With school not being in session Friday, Brother Rice’s Marcos Gonzales used part of his free day to relax in bed and study some game film on his phone.
He watched the Crusaders lose to Kenwood in the 2023 sectional final and then watched the Crusaders lose to Thornton in the 2024 sectional final. The endings never changed.
But it fired him up for his third chance.
“I saw myself both times in the closing seconds watching the other teams celebrate,” Gonzales said. “I didn’t want that to be us again. I watched those games for fuel, that’s for sure.”
He added fuel to the fire by scoring 11 points in the first quarter for the host Crusaders in a 53-41 victory over Lemont in the Class 3A Brother Rice Sectional championship game in Chicago.
Gonzales, a 6-foot-4 senior guard/forward, totaled 20 points, six rebounds and three steals as Brother Rice (29-6) won the fifth sectional title in program history and first since 2005.
Jack Weigus scored nine of his 18 points in the third quarter and Caden Workman added nine points for the Crusaders, who play Peoria (29-6) at 7 p.m. Monday in the Pontiac Supersectional.
Gabriel Sularski led Lemont (26-8) with 16 points and Shea Glotzbach added 11.
The last time the Crusaders played in a supersectional, Pat Richardson was the coach, Bobby Frasor was the star and none of the players on this season’s team were even born.
Frasor is also a former Brother Rice coach who replaced Richardson.
“Coach Frasor is the one who originally recruited me here and his team won it back in the day,” Gonzales said. “He texted me during the week to wish me luck and wish me the best.
“Everybody was wishing me the best this week, and I tried to do everything for everybody.”
Weigus, who also had five rebounds, noticed that right away during Friday’s game.
“You can tell that, when he gets going, no one can stop him,” Weigus said of Gonzales. “He is the (Catholic League’s) player of the year for a reason. And he got the job done.”
The Citadel-bound Gonzales knows how good his team can be, even though the Crusaders have a few losses this season they would like back.
“There’s always going to be a little adversity,” he said. “We’ve taken the punches, but we’re a resilient team. We had some tough stretches, but we’re playing our best.
“That’s the way we want to play right now.”
Weigus, a Hinsdale South transfer, also got the job done. He scored the game’s first basket three seconds in and opened the second half for the Crusaders with a 3-pointer.
“He’s not only a great addition to the basketball team, he’s a great addition to the school and he’s a great student,” Brother Rice coach Conte Stamas said of Weigus. “The transition was seamless.
“He fit in here really well.”
Weigus, who hasn’t been at the school even a year, celebrated the huge achievement afterward.
“Making history is cool, especially breaking a 20-year streak like this,” he said. “We worked our tails off from June until now, and it’s such and honor to play with these guys.
“I’m just so happy and proud.”
Stamas was also happy with Gonzales’ explosive 17-point effort in the first half.
“He was on a roll taking it to the basket,” Stamas said. “I had to give him a little break because he was exhausted with how hard he was going.
“This is this third sectional final, and I said, ‘We’re getting this done, Marcos.’’’
It was similar to a conversation the two had in 2024 after the loss to Thornton.
“I made a promise to coach after that Thornton game that we are going to the sectional final but get even further,” Gonzales said. “I’m glad I can keep my promises to my people.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
