Brother Rice High School is pleased to offer a comprehensive line-up of summer camps this year, sure to appeal to both grade school and high school students.
Athletic, academic, and music camps will be offered during the day, with some extending into early evening hours. Those interested in participating can register online or download a PDF version of the brochure, and the appropriate registration form(s) can be completed and returned to the Brother Rice main office.
Greetings parents, students, alumni, and friends,
Welcome to brotherrice.org! Our website has been restructured to provide you with information on “everything Brother Rice”! As you peruse our recently-improved website, we hope you’ll find all the information you need about Brother Rice: academic, spiritual, social, and athletic programs by using the links directly under the banner of our homepage. Also note that we have linked our site to other websites, including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and LinkedIn. We’re proud to feature articles written by our students and staff, which you’ll find on The Standard and Crusader Clips pages. We’ve made it our goal to provide you with the latest information about school happenings, including athletic, service, and social events that you and your family would enjoy.
Please take some time to look around the Brother Rice website. We hope you like what you see! Feel free to contact us regarding any questions or comments you may have.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kevin G. Burns
President
Down 12-0 early and facing a late 24-18 deficit, many wondered if Brother Rice would be able to come back and defend their state championship. Those who left early missed a great game, great comeback, and an unbelievable finish to the 2013 varsity season as Brother Rice rugby won its record 9th State Championship to accompany a National Crown won 9 days earlier.
Nequa Valley got on the board early. Taking advantage of a knock-on on the opening kick-off, the Wildcats put the ball out wide, confusing the Rice centers and seeing them race into the corner for an early 5-0 lead.
A miscue between Rice wing Mike Slattery and fullback Sean Martin on a counter-kick produced a loose ball that again the Wildcat backline was able to pounce on and break away to make the lead 12-0 early; it had the look of a Nequa rout.
“Similar to last year, I knew that was a two try wind. Unfortunately, we gave them those two scores early, and I challenged (our team) to button up and hunker down on defense. We couldn’t afford to allow another, and we didn’t that half. I knew we would have our opportunities in the second half,” said head coach Dave Fee.
Button up they did, as the Crusaders defended their goal line several times to hold the lead at 12-0, and then Rice struck back. Wing Kris Coleman subbed on for an injured Slattery and made an immediate impact, capitalizing on a great phase play by the Crusaders. Big play by James Gannon and Tim Barry saw Rice take possession of a lineout deep in Nequa territory, and Rice was able to take advantage of an overlap out wide, as Coleman darted to the corner to make it 12-5.
Just minutes later, again capitalizing on strong forward play, this time junior center Nate Swanberg found himself in space to dot down before the half to close the gap to 12-10.
Rice opened up the scoring in the second half on a Sean Martin penalty kick to take the lead at 13-12, which began the see-saw battle. Martin would later have the kick of his life-time.
However, Nequa struck back with a break up the far sideline to re-take the lead 17-13, before Naval Academy bound winger Mac Oldfield scored the first of his two try afternoon, giving Rice back the lead 18-17 as the half wore down.
Nequa was able to take advantage of some sloppy play on the Rice end of the field before breaking a few tackles and dotting down under the posts for what looked to be a backbreaking try; with the conversion, Nequa made it 24-18.
With time not on their side, yet showing championship experience, Rice was able to work the ball back into Nequa territory again. Oldfield saw space and raced down the left sideline to make it 24-23 Nequa, with the ever-important conversion kick to come. Martin, who 9 days ago put a dagger into the hearts of Greenwich, CT, again came up huge, as he slotted the conversion to give Rice the 25-24 advantage and their 9th state championship.
The pipeline appears full as the Brother Rice Crusader JV and frosh/soph teams won their state championship games as well. The frosh/soph team has yet to lose a game in their short 2-year history, and the JV avenged their only loss last year by gaining the JV title.
Brother Rice of Illinois defeated Connecticut team Greenwich to win the Tier II/Combo bracket of the Boys High School National Invitational Saturday at the Moose rugby Grounds in Eklhart, Ind.
Brother Rice was quietly going about its business. Having lost only to HS Club power Cathedral in the past couple of years, Rice defeated Park Hill South 54-21 and the Maryland Exiles 34-14 to make the final.
In the final, the Brother Rice forwards, led by captain and prop Jimmy Gannon and with front-rowers Kevin Bresnahan and Joe Carroll, and No. 8 Luke Mueller all playing well, controlled the tempo of the game.
Source: Rugbymag.com | Alex Goff
Brother Rice High School is pleased to announce the induction of Dr. John Wakerly ’66 to the Brother Rice Hall of Fame. On Friday, May 10, Dr. Wakerly visited the school to accept his award and address the student body. He spoke about his career path, from paper boy at age 12 to professor at Stanford University to owner of Micros Systems Engineering. He told the students that he learned “words of wisdom” from all of his bosses over the years and stressed that no matter what field one chooses, it is most important to be a “good communicator.” Dr. Wakerly also said that to be successful, one should learn to read, write, and speak well, and always “look someone in the eye and make contact.”
Dr. John Wakerly has more than 30 patents in telecommunications and networking technology. He has written more than 50 publications including engineering textbooks. He has also been a 30 year member of the faculty at Stanford University and has been a major contributor in the technology industry. Brother Rice’s Wakerly Lab was established in January 2000, thanks to the generosity of Dr. Wakerly.
Brother Rice High School was pleased to host its first Brother Edmund Rice Scholarship Dinner. This event was created as an alternative to visiting each individual grade school to present the Edmund Rice Scholarship Award, so that the incoming Edmund Rice Scholars and their parents could enjoy a meal and camaraderie with other Edmund Rice Scholars. Brother Rice President Dr. Kevin Burns, Director of Admissions Tim O’Connell, and senior student Mike Bettinardi, a graduate of St. Alexander School who is bound for the University of Illinois, spoke to the young men and their families about the exciting opportunities that await them at Brother Rice.
This year, Brother Rice High School will be welcoming 33 Edmund Rice Scholars. These young men received this distinction as a result of testing in the top 15% of test-takers on the entrance exam in January. Each Scholar will receive a one year $1,500 scholarship for academic excellence. Of the 33 Scholars, 6 hail from St. John Fisher Parish and 4 come to Brother Rice from St. Barnabas Parish.
Joining the Brother Rice family as Edmund Rice Scholars are the following incoming freshmen: Joseph Alvarez – Saint John Fisher, Brendan Ashley – Saint Linus, Justin Aubin – Saint Linus, Rob Balsewich – Most Holy Redeemer, Adam Baniewicz – Saint Gerald, Ryan Banky – Saint John Fisher, Jesus Barajas – Central Junior High, Ryan Biondic – Saint Gerald, Zachary Charters – Prairie Junior High, Daniel Collins – Saint Linus, Joseph Condon – Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School, Brendan Corbett – Saint Cajetan, Kevin Fitzpatrick – Saint Cajetan, John Gallagher – Saint Linus, Michael Hack – Saint Barnabas, Matt Hanlon – Most Holy Redeemer, Daniel Harty – Saint John Fisher, Jacob Hutchinson – Saint Alexander, John Kane – Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School, Sean Kenny, Jr. – Saint Barnabas, Brandon Lange – Mount Greenwood, Timothy Mahay – Saint John Fisher, Ryan McLaughlin – Saint Patricia, Jack Moran – Saint Germaine, Jake Moran – Saint Germaine, Jacob Munoz – Council Oak Montessori, Christopher Murphy – Saint John Fisher, John Murphy – Saint Barnabas, John Pufunt – Palos South Middle School, Jacob Schmitz – Saint Christina, Kenneth Schnur – Our Lady of the Ridge, Joseph Sweeney – Saint Barnabas, Theodosious Tavrides – Saint John Fisher.
The Brother Rice Football Program is running a campaign for the New Crusade called “Fund Your Number.” As most of you are aware, running a competitive football program successfully takes a large financial commitment. The football program is the second biggest expense for the school and is limited with its financial resources. To have the opportunity to be successful, the program needs your help.
We are asking you to consider making a donation to the football program in honor of the number that you wore while you were here as a player. Our goal is to raise $500 for every number on the roster. If you wore number “25” and you send in a donation, it will be noted in honor of the current player who is wearing that number.
The Brother Rice football program is over 50 years old. There have been multiple players wearing individual numbers for years. Any funding that comes in above and beyond the $500 will go into the Thomas R. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship. With so many past players, we should be able to financially assist the program and also provide a substantial amount of money to the Thomas R. Mitchell Scholarship.
When Coach Mitch passed away last December, Brother Rice alumni football players created the Mitchell Society. The Mitchell Society’s goal is to help eliminate the financial burden the football program puts on the school. During the pre-season, we will be linking the present with the past by introducing our current players to the men that previously walked the halls at BR who are now funding their number.
Thank you for helping to provide the rich football tradition at Brother Rice to our current and future players. Please consider a donation to the Mitchell Society by “funding your number” and making a difference for our current and future Crusaders!
Please click the image below now to Fund Your Number and make a donation online. If you have any questions or would like to meet, please contact Coach Brian Badke directly at 773-429-4477 or bbadke [at] brrice [dot] org.
In volleyball action over the weekend, the Crusader Varsity team captured 4th place out of 21 teams in the Brother Rice Smack Attack. On Friday, April 19, the team defeated St. Patrick and Glenbard West which marked the 500th varsity win in program history. On Saturday, April 20, the varsity faced three state ranked teams defeating Lincoln Way North before losing to Lincoln Way East and Glenbrook North in close matches.
On Friday at the Smack Attack, the Crusader JV team coached by Mr. Dwyer lost to Glenbrook North and lost a close match to St. Rita. On Saturday, the team defeated St. Ignatius and split with Mt. Carmel taking 2nd place in the Bronze division. Congratulations to both teams on a fine showing this weekend! Br. Ickes and the Crusader Volleyball Program thank all of the faculty, staff, students, and fans in attendance Friday and for all of the congratulation messages celebrating the 500th program win.
Brother Rice’s Pat Richardson has chosen to retire from his position of Head Basketball Coach. He leaves firmly intact a legacy of outstanding achievement, dedication to his players, and a proud commitment to one of the premier basketball programs in the state of Illinois.
Coach Richardson said the following about his coaching career at Brother Rice: “It’s been an incredible honor and privilege to be the basketball coach at Brother Rice for the past 24 years. I can’t imagine a better place to coach basketball. The support I’ve received from the administration, faculty, parents, alumni, and Crusader Crazies has been incredible. I’ll never forget the loyalty and work ethic of all of the coaches I have worked with. I’m especially grateful to all of the players I have been fortunate enough to coach. They are an amazing group of young men who have given so much to our program. I will be forever grateful.”
Dr. Kevin Burns, President of Brother Rice High School, said, “As friends and colleagues, we are all pleased that Pat (Richardson) is going out on his own terms, and we are thrilled that he will remain on our staff as a teacher. He is such a valuable asset to our school.”
Coach Richardson has completed his 24th year as Head Coach of the Crusaders. He is a 1982 graduate of Illinois Benedictine College where he earned a B.A. in History. During his tenure at Brother Rice, the Crusaders have won 37 championships including nine Catholic League, eight Thanksgiving, five Christmas, eleven IHSA Regional, and four IHSA Sectional Championships as well as one Elite Eight appearance in 2005. His Crusader teams have reached the 20 win plateau twelve times, including a streak of nine seasons in a row from 1997 to 2005.
Coach Richardson has coached 40 All Catholic League and ten All State Players. Five players have been nominated for Mr. Basketball of Illinois. One player, Bobby Frasor, was named to the McDonald’s All American Team in 2005. Twelve of his players have earned Division One basketball scholarships and dozens of others have gone on to play college basketball at the Division II, III and NAIA level. Three players have become small college All-Americans and four have gone on to play professionally in Europe.
Coach Richardson has been named IBCA Coach of the Year seven times and Catholic League Coach of the Year four times. He has also received Coach of the Year honors from the Daily Southtown, Reporter, and City Suburban Hoops Report. The 2005 Crusaders were the City Suburban Hoops Report “Team of the Year.”
Brother Rice is widely regarded as the best shooting team in Illinois. Coach Richardson’s teams have made more three point field goals over the last twenty years than any team in Illinois. He also directs the Crusader Summer Basketball Camp, one of the largest and most successful basketball camps in the Chicago area. He has also been a guest speaker at camps and coaching clinics throughout Illinois. In 2003,
Coach Richardson was inducted into the Brother Rice Hall of Fame; in 2008, he was inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame; and in 2011, he was part of the inaugural class of the Circle of Champions (the Brother Rice Athletic Hall of Fame). In November of 2011, Coach Richardson won his 400th game as head coach of the Crusaders.
As the May 1st college decision deadline looms, most seniors at Brother Rice are fretting over their plans for next year. One senior in particular, however, is finalizing his plans to attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in the fall. Oldfield received his acceptance letter in March after a lengthy application process. Starting in his junior year, Oldfield had to apply to be a candidate to then be able to apply to the Academy. As part of this process, the Navy requires all candidates to attend a six day summer seminar in Annapolis. At the seminar, candidates would wake up at 5:45 A.M. for daily exercise, attend a crash course in classes students at the academy take, and partake in “sea trials” that consist of numerous drills the Navy runs. For some people this would sound daunting, but according to Oldfield, this experience “cemented my desire to go there.” Once Oldfield was approved to apply, he had to send in recommendation letters, take a fitness test and medical exam, compile a list of all school activities he was involved, and write a personal statement. After that, he needed a congressional nomination, which he received from U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 1st District, Bobby Rush.
Oldfield first gained interest in the Navy during a chance visit to the hospital after being bitten by a chipmunk. While waiting to be tested for rabies, Oldfield watched a T.V. show on Navy Scouts boot camp, something that he would not have been watching if he were at home. The show nonetheless inspired Oldfield to see if he could do some of the activities the men on the show were being asked to do. After later doing some research on the Naval Academy, Oldfield decided to apply because of its “academics and all-around future building.” Another inspiration for Oldfield’s decision to attend the Naval Academy was his grandpa, who enlisted in the Navy right out of high school. “I looked up to him as a role model,” Oldfield said, “If being in the Navy made him the kind of man he was, then I see no reason I could not follow in his footsteps.”
At the Academy, Oldfield wants to study engineering. He also hopes to get into medical school in order to become a cardiologist and then do his service afterwards. Wherever the tide may carry this future Midshipman, may he “live Jesus in his heart, forever.”
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