Schuckman: Highly successful Rumble on the River could benefit from participation from QHS, QND boys teams

QUINCY — Chris Duesdieker earned the right to sit and smile.

As the 16th and final game of the 15th annual Rumble on the River headed to the fourth quarter Wednesday night with a pair of state-ranked teams — Southeastern, No. 1 in Illinois Class 1A, and Bunker, No. 3 in Missouri Class 1 — engaged in a nip-and-tuck battle, Duesdieker took a spot on the front row of bleachers and enjoyed the moment.

In his role as event organizer, Duesdieker created a four-day spectacle that opened with a milestone moment and ended with a packed gym.

In between, the Rumble showcased what is great about area basketball — well-coached teams, passionate players, rabid fanbases and people coming from far and wide to celebrate the successes of student-athletes.

It’s why Duesdieker, an assistant within the John Wood Community College athletic department, pours months of planning and preparation into the event. He was able to bring seven state-ranked teams to the JWCC Student Activity Center and create 13 cross-river matchups.

All the worry and work paid off, but it also left him yearning to make the event bigger and better.

it’s doable, especially if the entire Quincy basketball community jumps on board.

That takes getting the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame boys teams in the gym.

Some will argue the event isn’t high profile enough or big enough to attract the right opponents to make a commitment from either team worthwhile. Others will argue neither program should give up a home game to play in an event in a gym with a smaller seating capacity than either Blue Devil Gym or The Pit.

There are those who will say the Rumble on the River is a small-school event that doesn’t need the big-school teams to be a draw. 

And, yes, this is mostly a small-school event, but it is much more than that.

It puts community and regional pride at the forefront.

Teams from five of the six Adams County school districts participated in the event, and to be fair, the QHS girls basketball program has participated in the past although it didn’t work into the schedule this year. The QHS girls need to be part of the lineup moving forward, too.

Central, Liberty, Payson Seymour and Unity each had both their boys and girls teams in the event, but none of those communities actually sit on the river. Quincy does and only one of its four high school teams was represented in an event dubbed “Rumble on the River.”

Neither Quincy boys team would have to drop a game on their schedule to make it doable either.

Illinois High School Association bylaws allow teams to play 31 games during the regular season. The Blue Devils are scheduled to play 28 games this winter, while the Raiders are slated to play 29. That leaves a window open to schedule another game or move an existing game to be part of the Rumble.

There are benefits for the teams as well. They get to play on a college court, use a shot clock and get feted unlike a normal regular-season game. Moreso, they help showcase the city, its love for basketball and a college that continually gives back to the community.

It appears to be a win-win for everyone if it can be worked out.

Should the Blue Devils and Raiders come aboard, it would add some serious roar to what already is quite a rumble.