Box Score (QUINCY, Ill., Oct. 13)—The McKendree University football team saw its two-game win streak come to an end with a 38-19 loss Saturday at Quincy University.
 
The Bearcats had three players who rushed for at least 50 yards in the outing, but the host Hawks never trailed in nabbing their first win of the season. McKendree slips to 2-5 overall and 2-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while Quincy improves to 1-6 on the year and 1-3 in the GLVC.
 
Freshman running back Cameron James (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) rushed for a team-high 74 yards on 23 carries, including a four-yard touchdown run in the later stages of the third quarter. Freshman running back Jeruel Taylor (University Park, IL/Marian Catholic) raced 60 yards for a touchdown the only time he ran with the football, while freshman quarterback Isaac Fisher (Washington, IL/Washington) added 51 yards on nine carries in the effort.
     
“You have to hand it to Quincy,” said McKendree head coach Carl Poelker. “I thought they played really well, played with poise and didn't make any mistakes. They continued to make adjustments throughout the game.”
 
Quincy used a pair of special teams scores to build a 10-0 first-quarter lead. After the Hawks took an early lead on a 30-yard field goal by Brandon Mulloy, Jarrod Sergent took a Bearcats' punt and raced 79 yards for a score with just 18.4 seconds left in the period. McKendree answered midway through the second quarter thanks to a seven-yard keeper by Fisher for a touchdown. Fisher had a big 24-yard scramble down to the Quincy 22-yard line that kept the drive alive.
     
The Hawks scored with just over a minute left until halftime to take a 17-7 lead at the intermission. James then cut the Bearcats' deficit to 17-13 with 4:16 left in the third quarter thanks to a four-yard scoring run. The point after was blocked. Less than two minutes later, Quincy stretched the lead back to 24-13 on a 15-yard TD run by LaDarion Shelby.
     
Just 71 seconds following the Hawks' touchdown, Taylor took a handoff from Fisher and burst untouched up the middle for his 60-yard touchdown run. McKendree attempted the two-point conversion but came up short, leaving the deficit at 24-19.
     
Quincy sealed the victory with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 33-yard scoring strike from Nick Lonergan to Justin Dickens on a fourth-down play with 9:44 remaining.
 
Sophomore linebacker Bryce Colvin (East Peoria, IL/East Peoria) registered a career-high 14 tackles to lead the McKendree defense. Junior defensive back Michael Romshek (Gibson City, IL/Gibson City-Melvin Sibley) and junior linebacker Javar Murphy (Chicago, IL/Marian Catholic) each chipped in with eight stops for the Bearcats.
 
McKendree will hit the road for the final time in 2012 next Saturday (Oct. 20) when the Bearcats will be at Urbana University in Ohio for a GLVC contest. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT.