Hall of Fame Inductee - 1971 Football Team

Quincy joined the Western Big Six Conference in 1971, and the Blue Devils own the distinction of being the league’s first football champion. It was Quincy’s first conference title in football since 1934 when the Blue Devils won the Tri-State Conference. This team did it with second-half heroics. Quincy won its first four WB6 games, starting with a 24-6 victory over East Moline. The Blue Devils trailed 19-8 at halftime the next week against Moline, but Kerry Anders returned the opening kickoff of the second half 80 yards for a touchdown and then threw a 27-yard halfback pass to Lonnie Jones for a 22-19 victory. The defense won the next game. An 18-yard scoring run by Greg Gay put Quincy up 20-12 over Alleman in the fourth quarter before the Pioneers scored in the last two minutes to close within 20-18. Going for the tie, Alleman failed to convert a pass on the two-point conversion as QHS moved to 3-0 in WB6 play. Quincy assured itself of a tie for the league title with a 35-15 victory over Galesburg in Week 5, and a 28-13 victory over Burlington, Iowa, in Week 6 gave the Blue Devils the best start since the 1935 team went 9-0. A 17-14 loss on the road at Collinsville ruined the chance for a perfect season, but a 26-14 victory over Rock Island in the season wrapped up an 8-1 season and an undefeated WB6 record. Again, the Blue Devils came from behind. Trailing 14-12 in the fourth quarter, linebacker Kel Gott returned a fumble 11 yards for the go-ahead score and Jones iced the victory with a 10-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Rick Goehl, who finished the season with 12 touchdown passes. It was the first of three WB6 titles the Blue Devils would win in the league’s first four years, and the 1971 team is one of only four QHS teams to win at least eight games in the last 50 years. Team members were: Rick Goehl, Kent Sanders, Tom Edwards, Lonnie Jones, Mark Ehrhardt, Marty Bernich, Al Matson, John Staley, Mike Taylor, Roger Hickerson, David Slee, Steve Wingfield, David Daniels, Greg Gay, Dick Leach, David Finley, Mike McNeil, Don Howerter, Ray Crider, Mike Nobis, Kevin Anastas, Cornell Ely, Fletcher Davis, Zachary Crider, Doug Mating, Dan Solenberger, Bill Plath, Rick Beding, Jim Hagerbaumer, Kerry Anders, Tom McNeil, John Holzgraefe, Kel Gott, Stewart Pickens, Bill Drage, Gail Davis and Bill Neuman. The coaches were: Bill Gross, Dale Hendren, Gary Zbornak, Jim Kaiser and Bob Bush.