rueckemann
Ann Leppke
42
Winner Quincy QU 5-3 , 3-2
28
William Jewell WJC 4-4 , 4-1
Winner
Quincy QU
5-3 , 3-2
42
Final
28
William Jewell WJC
4-4 , 4-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
QU Quincy 7 21 0 14 42
WJC William Jewell 7 7 7 7 28

Game Recap: Football | | Brendan Bittner

Hawks Knock Off GLVC Leader WJC For Third Straight Win

QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University football team is approaching heights not seen for quite some time as the Hawks handed William Jewell its first loss in Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a 42-28 win in Liberty, Mo. on Saturday (Oct. 25) afternoon.
 
The win is Quincy's third straight, including the last two on the road, and its fourth in its last five games. The Hawks (5-3, 3-2 GLVC) have now won five games for the first time since 2008 and return home next Saturday (Nov. 1) to take on visiting Missouri S&T at Flinn Stadium. Saturday's win was also the 10th career victory for head coach Tom Pajic.
 
The Hawks racked up 537 yards of total offense and got significant contributions in all three phases of the game to knock off the Cardinals (4-4, 4-1 GLVC), who entered the game tied atop the GLVC standings with Indianapolis.
 
Redshirt-junior quarterback Nick Lonergan (Jacksonville, Ill.) became Quincy's all-time leader in passing touchdowns (38) on Saturday, going 25-for-41 through the air for 350 yards and three scores.
 
Redshirt-freshman running back Chris Harris (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart-Griffin) also tied the program single-season record for rushing touchdowns (15), becoming just the second player to reach that mark (Rob Munson, 1993 and 1994). Harris rushed 20 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
 
The QU defense started the game the right way as redshirt-sophomore Jasus Harkins (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) intercepted Nick West's pass on the first official play from scrimmage and returned it 35 yards to the William Jewell 20-yard line. It was the first of four interceptions on the day for the QU defense – the most for the Hawks since at least 2007.
 
The Hawks could not capitalize as Lonergan misfired on two passes from the 17-yard line and redshirt-sophomore kicker Blake Allison (Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa) missed a 39-yard field goal wide right.
 
The Cardinals responded with a six-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 36-yard pass from West to Travae Jones that gave the hosts a 7-0 lead.
 
The Hawks moved the ball to the William Jewell 22-yard line on their next possession, but turned the ball over on downs.
 
Quincy looked like it might go down by two scores as the Cardinals attempted a 43-yard field goal on the final play of the first quarter, but senior linebacker Dan Camp (Rochester, Ill.) broke through the protection and blocked the kick. The ball bounced to redshirt-freshman linebacker Nate Rueckemann (McHenry, Ill.) and he returned it 65 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.
 
The Hawks turned on the offensive jets in the second quarter, outscoring the Cardinals 21-7 and gaining 207 yards in the process.
 
After a William Jewell three-and-out, Lonergan connected with freshman receiver D.J. Daughtry (Highland City, Fla./Bartow) on a 65-yard catch-and-run to give the Hawks a 14-7 lead.

Camp kept Quincy's momentum going by picking off West's pass on the first play of the Cardinals' next possession, setting up a 33-yard drive that was capped by Lonergan's 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Eric Poindexter (Newport News, Va./Warwick).
 
William Jewell answered with a touchdown – a three-yard score by Darmar Robinson – on its next possession. Lonergan was intercepted inside WJC territory on QU's next possession, but the defense forced a three-and-out and Lonergan rebounded nicely by hitting Daughtry in stride for a 46-yard touchdown connection with just 23 seconds remaining in the first half. Daughtry had a career day, finishing with nine catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
 
The Hawks once again drove into Jewell territory on their first possession of the second half, but the Cardinals recorded a sack on 4th-and-11 to get the ball back.
 
A 60-yard touchdown pass from West to Anthony Mullins cut the Hawks' lead to 28-21 with 4:27 left in the third quarter. The Cardinals tied the game, 28-28, on a Glen Whitney one-yard dive with 9:09 to play.
 
The Hawks responded quickly with the passing game as freshman receiver Kody Wood (Jacksonville, Ill.) caught two passes for a total of 30 yards and Lonergan hit redshirt-freshman tight end Owen Schoenenberger (Evansville, Wis.) on a 19-yard pass to put the Hawks at the WJC 30-yard line. The Hawks then found themselves at 4th-and-1 and handed the ball to Harris, who burst through the line and scored from 21 yards to give the Hawks a 34-28 lead after a blocked extra point.
 
Redshirt-sophomore defensive end Tanner Day (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West) put the Cardinals in a precarious 3rd-and-21 after dropping West for an 11-yard sack. Redshirt-freshman safety Keith Craig (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) picked off West's next pass and returned it to the WJC 48-yard line. Five plays later, Harris rushed for his second touchdown of the second half from six yards out to push the lead to 42-28 with 2:11 to play after Lonergan's pass to Schoenenberger for the two-point conversion was successful.
 
Finally, sophomore safety Shelby Wilson (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) sealed the win with the Hawks' fourth interception of the game. Wilson also had two other pass breakups in the game.
 
After Harris' 122 yards, redshirt-junior Sterling Ross (New Port Richey, Fla./Ridgewood) had 47 yards on the ground on 13 carries and Lonergan ran the ball for 18 yards. He was sacked twice to count against that total. Overall, the Hawks ran for 187 yards on the ground.
 
Schoenenberger (79 yards) and Poindexter (56 yards) had five catches each behind Daughtry's career day.
 
Harkins and Wilson led the QU defense with six stops apiece, while redshirt-senior Andrew Smikle (Naples, Fla./Palmetto Ridge) had two of Quincy's four sacks on the day.
 
The Hawks held the Cardinals to 129 yards rushing on the ground, led by Robinson's 68 yards. West was 21-for-37 through the air for 306 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Mullins was his top target, catching eight passes for 150 yards and a touchdown.
 
The Hawks return to Flinn Stadium next Saturday (Nov. 1) to take on Missouri S&T (3-5, 2-3 GLVC) at 1 p.m. The Miners are coming off a 27-24 defeat at McKendree on Saturday.
 
QU
Print Friendly Version