Casey Quedenfeld didn’t have a “finally” moment after Brother Rice defeated Joliet Catholic on Friday night.

After losses to St. Rita, Loyola and Mount Carmel, it would’ve been fair for the first-year Crusaders coach to breathe a sigh of relief that all the hard work his players went through this season finally paid off. But Quedenfeld was more proud of how Brother Rice earned the win.

“We’ve been controlling ourselves and in this game we limited our mistakes, especially late in the game,” Quedenfeld said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a “finally” type of feeling, it’s more just we stayed the course, we stayed in the ballgame, be disciplined and be accountable for your mistakes.”

The young Crusaders team was forced to learn quickly early in the season against some of the best teams in the state. Brother Rice lost 17-12 against St. Rita in Week 2, fell to Loyola 57-21 in Week 4 and came close to upsetting Mount Carmel, 28-21, in Week 6.

Quedenfeld thought his team learned from their mistakes in those losses and used those lessons when it came time to close out its win over Joliet Catholic.

“It definitely builds character,” Quedenfeld said of playing St. Rita, Loyola and Mount Carmel. “You have to fight through adversity in the opening weeks. It makes you a better and well-rounded football player.”

Brother Rice (4-3, 0-2 CCL/ESCC Blue) will try to win its fifth game to earn playoff qualification. The Crusaders host Marian Catholic on Friday and then will host Marist to end the regular season on Oct. 21.

With homecoming festivities this week for Brother Rice, Quedenfeld isn’t looking ahead to Week 9 or a potential playoff run. He wants his players to stay rooted to the system that helped them pick up a big win against Joliet Catholic.

“We’re just worried about this week,” Quedenfeld said. “Our opponent this week is a very good opponent, they have some special athletes over there. Our task is going to be to make sure we do the small things so we can win a football game.”

Marist’s offensive line leads to big offensive days

Marist showed off how dynamic its offense can be when everyone works together in its 37-6 win over Montini on Friday.

The RedHawks offense totaled 346 yards with five rushing touchdowns, with Marc Coy and Chris Lofgren each rushing for two scores.

“It’s huge to have multiple guys,” Marist coach Ron Dawczak said. “They’re different style backs, Marc is a bigger back, Chris is smaller but quicker, so it’s nice to be able to throw a different look at a defense.”

Dawczak credited the offense’s success to the play of the offensive line. It created holes so Lofgren could rush for 138 yards while Coy added 117. Quarterback Dermot Smyth rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown while passing for 109 yards.

It was hard for Dawczak to go away from the run Friday once he realized how well the line was rolling. Dawczak hopes the offensive line can continue its momentum to help the team pick up its fifth win and start a playoff run.

“I think the offensive line, that’s the one position where you need to have all five guys working in tandem and if they’re not, that’s when you start to see offenses break down,” Dawczak said. “If those guys are on the same page and gel as a unit, it makes calling an offense easier for our coordinator.”

Mount Carmel shows off offensive depth

Mount Carmel showed off just how many different offensive playmakers they have in their 42-0 win over St. Laurence on Friday.

Alonzo Manning II and Darrion Dupree each scored two touchdowns while Jaden Bossie scored on a 60-yard run and Denny Furlong returned a punt for a touchdown. The offense continued to hum thanks to the strong play of the offensive line and its protection of Blainey Dowling, which allowed the quarterback to get the ball to his playmakers.

“Blainey Dowling has done a really good job with taking command of the offense, not trying to do too much, just get the ball in space to our playmakers,” Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch said.

Lynch has created different packages for each of his offensive players depending on how the matchups look. There are times the Caravan have three running backs out on the same play, forcing defenses to quickly decide who they want to focus on.

If Furlong is covered, Lynch can go to Dupree. If Dupree is covered, Manning is next. Jimmy Deacy has been another big target for Dowling as Lynch decides which play he wants to use on any given play.

“It’s a good problem for us to have for sure,” Lynch said.

St. Rita defense rolling

St. Rita’s defense continued to create opportunities for the offense in the Mustangs’ 52-19 win over Marian Central on Friday.

The Mustangs offense had plenty of short-field drives because of its defense, which helped St. Rita win its fourth straight game and put up its largest point total of the season.

After giving up 35 and 34 points to Mount Carmel and Loyola, respectively, early in the season, the defense has limited opponents to an average of 10.6 points in its other five games.

“I like the way they’re playing now, they’re really playing well,” St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said. “We’re forcing teams out of their comfort zone. That’s how we want to play defense.”

St. Rita is led by strong senior leadership throughout its defensive end. Pat Farrell, an Illinois commit, leads a defensive line that has created trouble for opposing quarterbacks and running backs while both Matt and Joe Kinsbury have maintained the middle as linebackers. Sophomore Keyandre White and junior Zack Norred have shored up the secondary with turnovers behind the strong leadership and play of senior Johnny Schmitt.

Kuska wants that momentum to keep rolling down the stretch as the Mustangs will prepare to win the CCL/ESCC Green title outright against Niles Notre Dame on Oct. 21 and start a playoff run.

“We’re focused on getting better each day, each week, being who we are,” Kuska said. “We want to hit all cylinders when we head into the postseason.”