Brother Rice defeated St. Rita 16-0 to win the IHSA 7A state football championship at NIU’s Huskie Stadium on Wednesday.

Jaylin Green led Brother Rice in rushing, churning for 104 yards on 23 carries. C.J. Gray finished with 80 rushing yards and a score on 16 carries while completing 5 of 12 passes for 13 yards and one touchdown. It’s the first state title for the Crusaders since 1981.

Brandon Johnson Jr. compiled 54 rushing yards on 13 carries for the Mustangs, who were forced to punt five times and went 1-for-4 on fourth downs in the game. Steven Armbruster completed 12 of 29 passes for 97 yards to aid the St. Rita offense. Walter Jones and Donovan Evans combined to catch seven passes for 63 yards.

Brother Rice (13-1) scored on its opening drive of the game, taking a 7-0 lead on a 6-y

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