Explosive finish to regular season ensures QND football team returns to state playoffs

LADUE, Mo. — Explosive is how senior running back Jackson Stratton labeled the Quincy Notre Dame football team’s offensive performance Saturday afternoon.

“This is,” Stratton said, “the best we’ve been all season.”

The Raiders picked the ideal time to peak.

With its offense dominating the line of scrimmage and constructing big plays, QND was able to exit Leland Field with a 40-7 win over John Burroughs. The Raiders had 415 yards of offense and finished with 12 plays of 10 yards or more.

“We were able to start fast and sustain drives all the way through the game,” QND coach Jack Cornell said. “Overall, I’m thrilled to death with how we played offensively.”

By establishing the run game and utilizing some quick-strike pass plays, the Raiders (5-4) solidified their 26th state playoff appearance. QND won its last two regular-season games to reach the playoffs for the 24th time since 1994.

In road wins over Granite City and John Burroughs, the Raiders reached the 40-point mark. In their previous six contests, they did not score more than 38.

“QND football has been built on a heavy tradition of defense,” Cornell said. “That will still be the same, but to win games, you have to score points. We’re finding our identity of running the ball and finding our targets of throwing the ball.”

After forcing a punt, which subsequently was muffed by QND, and a turnover on downs on its first two defensive possessions, QND received a 43-yard run from Stratton on its first offensive play. Connor McDowell capped the 8-play, 70-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown reception from Noah Lunt with 5 minutes, 23 seconds left in the first quarter.

Another defensive stand helped the Raiders push their lead to 13-0 early in the second quarter. A methodical 12-play drive ended with Stratton scoring from 2 yards out.

It was the sixth time this season the Raiders scored multiple touchdowns in a game.

Two more second-quarter touchdowns — Lunt completed a 25-yard scoring pass to Aiden Klauser and Brock Wiley had a 3-yard plunge — increased the Raiders’ lead to 26-0 at halftime. Through two quarters, QND had 166 rushing yards and 62 more in the air.

“The guys up front really got it done,” Cornell said of the offensive line. “They understood the challenge and rose to the occasion.”

Behind seniors Garrett Flesner and Wilson Henning, juniors Collin Altgilbers, Jackson Meyer and Ben Schwartz and sophomores Aidan Brunier and Ryan Darnell on the line, the Raiders averaged 7.2 yards per carry.

“I’m so proud of the offensive line,” Stratton said.

Equally impressive was the defense.

John Burroughs had 59 total yards and three first downs in the first half. For the game, the Bombers compiled 160 yards, with 118 coming on the ground, and eight first downs.

The only blemish was a 13-play, 79-yard drive that ended with Max Steinbach’s 11-yard touchdown run with 4:47 left in the third quarter.

“We were just a little complacent at that moment,” QND sophomore linebacker Taylin Scott said.

Stratton’s 51-yard touchdown run on the ensuing possession increased the QND lead to 33-7 with 3:19 left in the third. Wiley’s 8-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter capped the scoring.

“We’ve been challenged from Week 1 all the way to Week 9,” Cornell said. “Every week, we seem to rise to the occasion. Sometimes, the outcome isn’t what we want, but I’ve always appreciated the way this team sticks together.”

Sticking together enabled the Raiders to overcome a two-game stretch in which they scored 10 points in losses to Mahomet-Seymour and Normal West. Since then, QND, which sat at 3-4 after those defeats, outscored its opponents 88-7.

“We knew what we had to do — if we lose, we go home,” Stratton said. “We came into this game with that mindset.”