If Brother Rice head coach Casey Quedenfeld was looking for something positive to derive from the Crusaders’ Week 4 loss to Loyola, it would be the play of quarterback C.J. Gray.
Gray, who is in his first year as the starting signal-caller, threw two touchdown passes and added another on a 76-yard run in the Ramblers’ 28-21 win over the Crusaders on Sept. 20 in Wilmette.
Rice (1-3 overall, 0-1 CCL/ESCC Blue) dropped its third straight game, all of which have been decided by seven points.
“C.J. had a pretty solid game,” Quedenfeld said. “He managed the game pretty well and, for the most part, he managed the game the way we wanted him to and made pretty solid decisions.
“He’s still developing, but he does a good job of being level-headed. He’s still learning while he’s facing programs with storied traditions. He’s growing and we can see improvements.”
Gray completed 30-of-47 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Wide receiver Jimmie Maxson finished with 14 receptions for 98 yards and a score.
Down 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Crusaders drew to within 28-21 with 6:58 remaining when Gray found Collin Goggin for a 12-yard TD pass.
“We settled in after the first half defensively,” Quedenfeld said. “I’m not sure if they really marched the ball against us. They had one drive that started in [Loyola] territory and that resulted in a touchdown.”