Illinois high school advances in football playoff after record-breaking 88-84 win, temporary suspension due to darkness

On Friday, Quincy Senior High School emerged victorious against Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy with a record-breaking score of 88-84 in the opening round of Illinois' 6A high school football playoffs. This game shattered the previous state record of 166 points, set in 2021, with a combined total of 172 points scored during the contest. The dramatic matchup took place in Chicago, with the Blue Devils traveling over 300 miles from Quincy, located southwest of Chicago on the Missouri border, to participate.

The game was initially scheduled for Saturday, but logistical concerns led to a change of venue and a rescheduling to Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT. Since the field at Sarah E. Goode's stadium did not have lighting, officials opted to shorten the halftime break from the typical 15 minutes to just six minutes in an attempt to capture daylight before the darkness set in.

Unfortunately, with only 3:42 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the match was forced to be suspended due to the onset of darkness. The teams were promptly transported to Englewood STEM High School, which possesses lighting on its field, and were allowed time to warm up before the game resumed. Quincy managed to capitalize on this opportunity, recovering an onside kick after the restart and opting to run out the clock, securing their win.

Junior quarterback Bryson Little shone brightly for Quincy, connecting on a state-record eight touchdown passes while contributing two more scores on the ground, totaling more than 650 passing yards. Meanwhile, Sarah E. Goode's senior running back Aedan Cleveland amassed over 300 rushing yards, including five rushing touchdowns.

With this impressive victory, Quincy advances to the second round of the playoffs, with the next round set to commence the following weekend.