QUINCY, Ill. – The Bellarmine sprint football team got back on track with a win Sunday afternoon over Quincy at QU Stadium.
 
Brenden Reid rushed 29 times for 113 yards and a touchdown to lift Bellarmine to a gritty 9-7 victory, snapping a two-game losing streak in which the Knights did not score. The 113 yards on the ground were a season-high by a Knight and the most for Reid since he matched his own program record 232 yards on September 16, 2023 against Oakland City.
 
Starting out, Bellarmine (2-2) had a golden opportunity to dent the scoreboard after Quincy (0-4) ran a fake punt on their own 25. Punter Jensen Laughlin was running to the left and appeared to have an easy first down, but lost the ball without being contacted. The ball went out of bounds and Bellarmine took over, but missed a field goal on the ensuing possession.
 
Quincy would take over and get a first down before quarterback Kiet Truong was intercepted by Gavin Brazzell. The Knights went 41 yards as Reid punched it in from three yards out for the game's first score and Bellarmine's first points since the opening weekend at Oakland City.
 
Turnovers limited the Knights' scoring chances in the first half, though they carried a 6-0 lead into the break. Quarterback Dylan Morris was picked off twice, including once in the endzone on a 4th-and-3 play from the Quincy 9-yard line, and Bellarmine also lost a fumble.
 
In the fourth quarter after Luke Vallandingham made a 30-yard field goal to put the Knights up 9-0 with 11:27 left, Quincy responded by finally scoring their first points of the day. The Hawks drove 61 yards, capped by a 1-yard rush by CJ Jackson to get within two at 9-7.
 
The Quincy defense would then force a Knights punt and give the Hawks the ball with just over six minutes remaining. From that point, Quincy went 64 yards on a drive that included a 32-yard run by Jackson, a successful fake punt for a nine-yard run by Laughlin, a 5-yard run on 4th and 4, and 33-yard pass from Truong to Gregory Quince. Brazzell, however, would force a fumble that was recovered by the Knights to seal the win.
 
For Quincy, Jackson rushed 32 times for 182 yards and their one score. As a team, the Hawks outgained the Knights 296 to 221.
 
Bellarmine will enjoy a bye week before hosting Oakland City on Saturday, October 18 at Page Stadium. The Knights beat the Mighty Oaks 43-0 in the opening week of the season.
 
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