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Late field goal lifts Brother Rice past Mount Carmel

All Brother Rice kicker Brady Gomez wanted was a chance at redemption.

He got it.

Gomez kicked a 19-yard field goal on the final play of the game to lift the Crusaders past visiting Mount Carmel 16-13 in a Week 6 CCL/ESCC Blue showdown. Gomez had missed a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter.

“He missed earlier in the game and he struggled last week against St. Pat’s,” Brother Rice coach Casey Quedenfeld said. “The young man struggled a little bit, but when we needed him most (Friday) night, he focused and composed himself and did what he was supposed to.

“It’s the greatest feeling for a coach when a student has an ‘aha’ moment. This was performance-based. He was successful at his job, and that is kicking.”

As expected, the game was a tight defensive battle. Trailing 13-6 with 46 seconds remaining, Mount Carmel (4-2, 1-1) tied the game at 13 as backup quarterback Emmett Dowling threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Burrell, followed by Nico Mullen’s extra point.

Dowling was filling in for the Caravan’s starter, Vanderbilt commit Jack Elliott.

The Crusaders (3-3, 1-1) had taken the lead on Tyler Lofton’s 5-yard touchdown run with 6:33 to play. Lofton finished with 14 carries for 54 yards.

With 4:29 left in the first quarter, Mount Carmel took a 6-0 lead when Dowling connected with Burrell on a 24-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-16.

Brother Rice tied the game at 6 with 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter as C.J. Gray found Jimmie Maxson on a 13-yard touchdown pass. Gray completed 13 of 19 passes for 189 yards, while Maxson had three catches for 79 yards.

“What this does for us is (get) us in the win column,” Quedenfeld said. “We get another brick closer to our next goal, which is to get a playoff berth, which is a ways away yet. But some of our goals are still intact and those are the most important goals.”

Christian Pierce led the Crusaders defensively with eight tackles. Keith Edwards and Emeir White added six tackles each.

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