Action Jackson: Connell’s pick-six sparks Hawks in second-half shellacking of Panthers

QUINCY — The signature moment of Jackson Connell’s season — probably of his collegiate football career as well — meant so much more than six points on the scoreboard.

It’s how he finally put short-term disappointment and long-term setbacks behind him.

With Quincy University leading Kentucky Wesleyan 19-3 in the closing minutes of the third quarter on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon, Connell stepped in front of a Wiley Cain pass for an interception and returned it 72 yards down the QU sideline for the first touchdown of his career.

The Hawks scored three touchdowns thereafter and buried the Panthers, winning their final non-conference game of the season 46-9 at QU Stadium to even their record at 3-3 with five Great Lakes Valley Conference games remaining.

Better yet, it made last week’s seven-point loss at Missouri S&T in the GLVC opener a forgotten moment.

“Last week was not what we wanted,” said Connell, a fifth-year junior linebacker. “We could have won it and should have won it. We told ourselves this week to be 1-0. (QU defensive coordinator Michael Pannone) emphasized competitive greatness. 

“No matter what situation you’re put in, you have to go out there and be the best competitor you have to be. This week, we showed we could do it.”

No play defined that more than Connell’s pick-six.

“I thought I could return it, but I have awful luck in life,” said Connell, the Quincy Notre Dame graduate and son of former QND football coach Bill Connell. “I kept saying, ‘I’m either going to get hawked by somebody, trip over myself or something else will happen.’ I kept running and I kept getting closer and closer and it finally happened.”

Along the Hawks’ sideline, there was building hope Connell could finish the play in the end zone as he ran past his coaches and teammates.

“I started smiling as soon as I saw it in his hands,” QU coach Gary Bass said. “I was like, ‘Don’t get caught. Don’t get caught. Hold on to the ball. Hold on to the ball.’ That was so special to see that happen.”

It’s been a long time coming.

An all-state linebacker as a senior at QND in 2017, Connell redshirted during the 2018 season and played in 10 games with 21 tackles in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic washed out the 2020 season, and a torn pectoral muscle kept Connell off the field the entire 2021 season.

“Coming out of high school, I felt a lot of people expected a lot out of me,” Connell said. “I got here and I’ve had a lot go on that hasn’t led to that kind of success. It finally feels good to know I’m still capable of doing a lot and I have a lot to give to the team.”

His persistence and preparation led to that.

“It’s not always gone my way here,” said Connell, who ranks third on QU’s defense with 24 tackles this season. “When I get my shot, I’m always out there and giving my all. Be that six plays or 20 plays, whenever my time comes, I go out there and know what I’m capable of doing.”

The result is an interception, a quarterback hurry and a crushing hit on a kick return that pinned Kentucky Wesleyan at its 13-yard line in what arguably is the most complete performance of Connell’s career.

“He stayed in and stayed engaged,” Bass said. “The kid worked his tail off to get back to where he needed to be. And then he gets an opportunity to get out on the field and play like crazy. He makes a big play on a kickoff return to pin them deep. He makes a bunch of plays on defense. And he gets the pick-six.

“It’s great when you see a kid work so hard for something he wants and be rewarded for it. What a special moment for him.”