By Connor Allen ‘26

It was a very cold and snowy December day. My friends and I got into our Christmas attire and hit the road to head to NIU to watch the 7A state championship game. It was the last football game ever in my high school years.

I have always wanted our team to win state, and the team finally made it to state my senior year. I was super excited to watch the game, especially because a lot of my friends and classmates were on the team. It was super cool to watch my friends play for a state championship.

I was filled with excitement all week, each and every day just anticipating the game. The halls at school were filled with excitement, talking about rides, Christmas outfits, and the cold. The night before the game as I was getting my outfit ready, I was super excited and couldn’t wait for the game any longer. The day of the game finally came; we had a half day and all anyone could talk about was the game.

School finished and we hit the road. The car ride was a blast. Everyone was super-hyped up for the game, and we could not wait to get there. After about an hour, we finally arrived. The stadium was filled with ice, snow, and hot chocolate. The atmosphere was electric.

I got to the student section and was amazed. I couldn’t wait for the team to come out and kick off. The game started at about three, and the student section was bumping early on. The Crusaders scored first, and it was awesome. The crowd erupted and went wild. The game went on, and the Crusaders ended up winning 16-0.

It was amazing. After 44 years the Crusader football team won a state championship. I was overjoyed for all my friends and classmates on the team along with  the Brother Rice community as a whole.

The trip home was very exciting at first. We stopped for Culvers and talked all about the game. Then all my friends (including me!) took a nap on the ride home. We arrived back at Rice and awaited the football team’s arrival. Once they got there, all the fans cheered and celebrated the team as they got off the bus. It was a very wholesome moment.

This day will forever be remembered for the entire Brother Rice community, and I am so thankful I was able to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.