One of state’s top wrestlers, Brian Hart returns to football to keep Wauconda on winning track: ‘It’s my turn’

Wauconda’s Brian Hart left football for a time, but it never really left him.

Hart decided to sit out last season so he could double down on wrestling, and he was rewarded when he placed fourth at 157 pounds in Class 2A in February. Then he realized he couldn’t quit football forever.

“I love football,” Hart said. “I’ve played it my whole life. As a junior, I was just more inclined to focus totally on wrestling. But as a senior, I thought it would be fun to go back and play one more season before high school ends, and it seemed like one of those sports that you played as a kid with your friends and where you wouldn’t get too far behind.”

Indeed, Hart hasn’t missed a beat. Two years after playing mostly on special teams in his varsity debut, he’s a two-way starter at running back and linebacker for the Bulldogs who have already clinched a playoff berth.

The 5-foot-9 Hart has rushed for 271 yards and five touchdowns through the first four games, and his 19 tackles rank third on the team.

“Being a starter is more fun because you’re a bigger part of the game,” he said. “I really missed football too. Once I was back in camp this summer, I was really happy being able to play the game again.”

Senior cornerback Elijah Tang, one of the people who nudged Hart back to football, isn’t surprised to see Hart playing so well.

“We graduated a lot of seniors from last year, so I knew that Brian would have a chance to make an impact,” Tang said. “When we played youth ball together, he was always pretty good, and now he’s a really aggressive player and one of the best on the team. We work together a lot in the same coverages, and I never have to worry about him.”

Wauconda coach Chris Prostka had an inkling that Hart would be a difference-maker.

“We’re obviously really glad he’s back out,” Prostka said. “He’s not a monster by any stretch size-wise, but he’s one of the strongest kids in the school. He’s absolutely fearless and is very talented on both sides of the ball, and his toughness and how he plays is perfect for how we want it done.”

Hart has a workmanlike approach but can be flashy too. In his first game back on the field, he scored a touchdown to help the Bulldogs beat Hinsdale South 32-21 in the season opener.

“After I scored, I was like, ‘Wow, this is really happening,’” Hart said. “It was definitely a switch from sophomore year. My only chance to score then would have been if we were up by 50 or something crazy like that.”

Hart has been just as active on defense. He thinks outside linebacker is an ideal fit for him.

“Growing up, I always played middle linebacker, but I stopped growing,” he said. “On the outside, you don’t have to be as big, and you get to cover some routes. You’re also not getting absolutely blown up all the time. This is the size that I am.”

Hart, who still weighs close to 157, intends to wrestle in college. Competing at a national event in summer 2025 set the stage for his successful junior season in the sport.

“There’s no doubt that focusing entirely on wrestling helped,” he said. “I got to wrestle people from all over, and that helped sharpen my moves.”

Advancing to the third-place match at the state meet was redemption for Hart, who was knocked out of the postseason at sectionals in his first two seasons.

“After my sophomore year, I was really upset about how that all ended,” he said. “Sure, I would have loved to have placed higher last year, but I couldn’t be mad or upset. There definitely was a smile on my face after the state meet was over.”

Hart is still smiling as he makes a difference for the Bulldogs on the football field.

“Wrestling is so individual,” he said. “If I mess up, it’s on me, and if I do well, I get all the rewards. In football, we have a traditionally successful program at Wauconda. So I don’t feel any individual pressure. But it’s my turn now to help keep that success going.”