Running the football against Brother Rice isn’t easy.

With three Division I prospects, including Illinois recruit King Liggins, controlling the line of scrimmage, Brother Rice held St. Charles North to just 5 yards on four carries during the first half of Saturday’s 7A state quarterfinal game. The Crusaders, who finished with five sacks in the game, compiled seven tackles for loss through three quarters.

On the offensive side, Army quarterback recruit C.J. Gray and the Brother Rice offense established their ground game early and often, accumulating 260 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Running backs Jaylin Green and Jameson Davis each scored twice, leading the Crusaders over the North Stars 42-18 and into the state semifinals.

“I have to give credit to the offensive line,” said Davis, who rushed for a team-high 110 yards on 13 carries. “The offensive line did a phenomenal job tonight. I see the hole they create for me and I just go. I feed off what they produce and I love them.... I thought we put on a show tonight. We ran the ball physically and we ran hard.”

St. Charles North (10-2) went three and out on each of its first two drives, running the ball three times for -5 yards against the stout Brother Rice defensive line. The Crusaders struck first, capping off a 67-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard Green touchdown run up the middle. Green took the ball six times on the lengthy scoring drive.

“We just had to run hard and be patient,” said Green, who ran for 93 yards and added four catches for 53 yards and a score Saturday. “It took me a little bit, but I figured out their defense. We train really hard over the offseason and we know what we’re capable of doing.”

Leading 7-0, Brother Rice (11-1) created the first turnover of the game late in the first quarter, when sophomore defensive end and five-star edge prospect Kameron McGee combined with teammate Brayden Parks, a four-star junior defensive tackle prospect, for a strip sack on North Star quarterback J.T. Padron. McGee, who had a team-high three sacks, emerged with the football for the Crusaders.

“The game plan was to put pressure on the QB,” said Parks, who ended the game with 1.5 sacks. “We knew we would win the game on the D-line and that’s what we did. That’s what we’ve been doing the whole season. We listen to our coaches and we trust in one another.”

Brother Rice capitalized on the turnover, taking a 14-0 lead after Gray ran in a 2-yard touchdown on a quarterback keeper during the first play of the second quarter. Gray rushed for 57 yards and passed for 140 yards to aid the Crusader offense in Saturday’s victory.

Needing a spark, St. Charles North abandoned the run and leaned heavily on its passing attack, moving the ball into the red zone after a sequence of completions to senior wide receiver and Northwestern recruit Keaton Reinke. Reinke, who had nine catches for a team-high 141 yards, helped set up a 4-yard touchdown throw from Padron to wide receiver Braden Harms midway through the second quarter.

“We went to practice everyday and did the best we could,” Reinke said. “Everyone knew what the goal was and we came in everyday thinking 1-0. We’ve been building that passing game up all year and J.T. had a heck of a game. We all came prepared, but we fell short.”

While Parks blocked the extra-point attempt, St. Charles North took momentum right back after linebacker Wyatt Brandt ripped the ball from Brother Rice tight end Jack McNamara for an interception in Crusader territory. The turnover led to a 31-yard field goal for Iowa State recruit Lucas Tenbrock, who converted the kick with ease.

“As a team, we played so well together this year and we had such good chemistry,” said the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Tenbrock, a top-5 nationally-ranked punting prospect according to 247Sports. “In all three phases, we all played together and it was a blast.”

A 4-yard touchdown on a swing pass from Gray to Green enabled Brother Rice to take a 21-9 halftime lead. The Crusaders dominated the second half, adding three touchdowns, including one on a 70-yard punt return by Damari Thigpen, to clinch the victory. Early in the third quarter, Davis shook multiple tacklers for a 36-yard score. The Thigpen punt return touchdown grew the Brother Rice lead further.

Although Brandt sacked Gray in the end zone for a safety and Reinke reeled in a 9-yard touchdown catch from No. 2 quarterback Michael Atkins late in the fourth quarter, the North Stars found themselves in too deep of a hole. Padron, who departed with an injury in the second half, finished with 146 passing yards on 19 completions.

With the win, Brother Rice advances to face Downers Grove North in the 7A semifinals next weekend. The Crusaders are seeking their first state title since 1981, when the team went 11-2 under Tom Mitchell. The Crusaders finished as an 8A state runner-up in 2018.