QUINCY, Ill. - Before Sunday's matchup with Midway University, Quincy honored its seniors for their hard work, dedication and contributions to the sprint football program.
The 22 seniors recognized were
Hector Gastelum,
Thomas Murray Jr.,
Deuce Allaway,
Byron Keith,
Johnny Thompson,
Hector Ramirez,
Bryson Thomas,
Kyron Dunae,
Travon Hegler-Wright,
Tate Meyer,
Xavier Carr,
Donnell Packer,
Nasir Carson,
Jensen Laughlin,
Victor Valenzuela,
Gregory Quince,
Logan Cannady,
Nate Engler,
Evan Lopez,
Landen Lopez,
Noah Getz and
Kaden Buchholz.
Several of those seniors made contributions throughout the afternoon. Jensen Laughlin connected on both of his field-goal attempts, hitting from 32 and 39 yards, while averaging 34.3 yards on four punts.
Donnell Packer scored Quincy's lone touchdown on a one-yard run and led the Hawks with seven tackles. Bryson Thomas carried five times for 37 yards, including a 27-yard run, while Byron Keith rushed twice for 10 yards and added two tackles.
Tate Meyer completed 3-of-10 passes for 46 yards, including a 20-yard completion. Evan Lopez led Quincy with three receptions for 65 yards, including a long of 31 yards, while Nasir Carson recorded three catches for 46 yards. Xavier Carr added a 12-yard reception.
Defensively, Thomas Murray recorded three tackles, while Logan Cannady and Noah Getz each finished with three tackles. Cannady also recorded a quarterback hurry and a half-tackle for loss.
Victor Valenzuela finished with two tackles, while Allaway, Johnny Thompson and Laughlin each added a tackle. Gregory Quince contributed on special teams with a 19-yard kickoff return.
Midway went on to earn a 65-12 victory over Quincy at QU Stadium, with both teams finishing with 20 first downs. Midway totaled 499 yards of offense, including 378 passing yards and 121 rushing yards, while Quincy finished with 264 total yards, 178 through the air and 86 on the ground. Quincy ran 84 offensive plays compared to Midway's 54.
The game opened with big plays on both sides. Midway took an early lead when Keegan Hill intercepted a Quincy pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 10:22 remaining in the first quarter. Quincy responded with a nine-play, 50-yard drive that ended with Laughlin connecting on a 32-yard field goal to make it 7-3.
Midway answered just 23 seconds later when Christian Carter found Quincy Barber for an 85-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles added another touchdown on a Leondre Martin 11-yard rushing score later in the quarter to take a 21-3 lead.
Quincy continued to work offensively in the second quarter, putting together a 14-play, 63-yard drive. The drive ended with Laughlin's second field goal of the afternoon from 39 yards. Midway answered with a 26-yard field goal from Hayden Cockrell with six seconds remaining in the half to take a 31-6 advantage into halftime.
The Hawks' rushing attack was led by Drew Paben, who carried 17 times for 58 yards. Thomas added 37 yards on five carries, while Byron Keith finished with 10 yards on two attempts. Quincy totaled 42 rushing attempts for 86 yards and scored one rushing touchdown.
Midway's passing game produced several explosive plays throughout the afternoon. Carter completed 10-of-19 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns, including an 85-yard connection with Barber. Duri Trahan added two touchdown passes on 61 yards, while Chase Williams contributed two receptions for 57 yards and a 56-yard touchdown.
Quincy opened the second half with a strong offensive possession. After a 31-yard completion from Justin Vega to Lopez, Thomas broke off a 27-yard run to move the Hawks inside the Midway 10-yard line. Packer finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run, bringing the score to 39-12.
The Eagles finished with seven interceptions, returning them for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Hill recorded four interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, while Israel Caldwell returned an interception 31 yards for a score and Mike Anderson added a 38-yard interception return.
Midway also recorded six sacks, with Trenton Leach posting 1.5 sacks and 16 yards lost on those plays. Byron Wallace led the Eagles with 11 total tackles, while Trenton Everett and Leach each recorded nine.
Quincy was led defensively by Packer's seven tackles. Landen Robinson added five tackles, while Larry Watson Jr. and Kamryn Flachs-Hill each recorded four. Quincy finished with five tackles for loss, while Cannady recorded one quarterback hurry.
Midway added three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including Hill's third interception return for a score of the afternoon, a 28-yard touchdown pass from Trahan to Jemarion Purdiman and a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Anderson.
Quincy continued to battle through the final quarter. Meyer led a 14-play, 48-yard drive late in the fourth, completing passes to Lafabian Fain and Lopez and helping the Hawks move into Midway territory before the drive ended with an interception. Quincy then put together one final possession in the closing minute before Midway secured its seventh interception of the game.
The two teams finished with identical totals of 20 first downs, while Quincy held the advantage in offensive plays, running 84 compared to Midway's 54. The Hawks also converted 9-of-21 third downs and finished with 35:47 of possession time. Midway converted 1-of-8 third downs but capitalized on its explosive plays and defensive takeaways throughout the game.
Sunday's matchup marks the end of the Hawks home games as they will finish their regular season on the road. They'll travel to Calumet College of St. Joseph in Indiana on October 10th for a kickoff time of 5:00 PM.
