John Boman hasn’t grown much in height or weight, if at all, since he last played in a game for Highland Park.
But the 6-foot, 220-pound junior running back went to great lengths to ensure he’s not the same player this season, and he intends to demonstrate that on the field.
“I’ve definitely been working on myself to improve,” he said. “Last year, I was more of a physical player, but speed was my weakness. So I worked on that a lot in the offseason and hope that can make a difference.”
Boman rushed for 315 yards and five touchdowns on 64 carries for the Central Suburban League North champion Giants (7-3, 5-0) last season, when he was a complement to multidimensional quarterback Gustav Crane. As Crane enters his senior year, Boman has a chance to add a new dimension to an offense that averaged 32 points during the regular season.
“He’s always been a big, strong kid, and he’s a really good athlete who eats, breathes and sleeps football,” Highland Park coach Anthony Kopp said. “He was more of an inside threat last year, and he’s hoping to do more this year.”
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Only one year ago, Boman wasn’t expecting much. He was the only sophomore promoted to the varsity team and didn’t know how he would contribute. But his trepidation quickly subsided and was replaced by a conviction that he belonged there.
“Being able to match up physically with guys older than me was a big surprise at first,” Boman said. “Even in the first game against Leyden, I saw that I was able to bring value to the team physically. The more I played, the more confident I got in myself.”
As the season progressed, the Giants continued to stack victories together, highlighted by a five-game winning streak, and Boman’s role grew. Kopp noted Boman became a better blocker.
“One of the biggest reasons I love the game is putting your all into hitting people,” Boman said.
Boman’s role will expand again and not only in the backfield. He’s slated to start at linebacker, a position he had played for years until last season.
“I love linebacker almost as much as offense,” Boman said. “I like reacting to things, and on defense you’re always making guesses and reacting to what the offense is doing. It starts before the ball is even snapped. There’s a lot of thinking.”
Boman gave a lot of thought to getting stronger and faster during the offseason and then put in the work to make it happen. Senior guard Asher Mizrahi, Boman’s lifting partner, had a front-row seat for that.
“I saw him working out last year, but what he was lifting this year got to a ridiculous number,” Mizrahi said. “When you see high school players lift, you don’t expect to have them squat 4 1/2 plates.
“He was running through and over people last year, so I can’t wait to see what he does this year.”
Boman also competed in track and field in the spring. He ran sprints and threw the shot put and discus.
“The sprints focus on acceleration and the bursts you need to mimic what you do in football games, and the throws work on getting explosive power,” he said. “It really helped my cardio, which will help with me starting both ways. I’ve definitely noticed a difference.”
Boman’s progress is one reason Kopp is optimistic that Highland Park will be successful again this season. The CSL has split into three divisions instead of two, and the Giants will play in the CSL Central alongside rival Deerfield, Glenbrook North and Niles West.
The CSL North consists of Maine East, Maine West, Niles North and Vernon Hills, and the CSL South consists of Evanston, Glenbrook South, Maine South and New Trier.
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Each CSL team will play three intradivision games and four interdivision games.
“I’m a big fan of it because you should get pretty balanced schedules for everyone,” Kopp said. “There should be more toss-up games, and playing this type of schedule should get teams ready for the playoffs.”
Boman also wants to show he can play in college. His prospects increased after a CSL showcase that drew coaches from about 70 colleges. Boman received positive feedback and was subsequently invited to several camps this summer, including an event for underclassmen at Northwestern.
“It was a great opportunity to get in front of coaches, and it helped me make contact with some schools,” he said. “This is the year to perform for college coaches.
“I’m super excited about the team, and it’s an extra motivator to keep working hard to make more good film to send out.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.