A year after going one-and-done in the IHSA playoffs, Brother Rice will be playing on the last day of the season.
Fueled once again by the running of Jaylin Green, Jameson Davis and CJ Gray, the Crusaders cruised past visiting Downers Grove North 45-17 in a Class 7A semifinal on Nov. 22.
Brother Rice lost in the first round of the postseason a year ago in a heartbreaker to Fenwick.
“That motivated us a lot,” Green said. “We saw that last group of seniors crying. We didn’t want that to happen to us. We had to do what we had to do. I’m glad to have another back like Jamo with me. It keeps us both fresh.”
Throw Gray, a dual-threat quarterback and Army commit, into the mix and watch out.
Davis, Gray and Green all delivered dominant performances as Brother Rice earned a rematch with South Side rival St. Rita in the 7A final, scheduled for 4 p.m. Nov. 22 at Hancock Stadium in Normal. The game will be televised live by WCIU, Ch. 26.
Brother Rice beat St. Rita 28-10 in Week 3.
“Our coaches tell us to run hard, run physical and the rest will take care of itself,” Davis said. “We don’t seek praise. We just go out and attack. We love it. We collect wins and cheer on our teammates no matter what.”
It is the Crusaders’ first title-game appearance since 2018. Rice won the Class 6A state title in 1981.
Casey Quedenfeld, in his fourth season as the Crusaders’ head coach, said the trip to state is a testament to the current players and those that came before them.
“First and foremost, credit to the guys who were here the first three years setting the standard and buying in on short notice,” Quedenfeld said. “This first class going through, there’s an attachment. The amount of snaps, the knowledge, the meetings we’ve had together, it builds to possibly a great season.”
Against Downers North, the ground game set the tone right away and never looked back.
Gray (17 carries, 132 yards, four touchdowns), Davis (18 carries, 140 yards, TD) and Green (16 carries, 117 yards, TD) ran behind an impressive effort from the offensive line.
Splitting carries out of the backfield, Davis said he and Green love their roles and are as close as possible as friends and teammates.
There’s no positional rivalry. Just two backs looking to help the team.
“We’ve been doing this for two years,” Davis said. “We have classes together, hang out outside of school, so we have that connection on and off the field. It’s not a hard thing to build because at the end of the day, he’s my brother.”
Gray has taken a significant step forward this year as a passing QB.
Still, it’s nice to be able to rely on his legs as needed.
“It feels great,” Gray said. “To be able to throw it and also put your shoulder down and run, it’s great to be able to do both. It keeps teams on their heels.”
Junior Damari Thigpen had an interception to lead the defense.
Senior Charlie Barkmeier forced a fumble with sophomore Kameron McGee falling on the ball.