Where Stop Was Right, Where Stop Was Wrong: Brother Rice v Loyola

De Smet Jesuit versus Cardinal Ritter College Prep was the focus of the PRZMO Game of the Week on Friday. We look back at the preview from Thursday, what I saw coming, what I missed and what the game taught us.   *** Use code StopPRZ30 to slash 30% off your subscription to Prep Redzone ***   *** Follow your favorites along with us this season on <a href="https://prepredzone.com/game/il/loyola-academy-vs-brother-rice-september-11-2026/">PRZ SCORES</a> ***   https://prepredzone.com/2026/09/friday-night-heavyweight-collision-in-ccl-blue/   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">FINAL: LOYOLA 27, BROTHER RICE 24</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where Stop Was Right</h2>   This game lived up to the hype.   The IHSA slate last week was full of bangers, and this particular contest was the one driving the boat. A matchup of state title contenders, both ranked Number One in their respective classes, put on a show. The first half was a battle predicated on defensive muscle. The second half was highlighted by haymakers thrown by both programs semblant of a UFC match of the same heavyweight combat class where both fighters unleash fury as the clock winds down in Round 5.   A bonafide battle of signal callers ensued.   We previewed Loyola junior [player_tooltip player_id='422465' first='Matthew' last='Lee'] and Brother Rice freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1567137' first='Sam' last='Holcomb'], and both made their mark on this game. Add in Brother Rice senior Rocco Galasso to the mix. Holcomb and Galasso rotated possessions in the second half.   Holcomb's 72 yard run in the 3rd quarter led to the first of his touchdown passes to put Brother rice in the paint for the first time and up 10-7. Another short ball to senior receiver Anthony Cartolano went for 6 after Cartolano split a pair of Loyola defenders and took the ball 80 yards to the house to put BR up again 17-13 in the 4th quarter.   Galasso put Brother Rice up and in position to win the game in the 4th. Feeling pressure from Loyola DL [player_tooltip player_id='1575273' first='Hunter' last='Wahtola'], Galasso sent one deep to his intended receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1196115' first='Lucas' last='Strang'] who beat the coverage for the score that put the Crusaders up 24-20 with 3:08 on the clock.   [player_tooltip player_id='422465' first='Matthew' last='Lee'] engineered the 4th quarter game winning touchdown drive. With just over a minute to play and feeling the pocket collapse, Lee launched one from midfield on the money to his receiver Joe Haughey who just had to outrun the coverage to the goal line to score what became the game winning touchdown. Lee continually displayed the ability to feel pressure and avoid it by stepping up in the pocket or escaping and doing something productive with the football all night.   Brother Rice has an offensive line room.   The line is anchored by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1335452' first='Ethan' last='Posey'] at left tackle and [player_tooltip player_id='901504' first='Carlos' last='Rios'] at right guard, and behind them are underclassmen CJ Anderson at right tackle and [player_tooltip player_id='1687793' first='Tyler' last='Houlf'] at center, amongst others that will rise - like [player_tooltip player_id='1991412' first='Daniel' last='Desouza'] who had a heck of an offseason in the camp and combine series.   [player_tooltip player_id='2045496' first='Will' last='Mettee'] was the game MVP.   We talked of his ability to attack the run and be effective on the blitz. He was both of those things. In fact, he was all over the field...on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he created pressure, he made big hits, he created turnovers, he played sideline to sideline, he was legitimately all over the field. Offensively he contributed in the role player variety, and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 4:36 to play in the 4th quarter, which was his second touchdown of the game. In the first quarter, his scoop-n-score put the first points on the board and gave Loyola an early 7-0 advantage. He was aligned at LB, at DL. The expectation was he would make a difference. He was the gamewrecker.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where Stop Was Wrong</h2>   The Brother Rice defensive line was going to force the issue.   Don't get it twisted, the BR defense definitely had its hand in disrupting Loyola, but didn't make the difference in the game. Credit iDL [player_tooltip player_id='1334133' first='Brayden' last='Parks'] for making the biggest defensive impact, getting several pressures on the quarterback and forcing decisions. [player_tooltip player_id='1052814' first='Kameron' last='McGee'] made his presence felt, as did the duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1671946' first='Jonathan' last='Harris'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1140979' first='Jordan' last='Moore'] in the secondary. Moore's length measurables are assumingely astonishing just by the look of him on the hoof. He has go-go-gadget arms. He contested the ball in the air and was physical on contact.   The Loyola defensive line is a bigger deal than what anyone is talking about.   99-97-19-92. That is Winston Ericson, [player_tooltip player_id='1575273' first='Hunter' last='Wahtola'], Mark Atwood, and [player_tooltip player_id='1649970' first='Braedan' last='McHugh']. We talked about McHugh in the preview piece and during the offseason, and [player_tooltip player_id='1575273' first='Hunter' last='Wahtola'] is a prospect that dominated in 1v1 settings - a transfer from DePaul Prep. This group is scrappy, gritty, high motor, and definitely made the quarterbacks uncomfortable.   The offensive weapons.   The dawgs on both sides were discussed, but we failed to mention that Loyola difference makers - tight end [player_tooltip player_id='2104990' first='Charlie' last='Fowler'] and running back [player_tooltip player_id='2140174' first='Jayden' last='Garrett'] - would be unavailable. In lieu, other players stepped up, like Carmelo Maldonado. The undersized junior tailback played hard, ran with conviction, took the ball between the tackles and on the perimeter, and ultimately played above his weight class. He made a difference. Onlookers in the stands were effusive in their remarks of his efforts and performance.   THE FINAL PREDICTION.   We were right in the sense that it was a heavyweight bout that could've gone either way. Throughout the 4th quarter, the crowd was on the edge of their seats with every play. Loyola put it together down the stretch and executed in the pressure moments. The Brother Rice elite duo in the trenches were present as the clock wound down, but it was the Ramblers that overcame the obstacles to score and ultimately stay undefeated on the 2026 season. So, despite making the assumption it would go down to the wire, and having a feeling the winning margin would be by three points or less, we picked the wrong team to come out on top.     <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/nielstopczynski/status/2098490457089073513 </div></figure>

De Smet Jesuit versus Cardinal Ritter College Prep was the focus of the PRZMO Game of the Week on Friday. We look back at the preview from Thursday, what I saw coming, what I missed and what the game taught us.

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Where Stop Was Right, Where Stop Was Wrong: Brother Rice v Loyola

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