Kentucky Wesleyan went on a run of points to carry a lead into the fourth quarter, but two late scores from Quincy left the Panthers with a 31-24 road loss Saturday.
The Panthers (0-2) fell into an early 17-0 hole before getting a pair of touchdowns from Derek Barnes, who got KWC on the board with an 82-yard punt return. A couple changes of possession later, the Panthers recovered a fumble and took over on the Hawks’ 22-yard line.
Two plays later, quarterback Mike McGee found Barnes for a 21-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 17-14, a score that held until halftime.
Early in the third quarter, Chris Logsdon capped off a 10-play, 59-yard drive with a 21-yard field goal to tie the game. The Panthers quickly took the lead when Dalan Cofer returned an interception for a touchdown.
Quincy came back to even the score midway through the fourth quarter, and took a final lead with a short drive with only 34 seconds to play.
McGee went 13-for-31 passing for 113 yards. Barnes had four catches for 50 yards, and Corey Johnson rushed for 146 yards on 21 carries. Devyn Bledsoe and Jalen Humphrey each had 12 tackles on the day.
The Panthers will return home for a 6 p.m. game Saturday against Kentucky State.
