WEST TERRE HAUTE - Ind. - The Quincy University sprint football team fell on the road to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on Saturday evening, dropping a 49–27 contest at Jay Barrett Field. Despite a slow start that saw the Pomeroys build a large lead, the Hawks showed resilience with an improved second half highlighted by four passing touchdowns from quarterback Kiet Truong.
The opening quarter was a struggle for Quincy, as the Hawks were held scoreless while the Pomeroys jumped ahead 21–0. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods capitalized on a strong ground game, with Patrick Perea and Zy'Eiar White each finding the end zone. Quincy's offense was limited to just a pair of early first downs, while CJ Jackson tried to get the run game moving with short bursts.
In the second quarter, the Pomeroys extended their advantage to 35–0 behind a balanced attack from quarterback Jeremiah Tosky and White in the backfield. The Hawks finally broke through late in the half when Truong engineered a 10-play, 65-yard drive capped by an 11-yard strike to Gregory Quince, cutting the deficit to 35–7 at the break.
Quincy's best stretch came in the third quarter, where the Hawks outscored the Pomeroys 12–7. Truong connected with Josiah Oliver-Ross for a 45-yard touchdown down the sideline, then hit Quince again from 19 yards out to bring Quincy within 35–19. The defense stepped up during this frame as well, with linebacker Donnell Packer leading the charge with 10 total tackles and Xavier Valentine grabbing an interception. Even so, SMWC added a late rushing score from White to stay in control, 42–19 heading into the final quarter.
The Hawks continued to battle in the fourth. Quince caught his third touchdown of the night, a 25-yard reception from Truong, to cap a seven-play drive that made it 42–27 after a successful two-point conversion. The defense followed with a key stop, but momentum was halted when SMWC's Elijah Connor intercepted a pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown, sealing the 49–27 final.
Quincy finished with 272 yards of total offense, highlighted by Truong's 204 passing yards and four touchdowns. Quince was the top target with five receptions for 74 yards and three scores, while Oliver-Ross added 54 yards and a touchdown. Jackson led the ground game with 62 rushing yards on 24 carries. Defensively, Packer posted 10 tackles, Nicholas Hoffman and Kaden Buchholz each tallied eight, and Logan Cannady registered a sack among his seven stops.
The Hawks (0–2, 0–2) will look to regroup next weekend with another road test, traveling to face Midway University (Ky.) at Midway Turf Field. Kickoff is set for Saturday Sept. 27 at noon.
