Even as a newcomer to Bishop Noll, sophomore quarterback Jaydin Rivers has an appreciation for the program’s rich history, which includes a Class 3A state title in 1989.
He also knows recent times have not been kind to the Warriors, who have a new coach, Tyler Milby, and new hopes.
“We can shock the whole state,” Rivers said. “The past 10 years, Bishop Noll hasn’t had a high football reputation. I wasn’t here, so I don’t know what happened. But coach Milby inspires these guys, including me. We can perform at a high level.
“It’s been interesting. Coach Milby has been building from the ground up. It’s been a good summer, a very good summer. A lot of plays being made. A lot of leadership being shown.”
With Rivers, a 6-foot-2 left-hander, passing for 153 yards and running for two touchdowns, Bishop Noll opened the season last week with a 30-18 win against South Bend Clay, no small feat.
The Warriors snapped a 16-game losing streak that dated to a 33-28 win against Calumet Christian in the 2021 season opener, in the process sending Clay to its 29th straight loss. It was just their fourth win since going 5-5 in 2013, the last time they won more than a single game in a season. The stretch has included five winless seasons, including 2022. They didn’t field a team in 2018 because of a lack of numbers.
But the tide could be turning, with players such as Rivers at the forefront.
He moved to Hammond after attending Chicago Marist, where he split reps on the freshman team last season.
“It’s no shame on Marist. It’s a good school,” Rivers said. “But it was an opportunity to come here, and as a new kid, it’s a good environment. The guys welcomed me. It’s been nice. The whole process has been welcoming and warm. It feels like home here. We always keep each other on a pedestal to be great. We pick each other up.”
Rivers missed most of the summer before his freshman year with a rotator cuff injury, which he said also “took a toll on my mental health.” But he’s healthy now and is demonstrating it.
“My first year on varsity, it’s a lot of pressure,” Rivers said. “But I’ve been in pressure situations before. This really is my first year I can show what me and my teammates can do, and I’m up for the challenge.
“A lot of people don’t think Bishop Noll will win. But what we have here and the connections we’ve made here, we’re going to shock a lot of people.”
Rivers has already received interest from colleges such as Illinois, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers and Syracuse.
Milby, a 2013 Lowell graduate who was the defensive coordinator at Calumet for two seasons under Cody French after spending four seasons as Wheeler’s linebackers coach, has been impressed with Rivers.
“He’s the best quarterback I’ve ever been around,” Milby said. “He’s a true quarterback. He can change a program obviously here in high school, in the future for a college with a lot of looks he’ll get, and hopefully even farther.
“He’s a great leader. He demands a lot from his receivers. They don’t have just an athlete playing quarterback. They have a quarterback playing quarterback. He’s elevating their game as a true quarterback should.”
Rivers didn’t start playing the position until eighth grade. Since taking up the sport when he was 8 years old, Rivers has lined up at tight end, wide receiver, outside linebacker and defensive end.
But quarterback is home.
“I found love for the quarterback position,” Rivers said. “I fell in love with it, and I’ve been working on it every day since then.
“The quarterback position taught me about life. You have to keep fighting, keep going, and things will get better at the end. No matter any setbacks, you have to bounce back and keep your head up and chin up. I have to be the leader for my teammates. That’s my first priority. If they see me with my head down, they’re going to get down the same way. I have to have my head up no matter what the situation is.”
Teammates such as junior safety/receiver Gavin Knight, who had three interceptions and seven tackles in Week 1, have picked up on Rivers’ positivity.
“Jaydin, I’ll tell you, that kid’s something,” Knight said. “He can sling that ball. He puts that ball on a platter right for you nine times out of 10. He’s been nothing but a great competitor, a great leader as well for being a sophomore. There’s nothing more I could ask from him.”
Sophomore running back Elijah Boone, who started the season with 149 yards and a TD, said he sees the same things from Rivers.
“He’s a great quarterback,” Boone said. “He’s good with verbal communication. He always keeps us in check. If we make a bad play, it’s, ‘Keep your head up. Next play. Move on.’ He makes sure we don’t get too frustrated.
“He’s a great athlete, great person, great quarterback on the field.”
Rivers didn’t take anything for granted as he prepared to join the Warriors.
“My game elevated over the summer,” he said. “I knew I was coming in the door and I had to prove myself.
“All the guys in that locker room put in the work. My teammates keep me going. Without them, I wouldn’t be anything. The line, the running backs, the receivers, the coaches, everybody contributes to the win — always. I give my best, and they give their best. I’m proud of what we’re doing.”
Milby said he expects Rivers to continue on an upward trajectory.
“He’s a rare talent here in Northwest Indiana,” Milby said. “Running backs are everywhere. But a true quarterback in Northwest Indiana, especially the way he runs everything and what we demand, more schools will come at him right after the season when he has that film where he gets to showcase his talent.
“A big benefit for him that a lot of quarterbacks don’t get, a lot of quarterbacks get to take over a program that’s winning, has done well. Bishop Noll’s history is great; the last 10 years haven’t been great. Now being that guy who helps me change that culture, that gives him an extra advantage.”
The next step?
Bishop Noll will try to reach 2-0 for the first time since 1996, when the team started 3-0. The Warriors will play Osceola Grace at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday as part of the Homeschool Football Classic.
“That’s a big opportunity to showcase my skills and show what the team has been working on for the past few months,” Rivers said. “We can show the whole state what we have.”