Earning a starting spot this season, Brother Rice junior wide receiver Lucas Strang couldn’t help but feel some pressure.
He was joining a senior-dominant offense — led by Army-bound quarterback CJ Gray — that saw a ton of time together as juniors last fall.
All the while, Strang knew he’d put in the work to be in that spot.
Strang had a rushing touchdown and a receiving TD on Oct. 31 as host Brother Rice rolled to a 57-0 victory over Rockford Jefferson in a Class 7A first-round game.
“There was definitely some pressure,” Strang said. “As a junior, I’m one of the few underclassmen on the offense. It was working with CJ all summer camp, coming out to the field after camp and doing routes to build that connection. It’s showing this season.”
Brother Rice (9-1) plays at Jacobs (7-3) at 6 p.m. Nov. 8 in the second round.
Gray finished 8-for-10 passing for 93 yards and three touchdowns, also connecting with senior Jovan Green Jr. and sophomore Jack McNamara for a TD each. Gray also ran for a 9-yard touchdown.
Strang has paired with Green to give Gray quite the one-two punch in the passing game.
Strang said he’s trying to take it all in, especially working with Green.
“I had to go under Jovan’s wing,” Strang said. “He was on varsity last year, so I want to follow in his footsteps. He’s a great leader and gives me some great motivation. Whenever we’re practicing, we’re building an even stronger connection.”
Brother Rice coach Casey Quedenfeld said Strang and Green have been great together in games and in practice.
“It all starts with Jovan,” Quedenfeld said. “Jovan gets a lot of attention, so with Lucas’ effort and full-speed attitude, (he) has helped us tremendously. He’s been underrated even in our program. He’s done some really good things. We’re happy he’s on our side.”
Strang’s 10-yard TD run gave the Crusaders an early 14-0 lead. His 17-yard TD connection with Gray extended the lead to 42-0 right before halftime.
At wide receiver or running back, Strang is just looking to contribute.
“I grew up as a running back,” Strang said. “I was always used to catching passes though. Over time, I grew taller and thought, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be a wide receiver.’ I started training more and switched over.”
The Rice defense, including an imposing defensive line, stymied Jefferson (5-5) all night.
Junior defensive back Damari Thigpen had two sacks on Jefferson’s first drive, including a key stop on a fourth-and-9 at the Rice 31-yard line.
“Our defensive line, it helps a lot,” Thigpen said. “It’s hard for teams to throw the ball because the line is coming at them fast. That’s made it easier on me. It’s always fun getting sent in on a blitz. We’re staying together as a team and communicating more.”
Strang said that practices are especially intense as the No. 1 offense takes on the No. 1 defense.
“It’s competitive every single day,” Strang said. “We butt heads every day, but it’s to make each other better. Our first offense vs. the first defense, it’s chaos every time. Our offensive line holds its own against the DL. We love to compete.”