Weekend Quarterfinal Standouts: Who Rose When It Mattered

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='499431' first='Johnny' last='O'Brien'] – Fremd</strong><br>The senior quarterback just keeps stacking big-time performances. In Fremd's historic 34–33 comeback win over Bolingbrook, O'Brien was the difference. He attacked all night, throwing it 44 times and finishing with 301 yards and two touchdowns through the air while also leading the Vikings on the ground with 75 rushing yards. Fremd hadn't been to a state semifinal before; O'Brien played like the kind of “generational” QB his coach called him, answering every Bolingbrook punch and closing it out when it mattered most. <a href="https://www.shawlocal.com/friday-night-drive/2025/11/16/8a-playoffs-fremd-comes-back-to-beat-bolingbrook-34-33-in-8a-quarterfinal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shaw Local</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marquan Brewster – Fremd</strong><br>With O'Brien dealing, Brewster became the security blanket. The junior wideout kept winning one-on-ones and moving the sticks, finishing with eight catches for 106 yards. On a night when Fremd had to dig out of a 14–0 hole and keep pace with a track-meet offense on the other sideline, Brewster's ability to separate and make contested grabs was huge in extending drives and letting the Vikings' offense stay hot. <a href="https://www.shawlocal.com/friday-night-drive/2025/11/16/8a-playoffs-fremd-comes-back-to-beat-bolingbrook-34-33-in-8a-quarterfinal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shaw Local</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1627970' first='Steven' last='Armbruster'] – St. Rita</strong><br>St. Rita's offense was pure fireworks in a 56–42 win over Hersey, and Armbruster was dealing like a veteran. The Mustangs' quarterback only threw nine passes but made them count, going 8-for-9 for 261 yards and multiple touchdown strikes, including a 50-yard shot that broke things open in the fourth. He added a short touchdown run just before halftime to swing momentum going into the locker room. Efficient, explosive and in control all afternoon. <a href="https://www.shawlocal.com/friday-night-drive/2025/11/16/st-rita-bests-hersey-in-high-scoring-class-7a-quarterfinal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shaw Local</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1619312' first='Brandon' last='Johnson'] Jr. – St. Rita</strong><br>When St. Rita needed to lean on the run game, Johnson delivered. The physical back churned out 128 rushing yards on 21 carries and punched in an early score to help set the tone. In a game that turned into a shootout, his ability to consistently win between the tackles kept the Mustangs ahead of the chains and set up the play-action explosives that Hersey struggled to handle. <a href="https://www.shawlocal.com/friday-night-drive/2025/11/16/st-rita-bests-hersey-in-high-scoring-class-7a-quarterfinal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shaw Local</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Andrew Culotta – Batavia</strong><br>Culotta might've had the most clutch night of anybody. In Batavia's 42–27 win over Glenbard North, the senior defensive back flipped the game with a 67-yard pick-six just as the Panthers were threatening to tie it up. Later, when Batavia was trying to close it out, he pounced on a muffed punt to steal a possession, and he also recovered an onside kick to completely ice the quarterfinal. One defender, three massive momentum swings. <a href="https://www.shawlocal.com/friday-night-drive/2025/11/16/andrew-culottas-two-turnovers-helps-batavia-hold-off-surging-glenbard-north-in-class-7a-quarterfinal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shaw Local</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jorey Myren – Rochester</strong><br>Rochester and Sacred Heart-Griffin gave everybody an instant classic, and Myren made the walk-off play. In overtime of a 41–35 thriller, the Rockets turned to him, and he cashed in with the game-winning touchdown to send Rochester back to the 4A semifinals. In a rivalry where every snap is tense, Myren's ability to finish that drive in OT was the difference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->