Jacks defeated at home despite hard-fought game

QUINCY – On Friday, the Quincy Jacks (1-4) fell short at home to the Prosser Mustangs 35-7. Despite the loss, Head Coach Seth Longwill said he still came away proud of his players.  

“Prosser has been a powerhouse since the 80s. For us to go out there and battle, I thought the kids played their tails off, I was extremely happy and proud of their performance,” Longwill said.   

In the first quarter, the Mustangs came out on their first two drives and quickly took a 14-0 lead over the Jacks. The Jacks had moments where they got close to scoring range but were unable to finish off the opportunity.   

“I think we had three times, right before half, (where) we got inside the red zone and didn’t punch it in. Couple of times we got into the 40 (yard line), we're moving the ball and just kind of shot ourselves with some penalties,” Longwill said.   

The Mustangs put together one more scoring drive to take a 21-0 lead heading into halftime. Longwill said the Jacks players showed a lot of confidence at the end of the half, where they opted to go for a touchdown play over kicking a field goal.   

“We had one play before half, and I asked, ‘Do we want to kick a field going?’ like, ‘No, let's go for a score,’” Longwill said.   

In the third quarter, both teams went scoreless. However, the Mustangs pulled off another scoring drive at the top of the fourth quarter, increasing their lead to 28-0. The Jacks responded on their next drive. Quarterback Pierce Bierlink found freshman Rocko Reyes downfield for a jump ball play that secured a 55-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 28-7.   

Longwill said Reyes brings some more athleticism and height to their receiver room. He is looking forward to taking advantage of that in the future.   

“We got a small taste of what he's capable of as a freshman, he went up there and got the 50/50 ball, and caught it. Kid couldn't grab him going down and got into the end zone... super excited to see that for the rest of the season, and for three more years after that,” he said.   

The Mustangs sealed their win with one final score to take a 35-7 lead after an eight-yard touchdown pass. Despite the loss, Longwill is finding wins outside of the final score. He pointed out in previous years the deficit to a team like Prosser was much greater.   

His players have shifted their mentality throughout the season so far. He told them to shift their perspective to believing they can compete with anyone that lines up across them. Longwill said he wants his players to break the game down to one play at a time and maximize their effort in those moments.   

“‘Win your one-on-one matchup. Take pride in going out there again,’ especially in the line, go against there’s and know that you gave everything. Get the best of your guy, and if everyone's doing that, it is going to contribute to more success,” Longwill said.   

Longwill also praised Bierlink’s leadership amongst his teammates. He often remains encouraging to them and tries to keep the energy up.   

“I've seen a lot of growth this year, as a leader, he's got to continue to grow, and he's doing a better job,” Longwill said.   

Looking ahead, Longwill said he wants to see the Jacks continue to improve on defense. While there were some promising moments, including a sack by Carson Burwick, against the Mustangs, he wants them to identify key players on the offense and find ways to shut them down.   

“That's just breaking down, getting in good position, keeping our leverage, and a lot of it is just rallying to the ball,” he said.   

As they cross the halfway mark of the season, Longwill is continuing to encourage his players to celebrate the moments they create throughout the season.   

“I tell the players, enjoy the moments. These are moments you'll remember, regardless of the scores being out there on the field with your brothers, that's what we're trying to promote and hype, because those moments, they’re there and they're few. You lose them after your senior year,” he said.   

The Jacks travel to Ellensburg on Oct. 10, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.  

BOX SCORE:   

QNCY: 0-0-0-7: 7  

PRSR: 14-7-0-14: 35 

    Pierce Bierlink (3) pitches the ball to Jody Gardner (11) against the Prosser Mustangs. Head Coach Seth Longwill said his players showed resiliency on Friday.
  

    The Jacks’ Jody Gardner (11) lines up on defense. Gardner had 42 all-purpose yards on Friday against Prosser.
  

    Isaic Gregg (12) signals an adjustment to his teammates against Prosser on Friday. Head Coach Seth Longwill said his players have bought into the culture he trying to build with the Jacks.
  

    Jace Reyes, left, and Maximo Serrano, right, hype each other up before kickoff against Prosser on Friday.
  

    The Jacks Head Coach Seth Longwill, in white, talks to Jace Reyes (13) and Maximo Serrano (27) during a timeout against Prosser on Friday.