Drawing Power Four interest, Hobart's Bryce Tolliver intends to ‘just dominate.' On both sides of the ball.
Tolliver, who had an area-high seven interceptions as a sophomore, expressed his approach to this season in direct terms.
'I'm going to just dominate every single person across the line from me,' he said. 'They're not stopping me. I'm that confident in myself, and I'm ready, and I'm going to prove that. I'm just ready.'
That readiness applies not only to defense but also to offense and special teams, according to the 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior cornerback/wide receiver. Tolliver focused almost exclusively on defense last season, but he has prepared to vastly increase his role on offense.
'I've been working so hard this offseason,' he said. 'I got my stamina right. I want to show how I am at wide receiver. I want to get my name out there for wide receiver.'
Tolliver, who had 23 tackles last season, already is well on his way to getting his name out there at cornerback.
'I was really good at reading routes,' he said. 'I was a ball hawk at corner. The ball is in the air, that's my ball.
'It's just thinking, 'You can do it.' When you go out on the field, be a dawg, go crazy. Just dominate everybody in front of me.'
Tolliver believes he has put himself in position to raise his level even higher.
'I worked on my technique,' he said. 'I've been improving on my craft a lot, my footwork, my speed.'
Tolliver is also a hurdler and sprinter, and he hopes to utilize that speed at receiver for the junior-laden Brickies (6-5), who gained valuable experience last season. They shared the Northwest Crossroads Conference title with Andrean and Hanover Central before losing in the Class 4A sectional semifinals to New Prairie.
Tolliver should be a major contributor as Hobart tries to get over the hump in Eric Schreiber Jr.'s second season.
'He's extremely athletic,' Schreiber said. 'He's rangy. He's just a really good kid. He's really grown up a lot. He probably won't come off the field much this year. We're excited about what he can do on the field.'
Include junior quarterback Aleks Tatum in that group.
'Bryce is great,' Tatum said. 'He gives me a great look on defense, but he's also going to be one of our best receivers this year too. He plays both sides of the ball, so it's a little love-hate relationship in practice. But Bryce is going to be a great guy. I'm excited to see what he's going to do this year.'
Tolliver likes the way his connection with Tatum has been developing.
'It's going to be great,' Tolliver said. 'Me and Aleks are ready. We're going to go crazy. Me and Aleks are starting to click. We're building that chemistry.'
Tolliver has also been building a promising future. He has drawn interest from colleges such as Indiana, Kentucky, Northwestern and Purdue, as well as most of the Mid-American Conference.
'He's gotten a lot of looks,' Schreiber said. 'We're expecting him to get a lot of offers. There's a lot of potential to what he can pull.
'We'll see what he can put on film this fall and really show what he can do for teams at the next level.'
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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Drawing Power Four interest, Hobart's Bryce Tolliver intends to ‘just dominate.' On both sides of the ball.
Hobart's Bryce Tolliver was just getting started last season. Tolliver, who had an area-high seven interceptions as a sophomore, expressed his approach to this season in direct terms. 'I'm going to just dominate every single person across the line from me,' he said. 'They're not stopping me. I'm that confident in myself, and I'm ready, and I'm going to prove that. I'm just ready.' That readiness applies not only to defense but also to offense and special teams, according to the 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior cornerback/wide receiver. Tolliver focused almost exclusively on defense last season, but he has prepared to vastly increase his role on offense. 'I've been working so hard this offseason,' he said. 'I got my stamina right. I want to show how I am at wide receiver. I want to get my name out there for wide receiver.' Tolliver, who had 23 tackles last season, already is well on his way to getting his name out there at cornerback. 'I was really good at reading routes,' he said. 'I was a ball hawk at corner. The ball is in the air, that's my ball. 'It's just thinking, 'You can do it.' When you go out on the field, be a dawg, go crazy. Just dominate everybody in front of me.' Tolliver believes he has put himself in position to raise his level even higher. 'I worked on my technique,' he said. 'I've been improving on my craft a lot, my footwork, my speed.' Tolliver is also a hurdler and sprinter, and he hopes to utilize that speed at receiver for the junior-laden Brickies (6-5), who gained valuable experience last season. They shared the Northwest Crossroads Conference title with Andrean and Hanover Central before losing in the Class 4A sectional semifinals to New Prairie. Tolliver should be a major contributor as Hobart tries to get over the hump in Eric Schreiber Jr.'s second season. 'He's extremely athletic,' Schreiber said. 'He's rangy. He's just a really good kid. He's really grown up a lot. He probably won't come off the field much this year. We're excited about what he can do on the field.' Include junior quarterback Aleks Tatum in that group. 'Bryce is great,' Tatum said. 'He gives me a great look on defense, but he's also going to be one of our best receivers this year too. He plays both sides of the ball, so it's a little love-hate relationship in practice. But Bryce is going to be a great guy. I'm excited to see what he's going to do this year.' Tolliver likes the way his connection with Tatum has been developing. 'It's going to be great,' Tolliver said. 'Me and Aleks are ready. We're going to go crazy. Me and Aleks are starting to click. We're building that chemistry.' Tolliver has also been building a promising future. He has drawn interest from colleges such as Indiana, Kentucky, Northwestern and Purdue, as well as most of the Mid-American Conference. 'He's gotten a lot of looks,' Schreiber said. 'We're expecting him to get a lot of offers. There's a lot of potential to what he can pull. 'We'll see what he can put on film this fall and really show what he can do for teams at the next level.'
Chicago Tribune
18-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Andrean's Kaden Maxwell decides to ‘stay in the lab.' Playing in Senior Future Games is part of his formula.
Two days after winning the Class 3A state title in June, Andrean's Kaden Maxwell was on his way to Georgia. A baseball tournament awaited him. 'If you want to get better, you can't take any days off,' he said. 'You have to stay in the lab, keep working out and keep throwing. 'Every time you take a day off, you take two steps back, and that's going to mess up your progression.' Maxwell's busy schedule continues in the coming week, when he'll return to Georgia to play in Prep Baseball's invitation-only Senior Future Games. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Maxwell, who will be a senior, isn't the only player from Northwest Indiana hoping to catch the eyes of college coaches at the event, which includes games Tuesday and Wednesday. Chesterton pitcher Troy Barrett and Illiana Christian pitcher Tanner Post will join him. 'I'm just going down there to show what I've got and hopefully get seen by some schools,' Maxwell said. Maxwell, a pitcher and first baseman, was a two-way standout for Andrean during his junior season. He hit .380 with 31 RBIs and went 4-1 with 1.50 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. Andrean coach Dave Pishkur said he believes Maxwell could be just as effective in dual roles in college too. 'I'm curious to see what all of these DI schools are looking for out of him because I think he's a potential two-way player,' Pishkur said. 'He's had some batting practices where he's put on a show, and I've always said that I thought he had the best stuff on our team this year, which is saying a lot on a team that had some really good arms.' Maxwell said he has already been in touch with multiple Big Ten coaches. 'It's a stressful process, and it's definitely coming fast,' he said. 'But you just have to realize what your value is and how good of a player you are. I think that's the case for a lot of people. They don't think they're good enough, but then they start getting recruited.' To keep sharp when he doesn't have a game, Maxwell practices with Andrean shortstop Jet Dutton, who will also be a senior. 'He's always working to become a better player,' Dutton said. 'Especially in these last few years, we're always going out to hit with each other, always doing something to keep improving.' Facing Maxwell, Dutton has learned how difficult it can be to hit against him. 'He has a high spin rate on his curveball and his slider, and they move a lot,' Dutton said. 'It's hard to hit a ball when it's moving like that.' Maxwell intends to keep moving. In the fall, he'll play for the Chicago Cubs Scout Team, another high-level program that competes in tournaments all over the country. Its alumni list includes 2025 Lake Central graduate Joshua Flores, who was picked in the fourth round of the MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. 'I've been competing against some really good teams recently, and I've talked with a lot of coaches who've been communicating that they like what they see,' Maxwell said. 'Hopefully I've got a good future here.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
Hurricanes lock down big hitter for title defence
The Hobart Hurricanes hit the right notes for a maiden Big Bash League title - and they've essentially got the same band back together in their back-to-back quest. Big-hitter Tim David inked a new two-year deal with the franchise on Tuesday, joining several re-signings ahead of the league's December start. David, who averaged 42 last season at a strike-rate of 177, said he was always intending to stick with Hobart despite some media noise suggesting he would jump to another franchise. "As a group we all wanted to keep playing together," he told reporters. "We had to talk to each other about how we were going to make that happen and what each of us was thinking. "We feel we're at the peak of our powers … and we're excited for what is coming next season." View this post on Instagram A post shared by KFC Big Bash League (@bbl) Veteran Matthew Wade and quick Billy Stanlake have extended deals, overseas allrounder Chris Jordan is again on board, with the club adding further re-signings were to come. The Hurricanes have locked down six of the top seven that got the job done in the final against the Thunder - Caleb Jewell is off to the Renegades. They've picked up heavy hitter Jake Weatherald (Strikers) as well as Tasmania-born Beau Webster (Stars), who is impressing in the Test side. David, who has played 54 T20 internationals, said his recovery from a hamstring injury suffered in the IPL was progressing well. The 29-year-old said last season's final, headlined by Mitchell Owen's brutal 42-ball 108, was still fresh in his mind and would give the Hurricanes confidence. "In my lounge room there is the champions hat. I walk past that most mornings," he said. "That looks pretty good. (It was) just an awesome time with your mates. "If we've got a good attitude towards the games, that is going to carry us far. We know we've got enough in our dressing room to win a championship."
