lomprez
Ann Leppke
28
Winner McKendree MCK 4-7 , 5-3
21
Quincy QU 6-5 , 4-4
Winner
McKendree MCK
4-7 , 5-3
28
Final
21
Quincy QU
6-5 , 4-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MCK McKendree 14 7 0 7 28
QU Quincy 7 7 0 7 21

Game Recap: Football | | Brendan Bittner

Quincy Falls To McKendree in Season Finale, 28-21

QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University football team had two chances in the final six minutes to come up with a game-tying drive, but the McKendree defensive front recorded three sacks to send the Hawks to a 28-21 defeat in the season finale at a cold, and sometimes snowy, Flinn Stadium on Saturday (Nov. 15) afternoon.
 
The Hawks (6-5, 4-4 GLVC) completed their best season in head coach Tom Pajic's three-year tenure, finishing with six wins for the first time since 2008 and looking to rise as a program of prominence in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
 
The game looked like it would be a shootout at the start with McKendree's dual threat quarterback Isaac Fisher proving to be dangerous as the Bearcats (5-6, 5-3 GLVC) scored on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.
 
Quincy responded immediately with two big plays – the first a 21-yard pass from redshirt-junior quarterback Nick Lonergan (Jacksonville, Ill.) to redshirt-freshman wide receiver Evan Powell (St. Clair, Mo.). Then Lonergan connected with sophomore wide receiver Eric Poindexter (Newport News, Va./Warwick) on deep post route over the middle for a 60-yard score to make it 7-7.
 
After the teams exchanged punts, Fisher used his legs again to find the end zone, this time on a 31-yard score to make it 14-7. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback finished with 99 yards on the ground and two scores. He also threw for 284 yards and a touchdown, going 27-for-40 through the air.
 
Early in the second quarter, the Bearcats drove to the QU 1-yard line, but the Hawks got a big stop on fourth down as the defensive line got leverage and stuffed Treye Williams.
 
The teams went scoreless until 3:24 remained in the first half as Fisher completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Cameron James to make it 21-7.
 
The Hawks had another answer, marching 64 yards on six plays as junior tailback Dante Flowers (St. Louis, Mo./Webster Groves) caught a pass in the flat and scampered 31 yards down to the 1-yard line where redshirt-freshman Chris Harris (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart-Griffin) polished it off with his 17th rushing touchdown of the season.
 
The Bearcats had a chance to extend their lead in the third quarter, but senior linebacker Dan Camp (Rochester, Ill.) blocked a 33-yard field goal attempt to give QU the ball back.

The Hawks took the ball into McKendree territory, but Harris fumbled to give the ball back to the Bearcats. It was one of four Quincy turnovers in the game – all coming in the second half. On the Hawks' next drive Lonergan had his pass attempt on 4th-and-8 picked off by defensive end Lucky Baar as the offense moved into the McKendree red zone.
 
Early in the fourth quarter, the defense forced the 'Cats to punt, but Poindexter mishandled the kick and the visitors fell on it to set them up in scoring position and Myles Hammonds ran it in from 11 yards out to take a 28-14 lead.
 
On their next drive, the Hawks converted two fourth downs and a 3rd-and-15, eventually scoring on a 17-yard pass from Lonergan to redshirt-freshman tight end Owen Schoenenberger (Evansville, Wis.) that cut the deficit to 28-21.
 
The Hawks got a three-and-out and then moved to the ball to their own 47-yard line, but the drive stalled on back-to-back sacks and they could not convert on a long fourth down. QU again forced another three-and-out, but Lonergan was sacked and fumbled on the final possession to seal the win for McKendree.
 
The Bearcats outgained the Hawks, 474-386, for the game and Lonergan finished with 337 yards through the air. He had two touchdowns and was intercepted for just the fourth time this season.
 
Harris led the Hawks with 47 rushing yards as QU was held to just 49 yards on the ground (including lost yardage on McKendree's 10 sacks).
 
Poindexter caught six passes for a QU season high 189 yards and a touchdown. His 189 yards are the fourth-highest single-game total in school history. He also finished with 796 receiving yards this season. That is the fifth-best figure in the QU single-season record book.
 
Senior linebacker Ike Onike (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview) finished with a QU season high 17 tackles (12 solo) in the game. Camp had 11 stops and senior defensive end Andrew Smikle (Naples, Fla./Palmetto Ridge) as that defensive trio played in their final game in a Quincy uniform.
 
The McKendree defensive front was the story of the game as Lucky Baar led the Bearcats with four sacks. He now has 18 on the season. Cameron Ford had 3.5 sacks.
 
The following seniors played in their final games at QU: 
QU
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