High School Quarterback Records 8 Touchdowns After Losing Mother to Cancer

A day after losing his mother to breast cancer, Alex Brown, the quarterback for New Jersey’s Red Bank Catholic Caseys, had the game of his life and led his high school’s team to a playoff victory.

As reported by CBS New York, Brown threw six touchdowns and ran for two more, scoring a total of eight en route to defeating Morris Catholic in a 58-34 win. “You know I throw that first touchdown pass and I just knew she was gonna be with me the whole night,” Brown told the outlet. “It was a really special feeling.” Highlights of the game went viral, and Brown’s performance even garnered a response from Tom Brady, who commented on video highlights with his congratulations. 

Alex’s mother, Michelle Brown, was well-known to the team and was her son’s biggest inspiration. “That was legendary because like, you have to be a true warrior, you have to have true spirit and courage to do something like that,” one of Alex’s teammates recalled to CBS New York. The team’s coach, Michel Lange, said Alex was an example of “great perseverance,” and that his performance was something “I’ll never see again in my coaching days.”

“This whole thing, it just shows that she is with me,” said Brown. “And I’m going to make sure the world knows who Michelle Brown is. And I’ll carry that for the rest of my life.” His team plans to snag state victory in honor of his mother.