Brother Rice dominates second half, defeats Batavia 49-6 to advance to 7A quarterfinals

Sam Holcomb doesn’t care to be selfish. As a freshman starting quarterback for defending state champion Brother Rice, the spotlight is on him in one of the most difficult positions in all of sports. But he’s also more than comfortable handing the ball off or throwing checkdowns to a trio of talented running backs. “Whatevever leads us to victory,” he said. “The team is more important than myself.” Nonetheless, Holcomb can be more than a game manager. His 30-yard touchdown pass on a flea-flicker – a play the Crusaders waited more than year to run – gave Brother Rice a two-score lead at halftime against Batavia. The defense did the rest, shutting out the Bulldogs in the second half for a 49-6 victory in the second round of the Class 7A bracket. Decatur Washington and Jameson Davis each ran for a pair of touchdowns Saturday afternoon. Davis, an Army commit, ran for 89 yards on seven carries including a 63-yard touchdown dash. “He’s a balanced back,” Brother Rice coach Casey Quedenfeld sai