After Brother Rice’s Randall Nauden ran for 231 yards on 32 carries, he stopped to catch his breath Friday night and then tipped his cap to senior quarterback Marcus Brown.
Brown, who splits time with Ryan Hartz, made the most of his chances while he was in the game against St. Rita by engineering two big drives at crucial moments in the second half.
And that didn’t go unnoticed.
“He brings that extra boost of confidence in the running game and throws darts to the wide receivers,” Nauden said of the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Brown. “That really gives us a boost.”
It also boosted the Crusaders to being playoff eligible as Brown’s showing in the second half paved the way to a 42-21 CCL/ESCC Blue win over the host Mustangs in Chicago.
Brother Rice (5-4, 1-2) actually led 17-0 at one point, but fell behind 21-20 in the third quarter. While St. Rita (5-4, 0-3) had momentum, Brown helped swing the pendulum.
The Butler recruit capped off an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run from a scrum to give Brother Rice a 27-21 lead.
“That was a tough one,” Brown said of the TD. “I had to fight my way in. I found the gap and ran through it.”
Brown also keyed a brilliant 10-play drive in the fourth quarter that included two big passes to Dylan McDonnell for 30 yards. Brown later ran for a 14-yard TD and hit Tommy Amado for a 2-point conversion before Nauden closed the scoring with a 56-yard run.
“I ran to the outside,” Brown said of his second TD. “And our coaches know when I’m on the outside, nobody can catch me, really.”
“You can’t really ask for much more,” Brother Rice quarterbacks coach Dino Borrelli said of Brown’s versatility. “He did a great job. He put in so much work during the offseason and continues to get better, and I’m just so proud of him.”
Senior quarterback Jett Hilding returned from an injury for St. Rita and threw for 188 yards but left the game in the third quarter after a 14-yard run and didn’t return.
Junior receiver Jimmy Maxson added four catches for 174 yards and two TDs for the Mustangs.
On the flip side, Nauden piled up big numbers, running for 42 yards on the first drive of the game to establish a tone.
“We wanted to punch them in the mouth quick,” Nauden said. “That’s what I think about when I run the ball. But they came back. That’s what happens.
“They make plays and they have a good team, but we were able to keep fighting.”
Brown, meanwhile, is a Richton Park resident whose father and brother, both named Maurice, went to Brother Rice. Marcus spent a lot of time watching his brother play defense and catch passes from quarterback Jack Lausch.
Maurice Brown Jr., a redshirt freshman linebacker at NCAA Division II power Indianapolis, had a rare chance to return the favor and watch Marcus.
The younger brother got to put on a show for his big brother.
“He played amazing,” Maurice said of Marcus. “I was just happy they got the win so they can hopefully make some noise in the playoffs.”
He takes his role as big brother seriously.
“I’m hard on him,” Maurice said. “I want to make sure he’s staying straight at school most importantly. And on the football field, he has to come out and handle business.”
Marcus said he’s proud he’ll join Maurice in playing college football on Saturdays in Indianapolis, even if it’s for a different school. He wants to finishing a big season with Brother Rice before suiting up for Butler.
“The coaching staff is from around here,” Marcus said. “They all played in the CCL Blue, and that meant a lot to me.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.