Speedy running back Bryce Riley doing double duty at West Aurora
If busy hands are indeed happy hands, it’s no wonder that West Aurora’s Bryce Riley sports a smile these days preparing for his third varsity season.
The senior running back and standout on special teams will have a full plate this fall for the Blackhawks. At 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, Riley is adding outside linebacker to his list of duties.
“Coach (Nate Eimer) is always telling me, ‘If you’re tired, let me know, let me know,’” Riley said. “But I honestly never get tired. I don’t think I’d ever come out if it was up to me.”
Riley won’t be alone as a two-way player for the Blackhawks. Eimer and his staff have a plan in place.
Heavy graduation losses have taken a toll, but the Blackhawks will be bidding for a fourth straight playoff appearance for only the second time in program history.
“We’re not two-platooning,” Eimer said. “I think we’ll start 22 different guys but have a lot more of them contributing.”
Eimer, who began his 16th season with the first day of practice on Wednesday, also led West Aurora to the postseason from 2015 to 2018.
Last season, Mason Atkins was one of six seniors with three years of varsity experience as the Blackhawks finished 7-3. Atkins is now a freshman quarterback at Ball State.
Bobby Frierson, a 6-3, 360-pound lineman, and Riley are the only three-year players this season. Senior center Jayden Chavez would have been a third but tore his ACL in a spring showcase.
“That stinks because he would have been an anchor for us,” Eimer said. “It’s a tough loss and we don’t have a lot coming back in terms of guys who played a lot of minutes.
“We’ve been lucky the previous two seasons but every year is a new journey.”
Riley isn’t a big linebacker but figures to help, although he last played defense in middle school.
“He’s very athletic, very fast,” West Aurora defensive coordinator Pat Stremel said of Riley. “Hopefully, he doesn’t get too tangled up. He can beat the block with speed, is confident in everything he does and that helps.
“If we’re ready to rock, he’s my preference, but he’s also gonna play a lot of offense so he’s not gonna play every snap.”
Riley is West Aurora’s leading returnee on offense, rushing for a team-high 603 yards and catching 27 passes for 216 yards last season. He also scored 12 touchdowns and returned kickoffs.
“He’ll do whatever you ask,” Eimer said of Riley. “Sophomore year, I needed a guy on the edge who wants to block and he did that.
“I think he’s ready to blow up and showcase where he’s at. He blocks, tackles, catches, can make you miss or run through you. Who knows, maybe he can throw? He doesn’t disappoint.”
Riley thinks he may start at linebacker.
“Do I like defense? Not necessarily,” he said. “But if I have to do it to make sure the team gets what we need, then that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Riley believes the Blackhawks, led by senior quarterback Tyler Fecht, could surprise observers who have doubts about them. Fecht backed up Atkins last season.
“Tyler is underrated,” Riley said. “I’ve practiced with him. He’s gonna be special. I like the spin and the zip he puts on the ball.”
Likewise, Riley may be underrated as well.
“Football is my love, my everything,” said Riley, who is inspired by his late father Byron, a defensive back in high school. “I’m trying my hardest to reach the highest level I can.”
Riley has five NCAA Division III roster spot offers, led by Calvin of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“The school’s been around 147 years but this is just the third season of football,” Riley said. “The coach came from Oregon and their facilities are like D-I.”
He credits his mother, Alexandria Donelson, with keeping him focused in the classroom.
“She’s my biggest supporter in the stands but always tells me to have a backup plan,” Riley said. “Life isn’t just football.”