Ability to get back in fight allows Blue Devils to post back-to-back victories

QUINCY — Quincy High School boys soccer coach Ron Bridal wasn’t about to allow fatigued legs from games on back-to-back nights morph into an excuse for sloppy, uninspired play.

Learning to handle such a scenario is vital in the long run.

“To come back tonight was a challenge,” Bridal said Wednesday night at Flinn Stadium after the Blue Devils beat Hannibal 2-1 one night after dispatching Western Big 6 Conference rival Moline. “But that’s going to be what we have to do when we make it to the state tournament.

“You’re going to play on a Friday and you’ve got a game on a Saturday. These kinds of games are good preparation for that.”

They showcase resiliency, determination and gumption.

The Blue Devils needed all three.

The Pirates (2-2) snared the lead in the 12th minute when freshman midfielder Colton Dryden won possession and buried a shot from the top of the box. Three minutes later, QHS senior forward Spencer Jenkins took a pass from Evan Altman and scored the equalizer.

“We’re a really resilient team,” Jenkins said. “We started off a little rough, but I think this team is amazing with how it reacts. This could be a really special team. We’re building toward really special things.”

Four minutes into the second half, the Blue Devils snared the lead when Carter Venvertloh carried the ball into the box on the left side and peppered Pirates goalkeeper Parker Terrill with a shot that was saved. Venvertloh pounced on the rebound and converted it for the game-winning goal.

Although it didn’t net another goal, the Blue Devils applied consistent pressure throughout the second half. It all centered on staying focused.

“We had a lot of intensity,” QHS sophomore defender Biruk Rosen said. “We wanted to win that game.”

That’s never easy when fatigue takes over. The Blue Devils beat the Maroons 2-0 Tuesday night with a majority of the starters playing 70 or more minutes.

“We had to fight through it. I had to fight through it,” Jenkins said. “We had to keep fighting and keep fighting. We got the result we wanted.”

Only because their composure matched their intensity.

“For a vast majority of the game, our guys kept their emotions in check and didn’t allow that to interfere with their performance on the field,” Bridal said. “I’m really proud of that.”

At 4-2 with three victories in a row, the Blue Devils believe they are hitting their stride.

“It’s incredible how in shape with each other we’ve become, how we’ve started loving each other and how we pick each other up every single day,” Rosen said.