Bolingbrook enters familiar territory as sectional gets underway

In the 2008 romantic comedy “27 Dresses,” Katherine Heigl had been a bridesmaid for 27 weddings, but is still searching for the man who will make her a bride.

Some of members of the Bolingbrook boys basketball team weren’t alive when that movie came out, but the plot might sound familiar for the Raiders fanbase.

Head coach Rob Brost took over the team in 2007, finishing that season with a record of 18-9, but losing in the regional tournament. The Raiders advanced to sectionals the year after.

In the 2014-15 season, Brost and the Raiders made the state tournament for the first time in program history, but had to settle for third place. After missing the sectional tournament the year after, the Raiders advanced to state again. They wound up third, again.

They’ve advanced to the sectional tournament every season since then, including a fourth-place finish at state in the 2021-22 season. Bolingbrook has sent numerous players to college and finished highly ranked every year. The tradition of the program is solid.

“It’s a great culture in terms of winning and in terms of the school itself,” freshman Brady Pettigrew said. “I’m enjoying the run and getting to be a part of it.”

But like Katherine Heigl, the Raiders are still searching for their special ceremony.

This year, the Raiders have sure looked like a state-title contender. They’re 28-4 and just won their home regional over Metea Valley 87-58. They’ve got a Valparaiso commit in JT Pettigrew who just scored 32 points in that regional championship. They’ve got a top-25 recruit in the country in Davion Thompson, who scored 22, and one of the top recruits in Illinois in Brady Pettigrew, who put up 18.

To top it off, they have other key players as well. Trey Brost came up huge with nine points and three steals Friday. Beyond the big three, the depth of the Raiders is something to keep an eye on.

“A lot of people don’t realized the depth that we have,” Brady Pettigrew said. “There’s a lot of focus on the big three here, but we’ve got a great support team around us.”

Don’t forget about the coaching staff, either. Rob Brost is one of the most accomplished basketball coaches in Illinois.

“[The coaching staff] is great,” Thompson said. “They help us with everything we need, on and off the court. Family, basketball, they’re always there for us, so it’s great. We have a great staff.”

Now they have the tough task of facing their past. Last season, Bolingbrook made it further than any other team in the Herald-News coverage area, making the sectional finals where it lost to Downers Grove North, 69-52.

The Raiders' opponent in the 4A Benet Academy Sectional semifinals? Downers Grove North.

“[They present] a lot of challenges,” Rob Brost said. “They’re big, they’re physical, they’re very well-coached. They’re really, really good. Anytime you get a team that’s left this time of year, you know they’re good, and Downers Grove is that.”

Should the Raiders win, they’d face the winner of second-seeded Waubonsie Valley and third-seeded Benet Academy. The winner of that game faces the winner of the Collinsville Sectional (Quincy, Alton, Normal or Rock Island) in the supersectional for a chance to go to state.

Before any of that, however, Bolingbrook has to get past Downers Grove North. That’s the task the Raiders are focused on right now and the only thing they’ll worry about until that game is over.

“Obviously, DGN is a very fundamentally sound team,” JT Pettigrew said. “They play really good basketball, and they’re the team that knocked us out last year. We just have to stay locked in, play good defense and offense.”