Sterling rallies from 21 points down, but comes up short against Quincy

STERLING – The Quincy Blue Devils defeated the Sterling Golden Warriors 35-33 on Friday night at Roscoe Eades Stadium.

Here are the takeaways from the Week 7 game:

[ Purchase photos from Sterling vs. Quincy football game ]

Sterling rallies from 21-point deficit, turns first half into shootout

The Golden Warriors fell behind by 21 points in the first quarter but rallied to an 8-point deficit by halftime.

Quarterback Bradyn Little put the Blue Devils up 7-0 less than three minutes into the game, eluding the pass rush on a fourth-and-16 before outrunning a pursuing defender for a 16-yard touchdown.

Little hit wide receiver Tykell Hammers up the seam for a 19-yard touchdown on the next drive for a 13-0 lead with 6:23 to play; Sterling linebacker Andre Klaver blocked the point after attempt.

Little hooked up with Hammers for another touchdown on a short pass to his right on a first-and-21 late in the first quarter. Hammers raced down the right sideline and made a cut to the inside near the 5-yard line on the 59-yard touchdown reception. Quincy took a 21-0 lead with 15.1 seconds to play after the tip-drill two-point conversion pass.

“I think, first quarter, we can’t go down 21-0. That’s a big impact on the game. In the third quarter, they didn’t even score. We had a scoreless quarter,” Klaver said. “I think we needed to get better pressure on the quarterback at times. He was allowed to scramble. And then when we get on someone, we’ve gotta tackle them. We can’t hit them and then they get six or seven more yards. Those are the biggest things.”

Sterling rallied soon after, scoring four touchdowns in the second quarter. Quarterback Drew Nettleton went 11-for-17 passing for 157 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Golden Warriors’ charge. Nettleton hit wide receiver Kaedon Phillips in the right flat for a 10-yard touchdown with 7:27 to play in the first half on a critical third-and-6, drawing Sterling within 21-7 and sparking the 27-point rally.

Phillips made a game-changing play on the defensive side of the ball on the ensuing possession, picking off a Little deep pass and returning it about 50 yards to the Quincy 8. On the next play, Klaver slipped a tackle, then bounced the run to the left edge for an 8-yard touchdown as Sterling drew within 21-14 with 5:32 to play in the half.

“I saw it as like, ‘OK, we’re just giving up points, we’re giving up points,’ but the second KP got that interception, it kind of was an eye-opener,” Klaver said. “Like, oh, even though Quincy’s undefeated, we’re still a really good team, and we’re in this game. They’re not perfect. We can make them make mistakes.”

Nettleton hooked up with a wide-open Mason Emin deep down the right sideline after a pump fake for a 73-yard touchdown to draw within 28-21 with 4:27 to play in the half.

Quincy running back Jeraius Rice fumbled the ensuing kickoff return, then Sterling recovered at the Quincy 15 and quickly took advantage of the short field. Nettleton stood in the pocket, absorbed a hit and got the pass off to Klaver over the middle for a 21-yard touchdown. Sterling drew within 28-27 with 3:26 to play after the missed point after attempt.

A long kickoff return set up Quincy at the Sterling 19 with just over three minutes left in the half. Little capped another Blue Devils’ scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hammers on a slant for a 35-27 lead with 42.9 seconds left.

Little passed for 205 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for one touchdown in the first half. Rice rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown and totaled 97 receiving yards, and Hammers caught five passes for 105 yards and three touchdowns before the break.

Defenses step up in second half, Sterling comes up a two-point conversion short

Defensive lineman Kendric Muhammad was in the backfield seemingly every other play as the Sterling defense pitched a second-half shutout.

The Golden Warriors thwarted a Quincy drive deep into their territory by forcing a fumble, recovered by Gavin Church at their own 12, with 11:02 to play to keep the score 35-27.

Nettleton threw his fourth and final touchdown pass of the game to Klaver – a 14-yard strike over the middle with 2:07 to play – to draw within 35-33, but the two-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

Sterling had one last chance to win it with a defensive stop in the final two minutes, but it couldn’t get the job done.

A 5-yard pass from Little to Adon Byquist on fourth-and-3 sealed the win with under 40 seconds left.

Nettleton finished 20-for-27 passing for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Klaver rushed eight times for 37 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns; Emin had three catches for 83 yards and a touchdown; and Phillips caught six passes for 21 yards and a touchdown. Klaver also had a strip-sack and a blocked PAT. Running back Cale Ledergerber added 75 rushing yards on 13 carries for Sterling.

“Throughout the season [Drew] hasn’t been getting a lot of reps, but he showed that when he comes in, he can light it up on the field, whether it be getting the offense set or throwing the ball down the field,” Klaver said. “I think Drew proved himself a lot tonight.

“[Coming back from down 21] shows the resilience of our team. It shows that we can take punches, and we’re able to stay together. Week 1, I don’t know if we would’ve done that, but Week 7, I think it shows our resilience and our real meaning of being a family, and our ability to stay together.”

Little finished 15-for-29 passing for 252 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for a touchdown. Rice rushed for 185 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries and caught four passes for 96 yards, and Hammers hauled in seven passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns.

Last week, Sterling beat undefeated Geneseo 13-3 on the road. This week, it nearly took down another undefeated team. Klaver believes the Golden Warriors are peaking at the right time.

“I believe we’re clicking, and we’re meshing together at the best time. We know what we need to do,” Klaver said. “Our backs are against the wall, but I have faith in our teammates and coaches that we’re going to be in the best position possible to win these next two games and give ourselves a chance at a 10th.”