Maroons’ physical play in second half negates Blue Devils’ strong first half

QUINCY — Moline football coach Mike Morrisey’s postgame huddle lasted a brief moment, but it came with a poignant message.

“Nice show of character in the second half,” he told the Maroons. “That’s the type of football we want to play.”

Quincy High School coach Rick Little’s huddle lasted a touch longer, but it provided a similar school of thought.

He reiterated being proud of the effort and wants to see his team’s character — something he believes is strong and determined — shine through as the Blue Devils try to move past a 48-35 loss Friday night in their Western Big 6 Conference opener at Flinn Stadium.

The first major sign the Blue Devils (1-2, 0-1 WB6) will rebound is the way they left the field. Chins up. Heads high. Walking with purpose, not trudging with disbelief.

“That’s good news,” Little said. “I’m really proud of the fact we talked about coming out here like getting into a fight on the playground. You never go into it thinking you’re going to get beat. If you’re getting in the fight, you’re preparing to win.

“That’s kind of the mentality of this football team. I know they’re disappointed with the outcome, but there are signs we’re moving in the right direction.”

A halftime lead is a big step. The Blue Devils responded to a 7-0 hole following the Maroons’ first possession by scoring 28 first-half points and taking a 28-21 lead to the locker room. 

“We came out hard in the first half,” QHS senior lineman Kyle Moline said.

Junior quarterback Adon Byquist got things rolling as he converted a fourth-down pass deep in Moline territory before scoring on a 3-yard run. Byquist connected with Greg Quince on a 55-yard touchdown pass and found Ty Douglas for a 21-yard touchdown reception, pulling the Blue Devils within 21-20 midway through the second quarter.

Just before halftime, the Blue Devils grabbed the lead. Freshman quarterback Bradyn Little, subbing in for Byquist who had gotten shaken up, connected with sophomore Jack Mettemeyer for a touchdown on fourth and goal from the 5-yard line with 14.6 seconds remaining in the half.

“If you would have told me we’d be going in (to the locker room) with the lead, I’d be signing up every day for that,” Rick Little said.

The key is sustaining it.

The Maroons (2-1, 1-0 WB6) took the opening kickoff of the second half and converted it into a 64-yard scoring drive with Christian Raya punching in an 8-yard touchdown run. It sparked three straight possessions with touchdowns as the Maroons surged to a 41-28 lead by the end of the third quarter.

The Blue Devils went three-and-out twice in the third quarter and punted after picking up one first down on the other possession.

“We came out and didn’t get physical enough,” Moline said. “They were more physical than us. We’re a young team. We’ve got to get that mentality. We’re never out of these games. We have to keep on pushing and be just as physical.”

The Maroons’ Riley Fuller with 252 yards rushing as they churned out more than 600 yards as a team, dominating time of possession in the second half. Moline’s offense was on the field for more than 15 of the 24 minutes in the third and fourth quarter combined.

Byquist completed 8 of 28 passes for 175 yards, while Bradyn Little completed 11 of 21 for 137, Quince had eight receptions for 192 yards. The Blue Devils managed just 38 yards rushing as a team.

“Our goal was to win the second half, and I guaranteed them we’d win the football game if we did that,” Rick Little said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that.”