Kameron McGee faced an interesting question when he arrived at Brother Rice two years ago as a freshman.
Where would he play?
Now a junior, he had grown up playing defensive line and wide receiver, and wound up being a consensus five-star prospect at the former.
But he can clearly still play receiver, too.
Freshman quarterback Sam Holcomb connected with McGee for a 33-yard touchdown in the third quarter on Sept. 25 against Mount Carmel, putting the Crusaders up for good on the way to a 35-24 home win.
“I’m whatever the team needs,” McGee said with a smile. “My whole life I grew up playing both sides. So playing receiver, it’s not new. The coaches tell me, ‘Kam, just go make a play.’”
The Week 6 showdown was a battle of the defending state champs in 7A — Rice (4-2, 1-1) — and Class 8A — Carmel (4-2, 1-1). And it did not disappoint.
Brother Rice’s lone lone loss last year was 27-14 at Mount Carmel.
“Tonight shows we can do it and beat the best teams in the state,” McGee said. “We’re a young group, an inexperienced group, but it shows when we put our mind to it we can do it every time.”
The Crusaders’ two losses are to Lincoln-Way East (22-21) and Loyola (27-24).
Mount Carmel led 24-21 late in the third.
Driving deep in Caravan territory, Holcomb fired a throw across the field to McGee, who fought off several defenders, hit the right sideline and was gone for the 33-yard strike on the bubble screen.
Rice went up for good at 28-24 with 3:06 remaining in the third.
“I wasn’t going down on a one-on-one tackle, so I was up the sideline,” McGee said. “Once I broke the tackle, no one was catching me.”
Coach Casey Quedenfeld said McGee is a game-wrecker wherever he plays.
“For us, it’s not crazy because we’ve seen it,” Quedenfeld said. “Kam is a tremendous athlete. Everyone already knows that. We just knew it a little bit more.”
Holcomb threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns, also connecting with senior Anthony Cartolano for a 20-yard score, and ran for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Jameson Davis had a seven-yard rushing TD for Rice (4-2, 1-1).
Holcomb’s 10-yard rushing TD with 3:44 remaining in the game sealed the rivalry victory.
“It just feels really good,” said Holcomb, who has emerged as Rice’s starting QB after splitting time earlier in the season. “It all started with a lot of hard work in practice. Especially from the loss last year, it feels good to get some revenge against them.”
On Mount Carmel’s last chance from midfield, Cartolano blitzed and put pressure on senior quarterback Brady Cloherty with senior Marius Adenso finishing the play with a sack to set off the Rice celebration on the fourth-down play.
Cloherty (247 passing yards, two touchdowns), junior wide receiver Marshaun Thornton (12 catches, 120 yards, TD), junior tight end Ty Kennedy (three catches, 27 yards, TD) and senior wide receiver Quentin Burrell (nine catches, 81 yards) led the Caravan (4-2, 1-1).