Blue Devils outlast Golden Warriors to remain undefeated, improve to 7-0 for first time since 1935

STERLING, Ill. — Inevitably, it happens.

A clunker. A stinker. A misstep.

Being able to endure one of those and still find a way to succeed separates good teams from championship teams. Friday night, the state-ranked Quincy High School football team found a way to navigate past its mistakes and beat Sterling 35-33 in a matchup of the Western Big 6 Conference’s last two undefeated teams.

The Blue Devils, ranked sixth in Class 7A, uncharacteristically turned the ball over four times, nearly squandered a 21-point first-half lead, and needed Jack Hammock to make another huge special teams play to preserve the victory.

Hammock, a junior, broke up a pass play on a two-point conversion after the Golden Warriors scored with 2 minutes, 7 seconds remaining in regulation.

“Obviously the most important play of the game is that right there,” QHS coach Rick Little said. “We told them, ‘This is it. This is the game. If you want to win the game, get a stop.’ They were able to do that.”

It’s when the Blue Devils were able to finally exhale a little.

“It feels like such a blur right now,” Little said. “Sometimes, things just don’t go right or go the way you planned or the way you hope they do. But you still have to find a way to get the job done. Our guys found a way to do that.”

With the victory, the Blue Devils improve to 7-0, becoming the first QHS team to win its first seven games since the 1935 squad went 9-0. It also sets up a showdown with Geneseo next Friday night at Flinn Stadium where the Blue Devils (5-0 WB6) could win the conference title outright.

Eliminate the mistakes and the title comes to Quincy for the first time since 2016.

“Sterling had a great game plan,” Little said. “I knew they would. They are really well coached. At the same time, I knew there were enough plays to be made. We just had to avoid making the little mistakes that can cost you a game.”

The Blue Devils overcame those early.

Despite reaching the red zone on the game’s opening possession, Quincy was whistled for a pair of penalties that led to fourth and goal from the Sterling 16-yard line. Forced from the pocket, QHS junior quarterback Bradyn Little scrambled for a 16-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.

Tykell Hammers caught a 19-yard touchdown pass on the Blue Devils’ second possession, and after the teams exchanged fumbles inside the QHS 10-yard line, Hammers capped a 93-yard drive with a 59-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead before the first quarter ended.

Then came a furious scoring frenzy.

Sterling scored twice to narrow the deficit to 21-14, getting a 10-yard touchdown reception from Kaedon Phillips and a 7-yard touchdown run from Andre Klaver following a Bradyn Little interception. Quincy answered in just three plays with Jeraius Rice Jr. scoring on a 6-yard run to make it 28-14.

But a 73-yard touchdown pass to Mason Emin on the Golden Warriors’ first play of the ensuing drive made it a 28-21 game. The Blue Devils fumbled the kickoff and the Golden Warriors recovered at the 15-yard line.

Klaver caught a 21-yard touchdown pass on third and 16 to make it 28-27, but the extra point was missed. That allowed Quincy to take a 35-27 lead to halftime after Hammers caught his third touchdown pass of the half — a 3-yard grab after Adon Byquist returned the kickoff to the Sterling 20-yard line.

“That was wild,” Rick Little said.

But the Blue Devils never lost the lead amid all the scoring chaos.

“We didn’t get mad at ourselves or each other,” Rick Little said. “We just had to figure out a way to win.”

Neither team found the end zone until Klaver caught a 14-yard touchdown pass with 2:07 to go. Hammock then made his game-saving play.

“Again, we found a way to win,” Rick Little said.

Bradyn Little completed 14 of 28 passes for 251 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Hammers caught six passes for 109 yards and Rice rushed for 184 yards on 24 carries and caught four passes for 97 yards.

Quincy outgained Sterling in total offense 443-326.