wants the Eagles to be going.
“I want the team to be in a better spot this year and to leave the team in a better spot for years to come,” he said. “I want the team all to be focused, on both football and grades. I want us to play together as a team, get stronger and get better together.”