Blue Devils record first shutout since 2021, manhandle Silver Streaks to stay perfect

GALESBURG, Ill. — The Quincy High School coaching staff has never gone chasing shutouts, willingly and liberally rotating players on the defense when the score gets lopsided in the second half of recent games.

That doesn’t mean the players aren’t looking for the goose egg.

With Thursday night’s Western Big 6 Conference matchup with Galesburg at Van Dyke Field having turned into a running clock by the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils were intent on keeping the shutout intact. That’s why the starters were such ardent cheerleaders on the sideline.

The backups made the zero stick, keeping the Silver Streaks out of the end zone in a 45-0 victory that guarantees the undefeated Blue Devils a playoff spot.

“I was super pumped seeing that,” said QHS coach Rick Little, whose 6-0 team is ranked fifth in Class 7A. “We have a really good group of guys that truly root for each other. That’s a special place to be. When the work was done for those guys, they came out and we saw the next group go in and do some really nice things.”

It was the first shutout recorded by the QHS defense since Eric Gauer took over as defensive coordinator and the first since blanking Rock Island Alleman 21-0 in Week 8 of the 2021 season.

“We were pumped about that,” Little said.

The Blue Devils limited the Silver Streaks to 45 yards of total offense, minus-18 yards rushing and only 33 total plays. Meanwhile, Quincy finished with 550 yards of offense while averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

“Throughout the game, the guys executed at a high level,” Little said. 

The Blue Devils forced the Silver Streaks to punt on their first possession, only to have Jeraius Rice Jr.’s punt return for a touchdown called back because of a penalty. So Quincy put together a systematic drive the culminated with Caeden Johannessen catching a 27-yard touchdown pass from Bradyn Little.

Rice scored on a 1-yard run to make it 14-0 by the end of the first quarter, and the senior tailback caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Little just 24 seconds into the second quarter. Brayden Ulrich caught a 26-yard scoring pass, and Tykell Hammers put a stamp on the first half with a 13-yard touchdown grab with 16.2 seconds left.

Rice’s 13-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter invoked the mercy rule and the running clock.

Bradyn Little completed 18 of 21 passes for 378 yards and four touchdowns, while Hammers grabbed eight passes for 158 yards. Rice ran the ball eight times for 59 yards and caught three passes for 72 yards. Rico Clay had five catches for 95 yards.

“The goal is to get better each day,” Rick Little said. “I think we made strides tonight.”

Even though penalties negated three touchdowns — the Blue Devils scored on all three possessions anyway — the QHS coach felt the offense’s execution was clean and concise.

“It’s something you have to adapt to with how each crew calls things,” Rick Little said. “You have to keep it clean, and I think we did that.”

The Blue Devils play their final home game of the regular season next Friday when Sterling comes to Flinn Stadium for a WB6 matchup. Quincy plays its final two games on the road — at Geneseo on Oct. 18 and at Capital City in Jefferson City, Mo., on Oct. 25.