Oak Forest High School Football Season 2026 Preview

The Oak Forest Bengal Football team opens up their season this week against Andrew High School with a different looking team than last year. I spoke with Head Coach Zac Sadek about the upcoming year, the first in 3 years without Danny Chopp at quarterback. I asked if we can still expect big plays from the Bengal offense and a simple yes was his reply. 

No, I’m just joking. Anyone who knows Coach Sadek knows he is a very thorough man. Coach Sadek told me, “There are few high school programs in the country that have a “replacement” that can come in and do the exact same things. The QB position in a flexbone style offense is of paramount importance, because so much relies on their decision-making on every play.” The flexbone offense is a heavy lift on the quarterback, but it also takes a mental toll on the team as well. They have to trust each other to make the right decisions and to be where the need to be when the decision is made. All the players I’ve talked to, which have been many, have talked about trust. That’s not something this offense is lacking.

So, while Oak Forest can’t “replace” Danny Chopp, it doesn’t seem like they need to. They’re just trusting in each other, which was at the center of their playoff run last year. It also helps that three All-Conference players on offense are returning. Will McMaster, dynamic running back, Neiko Leflore, lengthy and speedy WR, and Louis Staszak, a two-time All Conference selection on the offensive line. With turnover from the team last year, Leflore and Staszak will be seeing time on defense, jumping into the DB and DL position respectively. 

I also want to take a second to focus on the switch from last year and a big difference. Multiple guys playing both sides of the ball. This is normal for high school sports, but it wasn’t normal for last years Bengals team. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any tiredness or fatigue that hits these guys mid-season or even towards the playoff run. I hope not, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

I asked Staszak about the change to playing both sides of the ball and he told me, “playing both ways is something I haven’t done in a few years so im a little nervous in my capabilities but I know I have a great coaching staff behind me that has my best interest in mind and wont let me push myself too hard to the point of breaking.

I’m going to do my best to hold my team to that standard each and every single day. – Louie Staszak

When I asked about the Bengal defense, this was a different subject. While the offense brings back the majority of their players… the defense brings back one starter from last year in Collin Crotty, a dynamic outside linebacker who made big pass deflections last year during the playoffs. Junior Colton Stienz will be stepping up at a safety position and junior Liam Thomson will play the opposite outside linebacker to Crotty. Ryan Kruswicki who primarily played WR last year… he will be playing on both sides of the ball this year and will be pivotal to the team.

Coach Sadek told me “We need to continue being a team that is ferocious when it comes to tackling as a unit and will give opposing offenses fits based on the multiple fronts, coverages, and blitzes we can give at any given time.  I’m excited to watch them continue to grow as a unit.” The confidence is there for this defense to succeed, and they’ve had time to learn the defense since starting last year, unlike the seniors who took the Bengals to a final 4 finish.

What sets Oak Forest apart, is their special teams. Nothing is different, except for experience. They bring back kick returner Neiko Leflore and their place kicker, Ulysses Morales, who is the #4 ranked kicker in the nation as a 5-star recruit. Morales was at a plethora of kicking camps during the off season with some of the best coaches and kickers in the game. He’s committed to play at the University of Illinois next year. Morales can change the scoring of a game as well since he has a further range than most, and could turn a punt for most teams into a field goal attempt. I’ve watched Morales kick enough footballs out of the end zone on kick offs to also know that no one is getting the chance to return a kick unless there’s a massive windstorm. Even then, they may not be able to because Morales has a cannon for a leg. Not to mention that if games come down to the wire… the Bengals have a kicker they can rely on. Not many high school teams can say that. 

I asked Coach Sadek about the expectations for the season, especially with the amazing season they had last year and such a big turnover of players on defense… can Oak Forest do this again this year? Coach Sadek told me this… “For us, managing those expectations really don’t factor into the way we coach or the way our program is run. Our coaches are process driven people, which means we teach our players to be as well. We control the things we can and don’t put too much stock into the the things we can’t.  If we take care of Monday on Monday, Tuesday on Tuesday, etc., the byproduct of focusing on the process means we put ourselves in a position to win.

“The players and coaches in this program understand that previous results have little to no bearing on future results, and in order to get what we want we have to be willing to stack wins each and every day.” – Coach Zac Sadek

The mindset of controlling what you can control, showing up and winning each day, those aren’t just sports lessons, those are life lessons. That’s what I love about this Oak Forest coaching staff. As good of a football team this group is, this coaching staff is making them better people off of the field, too. I’m really excited to see what Oak Forest can accomplish this year. GO BENGALS!