Making his first varsity start, Brother Rice quarterback Cam Miller didn’t expect to be standing on the sidelines during the third and fourth quarter of the Crusaders’ opener against visiting Brother Rice of Michigan.
But Miller wasn’t on the bench because he was ineffective. Rather, just the opposite. The Crusaders took a huge lead and cruised to a 56-20 victory Saturday behind Miller’s six touchdown passes.
“Six touchdowns? Wow,” Miller said. “We came out better than expected. I can’t wait to play again.”
The Crusaders (1-0) jumped to a 42-0 lead in the second quarter on a beautiful 32-yard TD reception down the sideline by Mike Kubil. It was Miller’s fifth TD pass.
“Cam Miller, to me, is going to be the best quarterback in the Catholic League Blue,” Crusaders coach Brian Badke said. “I think he’s going to be one of the top quarterbacks in the state of Illinois. He’s a great kid and a great leader.”
Miller finished 21-for-26 for 297 yards in leading an offense that seemed to be playing at warp speed. The Crusaders lined up and hiked the ball in seconds, and the Warriors (0-1) couldn’t keep up defensively.
A big reason for the Crusaders’ success was the play of wide receiver Ricky Stalling, a junior who has offers from Illinois, Wisconsin and Virginia. Stalling finished with nine receptions for 137 yards and three TDs.
“Tempo, tempo, tempo,” Stalling said. “Move the ball fast, that’s all that matters.”
Stalling reeled in TDs of 52 and 28 yards a mere 10 seconds apart after Iben King recovered a kickoff down the sideline. On his second score, Stalling made a slew of Warriors miss tackles as he juked his way upfield.
Branden Houston and Julian Blain (7 catches, 70 yards) also caught TD passes from Miller.
“Ricky, Julian, Houston, Kubil, they’re all amazing receivers and make me look much better than I really am,” Miller said. “I just get the ball out and they’ll make a play. I’m very appreciative of them.”
The Crusader defense was nearly as impressive as its fast-paced offense, putting consistent pressure on Warriors quarterback John Tracy in totaling seven sacks.
Steven Robinson, Tahj Silas and Derrick Frye stood out for the defense, which didn’t allow a point until Tracy hit Matthew Jordan for a 6-yard TD with 28 seconds left in the first half.
“We’re going to be stronger on defense than we have been,” Badke said. “As long as we stay healthy, we’re going to be pretty good. We’re fast and stronger, too.”
It was undoubtedly a statement game for the Crusaders. The Warriors had won three state titles in the last four years and beat the Crusaders 40-34 last season in Detroit.
“This is just the start,” Miller said. “We’re not in it to beat some team from Michigan. We’re in it to win a state championship.”
Clifton Taylor added 109 yards on 10 carries for the Crusaders, including a 73-yard run for a score to open the explosive second quarter.
North Lawndale 33, Rich East 16: Devon Green scored on an interception return for Rich East.
Reavis 33, South Bend (Ind.) Adams 27 (OT): Isiah Alpuche had three TDs, including the winner, for Reavis.
Lincoln-Way West 35, Sycamore 31: Connor Lowman’s 33-yard TD to Jake Mauney with 1:33 left lift West.
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Niles North 63, Shepard 32: Demetrius Harrison (20 carries, 176 yards) ran for two TDs as Shepard rolled up a school record 550 yards.
Thornwood 40, Phoenix Military 8: Billy Banks had a pair of 19-yard TD runs.
Sandburg 28, Naperville North 21: Alec Fidan’s second TD pass of the game to Avery Verble lifted Sandburg.
Huntley 28, Lincoln-Way Central 12: Quarterback Austin Strilko had a 67-yard TD run for Central.
Andrew 31, Bloom 19: Juan Green’s two TD runs led Andrew.
Crete-Monee 27, T.F. South 25: Quarterback Clint Ratkovich ran for 145 yards and three TDs for Crete. Sterling Smith had three scoring runs for South.
Lemont 21, Plainfield South 6: Frank Letizia returned two interceptions for TDs (42, 16).
Marian Catholic 42, Urban Prep-Englewood 8: Jesiah Jones caught two TD passes (23, 26) from Cam Thomas and also scored on an 18-yard run.
Downers Grove North 28, Lockport 21: Diondre Taylor and Sheldon Snapp recorded TD runs for Lockport.
Benet 42, St. Laurence 21: David Lox caught a 40-yard TD pass from Romello Washington in defeat.
Hillcrest 20, Argo 13: Aaron McCaskill threw two TD passes and had a 35-yard scoring run.
Thornridge 12, Joliet Central 6: Thornridge won on Terrence Robinson’s 52-yard interception return for a TD with 1:49 left.
Bradley-Bourbonnais 20, De La Salle 14: Tom Duddleston (25-for-46, 202 yards) passed for one TD and ran for another in defeat.
St. Ignatius 28, Bremen 6: Brandon Szudy (65-yard reception) scored for Bremen.
Minooka 35, Stagg 34: Kamal Salman had two TDs, including a 20-yard run, for Stagg.
T.F. North 59, Baker 6: Anthony Watkins ran for four touchdowns (4, 4, 22, 37) and also scored on a 28-yard catch.
Oak Forest 45, Pekin 28: Zach Russell threw for two TDs and ran for a third for Oak Forest.
Evergreen Park 30, Lake Station (Ind.) 0: Antwan Moore led with three TDs.
Westmont 49, Chicago Christian 14: Luke Rattler racked up 162 yards and a TD on 17 carries in defeat.
Malvern (Pa.) Prep 37, St. Rita 0: Brandon Williams had 29 yards on 12 carries.
Tinley Park 49, Rich South 8: Lemont Brooks (19 carries) ran for 237 yards and a TD.
Logan Malloy is a freelance writer for Daily Southtown. Josh Krockey, a freelance writer, contributed to this report.