McKendree, the No. 9-ranked team in NAIA Division I, scored on offense, defense and special teams to win on opening day for the fifth consecutive year. The Bearcats’ last season-opening shutout came in 1997, when they defeated Lindenwood University 33-0.

      Senior fullback Lamont Benn (Chicago, Ill./Curie) (Chicago, Ill./Curie) rushed for 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Bearcat offensive attack. Junior defensive back Adam Clapp (Oakland, Ill./Oakland) (Oakland, Ill./Oakland) returned the second-half kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown, while the McKendree defense posted a pair of scores on the day. First, senior defensive lineman Duane Mobley (Naples, Fla./Lely) (Naples, Fla./Lely) downed a Quincy running back in the end zone for a third-quarter safety, and senior linebacker Deveon Moss (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) scooped up a Hawk fumble and raced 30 yards for the final points of the day.

      Defensively, McKendree limited Quincy to 197 yards of total offense, including just 47 yards in the second half. The Bearcats also forced five turnovers by the Hawks, and scored 28 points off those turnovers.

      Junior quarterback Brendon Delaney (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) broke a scoreless tie late in the first quarter with a one-yard quarterback keeper. Senior Stephen Webb (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) added the extra point for a 7-0 McKendree lead.

      On the first play following an interception by senior linebacker Joe Bendoraitis (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way) (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way), Benn scored the first of his two touchdowns, a career-long 33-yard burst, to put the Bearcats in front 10-0. Just under a minute later, Bendoraitis recovered a Quincy fumble at the Hawks’ 10-yard line. Benn scored two plays later from three yards out for a 21-0 advantage.

      After Clapp’s first career kickoff return for a touchdown, Mobley recorded a safety late in the third quarter to extend the Bearcats’ margin to 30-0. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Delaney connected with senior tight end Zach Hopkins (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) on a 15-yard touchdown pass for a 37-0 lead.

      Moss completed the scoring with just over six minutes to play, when he picked up a loose ball and raced 30 yards for a touchdown. It was Moss’ second career fumble return for a touchdown, with the other coming during his freshman season of 2002 against Trinity International University.

      Delaney completed 6-of-12 pass attempts for 83 yards. Hopkins and senior wide receiver Tony Vail (Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood) (Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood) each had two receptions.

      Junior defensive lineman Tim Fahrenhorst (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) led the McKendree defense with nine tackles. Clapp added seven stops, while Mobley finished with six tackles, including three for loss.

      Quincy quarterback Matt Wehrle was 13-of-27 for 110 yards. His favorite target was Julius Jones, who grabbed six passes for 50 yards. Todd Lockhart led the Hawks’ ground game with 57 yards on 12 rushes. Jamar Johnson had a team-high eight tackles for Quincy.

-McK-