Kicking for one of the top football teams in the state, Brother Rice’s Brody Briggs pays close attention to how the Crusaders’ standouts carry themselves on the field.
Briggs, a junior defender, then tries to bring some of that same attitude to the soccer team.
“I see a lot of leaders on that football team like Brayden Parks, Kameron McGee, Jack Badke,” Briggs said. “I try to take what I see from them and apply it to the soccer team to help us make a run in the playoffs.
“I try to be a leader out here. It’s all about communication and effort.”
Briggs played a key part in a dominant defensive performance Monday night that got the postseason off to a good start for the ninth-seeded Crusaders, who edged eighth-seeded Sandburg 1-0 in a Class 3A Brother Rice Regional semifinal in Chicago.
Julian Gaona scored the goal off an assist from Alonso Gonzalez for Brother Rice (9-9-2), which will take on top-seeded Lockport (12-5-1) — a 9-1 winner over Shepard — at 10 a.m. Saturday in the regional final.
Arlan Hernandez made five saves for the shutout, getting plenty of help from Briggs, Sammy Salto, Daniel Barsch and Eamonn Reynolds on the back line.
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“We were just trusting our coaches’ plan and sticking to our game and staying together,” Briggs said. “When they were pushing for a goal in the second half, we just kept locking it down like we had been the whole game.”
Patryk Paciorek had two shots on goal and Angel Sevilla made four saves for Sandburg (7-7-1).
Briggs, meanwhile, has been playing soccer virtually his entire life, following in the footsteps of his father, Dan.
“My dad is from England and played over there,” Briggs said. “He watches a lot of European soccer, but I’m not really into that. But I love playing and it’s a blast to share the passion for soccer with him.”
As for football, Briggs started kicking in sixth grade.
“My neighbor was a football coach and he was like, ‘Why don’t you come try kicking?’” Briggs said. “I didn’t really want to do it, but on the first day of practice, I just decided I’d go out and give it a try.
“It’s worked out pretty well.”
Gaona appreciates the mentality Briggs brings over from football to the soccer field.
“He brings all the energy,” Gaona said. “He’s a football guy and he knows how to get the team going. That’s what he’s here for. He’s always going hard on tackles and giving us what we need.”
Gaona provided all the offense that Brother Rice needed Monday.
In the 14th minute, Gaona squared up a cross from Gonzalez and ripped a shot off the crossbar and down. The ball may have been going in anyway, but Gaona made sure by following up and kneeing it firmly into the back of the net.
“It felt great for the team and great for the school,” Gaona said. “This was a big win and we let other teams know that we’re here.”
Briggs and the defense took it home from there.
Brother Rice coach Patryk Kibler pointed out that Briggs’ work ethic is so high that he and football coach Casey Quedenfeld have to make sure Briggs holds back a bit.
“We manage Brody’s workload very well,” Kibler said. “He’s not doing 100% of the work on both sides. We want to make sure he’s not doing too much so that he’s always performing.
“But he’ll run through a wall for you.”
And run through an opponent, too.
“I like to slide tackle and hit people and I find it pretty fun,” Briggs said. “I think that carries over a little bit from football, for sure.”