By Matthew Murzyn ‘27
On Friday, August 21, the Brother Rice football team traveled on the road to Frankfort for their season opener. The 2025-26 Crusader football team finished 13-1 and snagged the 2025 IHSA Class 7A Illinois State Football Championship. This year, the team strives to write their own story.
Brother Rice was set to play the highly-ranked and dominant Lincoln-Way East Griffins in front of hundreds of excited fans. Senior offensive tackle Ethan Posey said, “ The guys spent a lot of this time this offseason working…Throughout summer camp and throughout the lifting cycle.”
The quarterback position was split between up-and-coming freshman Sam Holcomb and senior leader Rocco Galasso. Veteran wide receiver senior Lucas Strang, said this about playing with two new quarterbacks: “ It’s definitely an adjustment playing with two very good and high quality quarterback . . . I feel like both of them can give us the chance to win games.”
The Crusader Crazies made the long trip to Frankfort in support of the team. Although the Lincoln-Way East student section was almost triple the Crazies, the crazies aura and energy was heard all night. Senior Nick Scarnavack said, “ They’re a public co-ed school and we are an all boys private school, but we still showed out and were electric all night.”
The Crusaders fell short in an absolute war against the Griffins, 22-21.
