Anderson, QND seniors put stamp on home career with six-goal victory in Class 1A regional title tilt

QUINCY — Spending the final home game of a bally-hooed prep soccer career watching from the sideline had zero appeal for Tanner Anderson.

So he rested, rehabbed and readied his aching hip in order to be available Friday night.

The senior striker made sure he was more than just available, too.

Anderson scored twice in top-seeded Quincy Notre Dame’s 6-0 victory over fourth-seeded Roanoke-Benson in the Class 1A QND Regional championship at Advance Physical Therapy Field. More importantly, he was a creator, distributor and distraction, enabling the rest of the Raiders to be dynamic in the finishing third.

“It helps so much, even if he’s not scoring,” said junior forward Leo Cann, who recorded his second hat trick of the postseason. “He works so well with the ball that it creates so many more opportunities for Cole (Henkenmeier) and I that it just helps so much.”

It helped to give the senior class an everlasting memory as well.

“It means a lot to continue playing the sport with these guys and this team,” senior center back Jake Hoyt said. “We’ve put in the work throughout the entire season, and to watch it pay off means a lot to all of us, but we still have a whole lot of work to do.”

That continues when QND (14-6-2) faces second-seeded Serena (21-3) at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Class 1A Mendota Sectional. The Huskers beat Earlville 2-1 in the Serena Regional title game Friday night.

Mendota (18-6) and Peoria Christian (18-4-1) will square off in the other sectional semifinal.

“We had to get these two (regional) wins out of the way to move on to the next,” Anderson said. “It’s win or go home from here on out.”

No longer will those do-or-die moments happen at home.

Six seniors were part of the 2019 team that finished third at the Class 1A state tournament, and over the past four seasons, the Raiders have won 60 games to date. That includes an 8-3 record at home this season with back-to-back postseason shutout victories.

“It’s super surreal,” said Anderson, QND’s career goal-scoring leader. “It didn’t really hit us until the end.”

Reality set in with a six-goal lead.

“With probably about 10 minutes left in the game, it kind of hit me that this is the last time I will play on this field as a QND Raider for sure,” Hoyt said. “Definitely a weird feeling. It went by really quickly. It just doesn’t feel like it’s already the senior year.”

Since it is, Anderson couldn’t sit another day. He missed five of the previous six games nursing the hip injury, including watching from the sidelines during the 7-0 rout of Abingdon-Avon on Tuesday.

“It was big for me,” Anderson said. “I took some time off and have been doing PT, just getting healthy as much as I can going into the postseason. I’m back healthy at the right time. We were clicking well with me back, and it was good to be back. Hopefully we keep it going.”

Despite blustery, rainy conditions, the Raiders took care of business.

Freshman forward Cole Henkenmeier scored 12 minutes into the game, and Anderson finished a cross from Cann for a 2-0 lead. Cann scored the first of his two goals to make a 4-0 lead at halftime. Cann and Anderson each scored in the second half with Henkenmeier finishing with three assists.

“We always talk about not performing at the level of the team you’re playing against,” Anderson said. “Always play to your capabilities. I thought we did well tonight. Hopefully we can just keep it going.”