In a high-scoring game with a wild finish, Moline escaped with a 41-40 overtime win over visiting Rockwood Summit (Fenton, MO) Friday night at Browning Field.  Trailing 34-21 with 3 minutes left, Summit scored two late TDs, the second one tying the game with 32 seconds left.  But the Maroons blocked the extra point to send the game to OT.

In the extra period, Summit scored right away but missed the extra point.  Colin Fredrickson ran to the end zone to tie it for the Maroons.  Then kicker Nolan Ducey, who missed two earlier extra points, booted it through the uprights to win the game and become the last-second hero.

Eli Warren led the Maroons’ rushing attack with 136 yards and two scores, and was named the Moline Maroons Godfather’s Player of the Game.  Fredrickson finished with 2 TDs.  QB Elijah Taylor threw for 108 yards and a score.  RB Adrian Cooper had just one carry for 24 yards, but made a key defensive play, returning a fumble for a 4^th quarter touchdown. 

The Maroons visit Benet Academy (who opens its season at Hillcrest on Saturday) next Friday night in Lisle.  We’ll have the live play-by-play on QCSportsNet.com.

Rock Island hung with heavily favored Minooka almost until halftime.  Then the wheels came off, and the perennial Class 8A playoff team came away with a 49-14 win at Rocky on Friday night.  Trailing 7-0, Rocks’ QB Jae’Vion Clark-Pugh threw 29 yards to Evan Ellis, then a short pass to Elijah Venegas that Venegas turned into a 22-yard touchdown scamper to tie the game 7-7 with 6:06 left in the second quarter. 

The sequence that changed the game began with Minooka capping off a sustained drive with a 3-yard TD run by Chase Nurczyk with 2:03 left for a 14-7 lead.  Unable to move the ball, Rocky punted, and on the next play, Minooka QB Zane Caves found Ty Couch for a 55-yard bomb to make it 21-7.  Though the Rocks had the turnover edge, recovering two fumbles, they capitalized on neither, while their one mistake was a pick-six, an interception returned for TD with 5.6 seconds remaining and a 28-7 halftime score. 

Minooka ground out three second half touchdown drives, while Rocky’s only answer was Venegas getting behind the defense to catch a 40-yard TD strike from Clark-Pugh.  Venegas (7 catches, 104 yards, 2 TDs) and defender George Tate, who made several spectacular stops, were named Hungry Hobo Rock Island Rocks Players of the Game.  Clark-Pugh finished 11-of-24 passing for 146 yards. 

The Rocks were outgained 439 yards to 248, including 293-102 on the ground.  Isaiss Duarte led the Rocks with 46 rushing yards.  Paris Spears (12-106, TD) and Nurczyk (12-89, TD), led Minooka’s ground attack, while Caves finished 9-of-15 for 146 yards and three scores.  The Rocks host Dunlap (48-0 winners over Galesburg) next Friday night.

It’s Opening Night of the 2024 high school football season! We’re back for our 11th season of exciting, live play-by-play action!
Here are the links for Friday night’s games, all approximately 7:00 p.m.:

Rockwood Summit (Fenton, MO) at Moline Presented by Sexton Ford
Minooka at Rock Island Presented by Wheelan-Pressly
United Township at LaSalle-Peru Presented by Van Hoe Funeral Home

This is the link to the FULL COURT PRESS live stream.

You can catch the podcast of past episodes here:  Full Court Press Podcasts

This is the place for QCSportsNet’s live, local sports talk show featuring some of the biggest names in the history of Quad Cities sports media.  Our next show is this Wednesday (August 28th) at 7:00 p.m., live from Riverfront Grille in Rock Island
JOINING US LIVE:
* Guest co-host Greg Armstrong from the View From The West podcast
* Former Dispatch-Argus editor Roger Ruthhart previews the RI Grand Prix
* Co-hosts John Marx (who worked for Ruthhart), Joe Winkel, and Ken Jacoby

PRESENTED BY charter sponsors Godfather’s Pizza in Silvis, Crawford Company, Neil Ferrari State Farm Insurance, Wheelan-Pressly, and Hungry Hobo.  Limited additional sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Ken Jacoby at (309) 912-5135 or ken@qcsportsnet.com.

This is the link to the FULL COURT PRESS live stream.

You can catch the podcast of past episodes here:  Full Court Press Podcasts

This is the place for QCSportsNet’s live, local sports talk show featuring some of the biggest names in the history of Quad Cities sports media.  Our next show is this Wednesday (August 21st) at 6:15 p.m., a special edition at a special time, live from the Western Big 6 Pre-Season Football Banquet at Quad City Botanical Center
JOINING US LIVE:
* Co-hosts Ken Jacoby and Joe Winkel
* We’ll talk one-on-one with local head football coaches 
* We’ll bring you all the coaches’ comments live from the podium

PRESENTED BY charter sponsors Godfather’s Pizza in Silvis, Crawford Company, Neil Ferrari State Farm Insurance, Wheelan-Pressly, and Hungry Hobo.  Limited additional sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Ken Jacoby at (309) 912-5135 or ken@qcsportsnet.com.