NBCSportsChicago.com preps reporter "Edgy" Tim O’Halloran spotlights 100 high school football teams in 100 days. The first 75 team profiles will focus on teams making strides across Chicagoland and elsewhere in the state. Starting Aug. 5, we’ll unveil the @NBCSPrepsTop 25 Power Rankings, leading up to kickoff on Friday, Aug. 30.
School: Richards
Head coach: Tony Sheehan
Assistant coaches: Bill Bodzianowski, Kris Korhonen, Jim Bolhuis, Jeff Kortz, Matt Royce, Rick Pratl, Adam Ziemba, Steve Fleming, Kevin Szczepkowski, Ryan Russell, Tommy Makuch, Chris Elliott, John Hallberg, Eric Schultz, Nick Grabarek and Jeff Kopf
How they fared in 2018: 12-1 (6-0 South Suburban Red Conference). Richards made the Class 6A state playoff field and defeated Rock Island, Yorkville and Normal West, then lost to Crete-Monee in the semifinal round.
2019 regular season schedule:
Aug. 30 @ Lincoln-Way Central
Sept. 6 vs St. Rita
Sept. 13 @ Hillcrest
Sept. 20 @ Argo
Sept. 27 vs Evergreen Park
Oct. 4 vs Reavis
Oct. 11 vs Oak Lawn
Oct. 18 @ Shepard
Oct. 25 @ Eisenhower
Biggest storyline: Can the Bulldogs make back-to-back deep runs in the IHSA state football playoff field?
[MORE: 26 Days to Kickoff – St. Rita]
Names to watch this season: RB Leshon Williams (Sr.), OL/DL Jalen Lee (Sr.)
Biggest holes to fill: The Bulldogs welcome back 15 returning starters (seven offense, eight defense) but will need to reload a bit on both the offensive and defensive lines. Also, standout QB/S Sebastian Castro (Iowa) graduated and his overall leadership will be missed.
EDGY's Early Take: Richards and head coach Tony Sheehan made it to the state semifinal round in 2018, yet everyone involved in this program was expecting to win a state title. Look for running back Leshon Williams to have a big senior season. The defense has terrific speed and athleticism. They have a ton of experienced receivers and backs ready and willing to take pressure off Williams and the Bulldogs running game. This should make for a successful offense, regardless of who wins the quarterback job. Richards will get some good early tests on the schedule. If they can win those early games, all the better for Richards to gain a high seed in the IHSA state playoff field. The overall talent level in 2019, combined with a ton of experienced returners are key reasons why the Bulldogs made the Top 25 power rankings.