Battle of the Brothers Rice: Chicago vs. Michigan

The Brothers Rice meet on the gridiron Saturday in a big interstate rivalry. The game is a big deal for the Christian Brother schools, one located in Bloomfield Township in Michigan and the other on Chicago’s South Side.

Kickoff time for the game, to be hosted by Brother Rice Chicago this year, is 2:30 p.m. It’s the season opener for both teams.

The two teams faced each other twice before, last year when the Warriors of Michigan defeated the Crusaders of Chicago, 40-34. Their first clash was in the late 1990s. The Warriors won that game, too.

The two teams are eerily similar with more in common than their names, said David Sofran, head coach of the Michigan team.

The Illinois school is the bigger of the two with an enrollment of 900 compared to 650 at Michigan. Both have new starting quarterbacks and the makeup of the two teams is similar. Both play in tough Catholic leagues deep with talent.

“It’s like watching us when we’re watching them,” Sofran said of his review of game films.

The Warriors won the Central Catholic League championship last year with 11 straight wins, only to end the season on a disappointing note with a loss in a Division 2 regional game against the eventual state champions, Warren De La Salle. The loss also snapped a 33-game winning streak.

Sofran inherited a stable full of talent when he took over as head coach last year, but lost many key players to graduation. Forty of the nearly 60 players on the squad are underclassman.

For Sofran, the question is: “Are we rebuilding or reloading?”

Among the key players Sofran lost was pro-style quarterback Alex Malzone, a University of Michigan Wolverines recruit who shattered “all kinds of records” as a prep player. He completed 64.9 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,998 yards and 38 touchdowns with five interceptions last fall.

Malzone leaves big shoes for junior John Tracy to fill, but Sofran is confident he’s up to the challenge.

“He’s a really smart, smart 4.3 grade point student, and that translates well for him on the field,” Sofran said. “He knows the offense well, he’s very coachable and he’s got an efficient arm, a strong arm. He’s new and inexperienced in varsity, but he’s stepped up well as a leader.”

Brother Rice Chicago fields a new quarterback, too. Cam Miller spent most of the last two seasons on the bench, playing backup to two-year starter Alex Alacron, according to Chicago Tribune reports.

What he may lack in speed, he makes up for with “an unbelievable arm,” Crusaders linebacker Jason Boyd told the Chicago newspaper. “He’s very accurate with his throws.”

Brother Rice Chicago returns several strong receivers to the field, including seniors Julian Blain and Mike Kubil and juniors Ricky Smalling, Branden Houston and Michael Kindle.

“We’re expecting to do a lot of great things,” Blain told the Chicago Tribune. “Cam is awesome. Our offense has more speed than last year. We’re capable to doing whatever we want.”

The Chicago team fields a strong defense.

“Our offense is stacked and our defense has a lot of hard hitters,” Jordan Boyd, whose twin, Bryan also starts on the Crusaders’ back line, told the Tribune. “We have a lot of talent out there and we’re bringing energy to everything we do.

The Crusaders bring experience to the offensive line with seniors Manny Bravo, Alex Negoski andJelani Edmonds. When the Crusaders play a ground game, they’ll be counting on Clifton Taylor to run the ball.

“Clifton understands the option,” Miller said. “He can make things happen. In short-yardage situations, he’s going to get us the yards we need.”

The Warriors are counting on a strong defensive line to stop Miller and what is described as a potentially explosive Crusader offense. The Michigan team will field a big, experienced defensive line, anchored by inside linebacker Ryan McWood, who led the Warriors in tackles last year.

With McWood, Riley Maher and Jeff Timko, three of the four linebackers are returning starters and they combine for one of the biggest defensive lines the Warriors have ever fielded.

“We’ve got two guys that are 6-6, one who weighs 310 pounds and the other who weighs 275, the smallest of the bunch who is 6-4 and 285 pounds, and another who is 6-5 and 285 pounds,” Sofran said. “Whether that translates on the field remains to be seen. Sometimes, the bigger you are, the slower you are.”

Whatever happens, fans should be prepared for some high-quality football with high stakes on both sides of the field, Sofran said.

“It’s definitely a rivalry,” he said. “We’re very genuine and nice to each other, but both teams want to win badly.”