Tide turns in third quarter as Mustangs end Blue Devils’ historic run in Class 7A state quarterfinals

CHICAGO — Arguably the most anticipated season in Quincy High School football history lasted more than 14 weeks and surpassed 500 minutes of game time before coming to an abrupt halt in a matter of 12 minutes Saturday afternoon.

With all of that in mind, Rick Little knew a five-minute postgame huddle wasn’t going to be enough to share every emotion the veteran coach was feeling.

But he tried.

“It’s tough, really rough,” Little said following a 49-14 loss to Chicago St. Rita in the Class 7A state quarterfinals at Doyle Stadium in which the Mustangs outscored the Blue Devils 28-0 in the third quarter to break a 14-14 tie. “I knew in those five minutes I would never be able to put into words what they meant to me and the coaches and the program and the school and the city.

“It wasn’t going to even be able to touch what they accomplished and how they were able to put us on the map. There will be reflecting as the days go on, but right it’s tough for everyone. We fought for it, but we got beat by a really good team.”

That’s been the case two years in a row.

Last season, the Blue Devils went 11-0 — their first undefeated regular season since 1935 — and reached the quarterfinals for the first time ever before losing to eventual state champion Chicago Mt. Carmel. This season, it was another 11-0 run, albeit one without any true worry, and the reward was another matchup with a Chicago Catholic League powerhouse.

Only this time it started differently.

The Blue Devils opened with a 13-play, 80-yard drive in which they converted twice on fourth down and ended up in the end zone as Jeraius Rice Jr. scored on a 24-yard run. Quincy scored on its first possession in all 12 games this season.

After the Mustangs answered with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Steven Armbruster to Donovan Evans, the Blue Devils came right back.

Quincy drove to the St. Rita 33-yard line, and on fourth and 10, quarterback Bradyn Little connected with Rice for a 20-yard gain. Three plays later, Rice scored on a 3-yard run for a 14-7. Although St. Rita tied the game on Justin Buckner’s 5-yard run three minutes before halftime, the vibe didn’t change.

“We felt pretty good at halftime,” Rick Little said. “We knew they got the ball back to start the second half, which is something we weren’t very excited about. But we felt we were right there. At halftime, we felt we were going to win the game.

“It just didn’t play out like that.”

The Mustangs took the lead on the opening drive of the third quarter, getting a 19-yard scoring run from Nick Herman, and forced the Blue Devils to punt on the ensuing possession. However, Bradyn Little’s punt was down at the 3-yard line.

Two plays later, though, Herman broke free and ripped off a 91-yard touchdown run for a 28-14 lead.

“The backbreaker was the long run when we flipped the field and pinned them deep,” Rick Little said. “It’s never one play. It’s never one thing. But that certainly was tough. It made things difficult. From there, things unraveled.”

St. Rita scored twice more in the third quarter as Armbruster plunged in from a yard out after the Mustangs recovered a muffed punt at the 1-yard line. Then, with one second remaining in the quarter, Buckner intercepted Bradyn Little and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.

In a blink, the Blue Devils faced a four-score deficit.

“They did a good job of trying to stay upbeat,” Rick Little said. “They did their very best to mask what they were feeling. You have to remember the opponent is really good, and it’s not easy to overcome it. Things start to pile up. Our guys were going to fight to the end like they always do, but you could start to see them reflecting in the moment.

“That’s a tough spot to be in. It just didn’t work out today.”

Rice finished with 98 yards rushing on 19 carries and 98 yards receiving on 10 receptions, while Bradyn Little completed 29 of 54 passes for 276 yards with two interceptions.

“It’s hard to put into words what all of these kids have meant to our program,” Rick Little said. “When you look at their body of work and the things they were able to accomplish, it’s historic.”