Damari Thigpen had been taken off the return team earlier this season.
Brayden Parks is a four-star defensive lineman committed to Notre Dame.
Rocco Galasso began the year splitting time at quarterback with freshman Sam Holcomb before Holcomb won the starting job..
All of them flipped the script for No. 3 Brother Rice on Friday night as the Crusaders avoided a letdown after last week’s rivalry win over Mount Carmel and pulled away to beat visiting Fenwick 42-21.
Thigpen ran a punt back 50 yards for a touchdown and almost did it again with a return to the Fenwick one-yard line. That set up the 310-pound Parks’ second rushing TD of the game.
Galasso, meanwhile, stepped in with Holcomb sidelined by what coach Casey Quedenfeld called “a dental issue” and passed for 150 yards and a score for the Crusaders (5-2).
“We had to adjust based on our personnel with some of the injuries that we had and some of just misfortunes that we had going into this game,” Quedenfeld said. “And you’ve just got to do the best that you can and move forward.”
Thigpen returned one punt for a TD last season and has his sights set on the program career record of five.
“I’ve been working on it since last season but this year I haven’t really been in a groove.” Thigpen said.
Quedenfeld said the Crusaders changed returners this season after Thigpen had trouble fielding punts. But with the replacements out Friday, he resumed that role.
“Once we got close to the end of the regular season into the playoffs, he did a fantastic job returning punts and kicks,” Quedenfeld said. “So hopefully he gets back into the groove like you just saw tonight. But in the beginning of the year, he was not doing what you saw tonight.”
Neither was Parks, at least on offense. The consensus top-200 senior has teamed with five-star junior Kameron McGee to form an elite defensive line combo. They did their job on Friday, limiting Fenwick (4-3) to seven points over the first three quarters.
In the Week 6 win over Mount Carmel, Rice got McGee into the mix on offense with a key touchdown pass. On Friday, it was Parks’ turn.
“It’s definitely crazy that both of us get to just hop on the other side of the ball for a change,” Parks said. “It just adds a dynamic or versatility to our offense.”
Parks’ first touchdown was part of a 28-0 run that turned a 7-3 first-quarter deficit into a 31-7 fourth-quarter lead.
“It’s amazing, them trusting me with the ball, trusting me to punch it in,” he said.
“We’ve been working on some different things to get guys involved,” Quedenfeld said. “Whether it’s Jack [McNamara] on the touchdown catch or Kameron catching the ball or different types of running backs and things like that.”
McNamara’s TD came on a short jump pass by Galasso, who was 13 of 22 passing with no interceptions. Jameson Davis added 118 rushing yards and a TD on 22 carries.
“Hopefully next week everyone’s at full strength. whether it’s running back, receiver, kick returner, punt returner, quarterback,” Quedenfeld said.
Fenwick quarterback Myles Hill was 10 of 22 passing for 110 yards and one TD to Jake Thies. Hill and Thies, who had seven carries for 60 yards, also ran for touchdowns.