By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current
Week 8 and it's getting exciting!
Now it's Week 8, and the football season is more exciting than ever for both Geneseo and Quincy.
Both are going to the playoffs, and both have a shot of gaining at least a share of the Western Big Six championship.
Quincy (7-0) and Geneseo (6-1) meet Friday night at Flinn Stadium in Quincy.
A Quincy win means an unshared conference championship for the Blue Devils, who haven't won the WB6 since 2016. The Blue Devils finish their league season with this game.
Geneseo, which qualified for the playoffs for the 43rd time with last week's 63-6 run past Mendota, still have a conference home date against Rock Island next week.
But with two more wins, the Leafs will have at least a piece of the WB6 crown, and a shot at a playoff opener at home.
“The playoffs are a big deal. That's an accomplishment,” said Geneseo Coach Larry Johnsen Jr. “We've reminded the kids that they have something to play for.”
They know. And it starts with a Quincy team that is electric on offense.
“Very explosive,” Johnsen said. “They have guys who can run who are as athletic as heck. They're deep in the skill positions and they have big guys up front.”
Both teams have had trouble against Sterling during the last two weeks.
I don't remind you about the closing seconds of Geneseo's loss to Sterling.
When Quincy played Sterling, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 21-0 first half lead. And yet, it wound up 35-33 for Quincy.
What happened? Turnovers. Four of them and they helped get Sterling back in the game.
Sterling scored a touchdown with 2:07 left to play, then went for a two-point conversion to tie.
Quincy's Jack Hammock used his closing speed to knock down the conversion pass, then the Blue Devils held on.
Quincy led 443 to 326 in total yardage. And, go ahead and read something into both those numbers . . .just for fun.
The Blue Devils lead with their offense and quarterback Bradyn Little. He was 14-for-28 for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and had one interception against Sterling.
Running back Jeraius Rice Jr. rushed 24 times for 184 yards and caught four passes for 97 more.
Wide receiver Tykell Hammers had six catches for 109 yards and three touchdowns.
When Quincy snaps the ball, it's like the lid on a jack-in-the-box pops off, and jackrabbits fly out and scatter.
“We cannot simulate in practice how fast it happens,” Johnsen said. “We need to hold on the first couple series to get acclimated,” he said.
Johnsen said Quincy's defense “will bring pressure. Their big linemen are mountains to move, then you've got linebackers bringing pressure,” he said. “And they've got good athletes on their third level.”
“We need to have the same mentality we did against UT,” Johnsen said. In that one, Geneseo scored touchdowns on its first eight possessions and put up 55 points. “Our best defense will be keeping our offense on the field,” Geneseo's coach said.
Last week against Mendota, “we were a little sluggish at first, but the guys got going and that is what was important. We had a very emotional game against Sterling, some kids got a little banged up, and it was important to get back on the field.”
“We're movin' on,” he said. “We want to play this game our style. Play loose and have a good time. I'm sure they (Quincy) will be preparing for us, too.”