Hawks bring Abe’s hat home after bounce-back effort leads to victory over Bearcats

L:EBANON, Ill. — If the hat is your reward, you might as well wear it.

So some of the Quincy University football players — maybe even the head coach — donned the Abraham Lincoln-style black stove top hat that has become the traveling trophy for the annual Land of Lincoln battle with McKendree.

The Hawks are the first to bring it home, establishing the running game to the tune of 228 yards on the ground and imposing their will defensively during Saturday’s 34-10 victory in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Leemon Field.

“It’s always good to be first,” QU coach Jason Killday said. “It’s always good to get the initial one. Anytime you’re playing for a trophy, especially when it’s the inaugural one, it’s always good to get the first one.”

Saturday, the Hawks (3-1, 3-1 GLVC) got the first touchdown, the first turnover, the first big special teams play and the first opportunity to change the tide of this series.

McKendree had won 10 of the last 11 meetings and 20 of 25 overall, but Quincy has now won in its last two trips to Leemon Field and did so by shrugging off last week’s fourth-quarter meltdown in a 29-27 loss to Upper Iowa.

“We responded well,” Killday said. “We come back, get right back to work and put four quarters together against a good opponent. That was good to see.”

The Hawks jumped out to a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter as Michael Owens booted a 44-yard field goal and Teon Dollard scored on a 37-yard run. But the tide turned completely three minutes into the second quarter when QU punter Alex Schattin unloaded a 50-yard bomb that was muffed by McKendree’s Quincy Hall Jr. and recovered by QU’s Jonathan Van Hook at the 11-yard line.

Kareem Carswell punched it in on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line for a 17-0 lead.

“We did not settle for three right there,” Killday said. “That was a huge swing.”

McKendree kicked a 21-yard field goal in the final two minutes of the first half and then scored on the opening possession of the second half, pulling within 17-10. Yet, no one on the Quincy sideline panicked.

“They were like, ‘We’ve got to go answer,’” Killday said.

A nine-play possession resulted in an Owens 31-yard field goal and a two-score advantage.

The Hawks never let the foot off the gas pedal thereafter.

Derrick Miller caught his first career touchdown pass when quarterback Drake Davis hit him for a 2-yArd score on fourth and goal on which Killday refused to give in and kick the field goal.

“For me, it’s a win-win,” Killday said. “Even if we don’t get it, they’re on the 2-yard line. We executed it pretty well.”

Davis scored on a 3-yard run to cap the scoring. Carswell led the Hawks with 129 yards on 16 carries, while Dollard finished with 94 yards on 13 carries and sat out at different times with leg cramps during to the 90-degree heat.

“We started talking about it Sunday and let them know it was going to be a hot one,” Killday said. “We talked at length about what we should eat, what we should put in our bodies. The guys did a good job of hydrating. They fueled themselves well.”

A rivalry victory is the right fuel needed heading into another road game, this time heading to Indianapolis at 5 p.m. next Saturday.