‘I couldn’t stop smiling’: Williams is one of three Blue Devils to score first career TD in victory over Panthers

QUINCY — A touchdown in a game separated by 35 points with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter can seem insignificant.

Try telling that to Harold Williams.

Williams’ 28-yard touchdown run with 1:41 to go punctuated state-ranked Quincy High School’s 49-7 Western Big 6 Conference victory over United Township on Friday night at Flinn Stadium.

It was also the senior running back’s first career touchdown.

“I crossed the line, and I almost cried when I realized where I was,” Williams said. “I couldn’t stop smiling.”

Williams joined sophomore tight ends Noah Wells and Brayden Ulrich in scoring their first varsity touchdowns Friday night. Wells caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Blue Devils senior quarterback Bradyn Little with 10:21 left in the third quarter that extended Quincy’s lead to 42-7.

“I kind of knew it was going to happen before the play,” Wells said. “He called the play and I was like ‘Yes, it’s coming to me.’ I prepared myself, then it happened. I kind of blacked out a little bit.”

Ulrich’s 30-yard catch and run on Quincy’s opening drive of the second half gave the Blue Devils a 28-point cushion.

“It’s cool to see people experience their first touchdown at this level. It’s awesome,” Bradyn Little said. “Hopefully they can get some more touchdowns for us.”

Blue Devils coach Rick Little was proud to see Williams, Wells and Ulrich see the fruits of their labor.

“That is really cool,” said Rick Little, whose team is ranked fifth in Class 7A. “When you see guys that work really hard, you want them to be rewarded. It’s not just some charity gift they get. They work hard for it. It was really cool to see them all deliver on the opportunity and know that this hard work is paying off.”

Blue Devils senior running back Jeraius Rice scored two touchdowns in the first eight minutes. Rice hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Little 2:44 into the game and followed that up with a 4-yard touchdown run that capped off a 10-play drive and gave the Blue Devils a 14-0 lead with 4:02 left in the first quarter.

Rice powered through multiple Panthers defenders on a 9-yard run with 3:09 to go in the third quarter to give him a dozen touchdowns through five games — five rushing and seven receiving.

“I want to be in the end zone as many times as I can,” Rice said. “Every time I get the ball, that’s my mindset.”

The other Blue Devils’ score came with 8:18 to go in the second quarter. On second and 10 from the Panthers’ 41-yard line, Bradyn Little scrambled to his right and uncorked a pass to senior receiver Caeden Johanessen, who hauled in the ball over his shoulder at the 12-yard line and carried Panthers safety Leo Sim into the end zone with him.

Little completed 26 of 38 passes for 332 yards, and each of his four touchdown passes went to different receivers.

“We always have guys that show up and make the big plays, and that’s what we need,” Bradyn Little said.

Bradyn Little moved into fifth place on the IHSA career passing yards list with 8,323 yards and fourth with 96 touchdown passes.

“As far as records and things, he keeps climbing up that chart,” Rick Little said. “As a coach and even as a dad, I try not to look at that stuff because I don’t ever want to get caught up in it, but as you see his senior year continue to unfold, sometimes it’s hard to not reflect a little bit.”

Bradyn Little had to shake off interceptions on back-to-back possessions late in the first half, both of which came on throws to the end zone with the Blue Devils leading 21-0.

“I wish I had those back, but you can’t get them all back,” Bradyn Little said.

Those two interceptions matched Bradyn Little’s total from the first four games of the season.

“We’re so used to him being so very good, and sometimes when things don’t work out, it’s like a needle on a record, like what just happened here?” Rick Little said.

Bradyn Little responded by throwing for 131 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers the rest of the way, helping the Blue Devils (5-0, 3-0 WB6) secure a postseason berth and their 22nd consecutive victory over the Panthers (2-3, 1-2 WB6).

“For us, it’s always about setting the bar higher,” Rick Little said. “I say this in a very positive way, but we are a victim of our own success because we want to be perfect every time we step on the field. That doesn’t always happen. At the end of the day, there were some mistakes that were made, but we’ve got a really special ballclub and one that’s hungry to continue to get better.”

Quincy will travel to Galesburg (1-4, 0-2 WB6) for a Week 6 matchup that has been moved to 7 p.m. Thursday because of a shortage of available officials next Friday night.

“Things speed up a little bit,” Rick Little said of the short week. “It almost sounds funny, but I welcome adversity because it allows them to dial in, be focused, and it’s something different. There’s part of me that in a weird way looks forward to that.”