Matt Schuckman, Sports Editor
CHARLESTON, Ill. — Lucas Loos has made moving back to the infield look seamless, even if it was at a position he hadn’t played in college. A month ago, during a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series against Tennessee-Martin, the Eastern Illinois University senior slugger was penciled in to start at shortstop. He has been the…
Read Full Article 
LEBANON, Ill. — The Quincy University baseball team is doing what a team in contention for a Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament berth should be doing. The Hawks are pummeling the bottom feeders. After scoring 36 runs in a four-game sweep of Southwest Baptist last weekend, Quincy opened a four-game GLVC series with McKendree on…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Kelly McClure capped off a decorated women’s lacrosse career with a major conference award. The Quincy University graduate student was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year after helping the Hawks advance to the four-team conference tournament for the first time in program history. McClure finished second in GLVC-only games…
Read Full Article 
State Farm Center will continue to host boys basketball state tourney, format still under discussion
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The site won’t change. Will the format? Thursday, the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors announced a five-year contract extension to keep the boys basketball state tournament at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana. The contract runs through the 2028-29 season. The success of the tournament…
Read Full Article 
Schuck on a Truck: QU safety Joseph Webb discusses spring practice, carrying momentum into offseason
QUINCY — The end of the spring is near for the Quincy University football program, which means the Hawks are a step closer to the debut of Jason Killday as their head coach. QU will open its season August 29 at Drake in Des Moines, Iowa. As far the progress made during the 15-practice session…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Stan Musial. Albert Pujols. Willie McGee. Ozzie Smith. Bob Gibson. Those were the most common names Muddy River Sports readers submitted as the players who would top their list of their top 10 favorite St. Louis Cardinals. Enos Slaughter got one mention, and Whitey Herzog had a couple of mentions, too. The most…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Alyssa Ley tried not to let any grand illusions cross her mind. Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth inning of a one-run game, the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s junior shortstop roped a double the opposite way to right field to drive in two runs. Lauren Miller followed…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A four-run fifth inning that featured back-to-back run-scoring hits to the opposite field lifted the Quincy Notre Dame softball team to a 6-1 victory over West Hancock in a West Central Conference matchup Wednesday at The Backyard. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent some time at The Backyard and put together this…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Kris Klingele’s career path and family responsibilities led her away from the field of play. Now, the Quincy High School assistant principal is ready to get back into the fray. Wednesday night, her return to athletics became official. The Quincy School Board approved Superintendent Todd Pettit’s recommendation that Klingele, a former student-athlete and…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls soccer team’s motivation never waned no matter how sizable the lead became. “Maybe for a second there we lost it,” senior forward Taylor Routh said. “But that’s it. We stayed pretty focused.” On a victory. On a title. On a legacy. Tuesday night’s 5-1 victory over Geneseo at…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls soccer team moved a step closer to regaining the Western Big 6 Conference championship, beating defending league champ Geneseo 5-1 Tuesday night at Flinn Stadium behind Taylor Routh’s hat trick. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening with the Blue Devils and put together this photo…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Jake Hoyt owns the upper hand. As new Quincy University men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt sees it, that won’t be the case for long. Last winter, during his freshman season at Illinois College, the coach’s son helped the Blueboys win an NCAA Division III national tournament game. His dad, who spent the past…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The navigation on Brad Hoyt’s car needs to be reprogrammed. Instead of the daily drive to the John Wood Community College campus, a route he’s taken for the past 13 years as men’s basketball coach and athletic director, Hoyt will be cruising across town to the Quincy University campus to begin his new…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Experience has provided Josh Rabe with perspective. During Rabe’s three years as the Quincy University athletic director, the head coach of three of the most high-profile programs on campus has resigned to pursue another coaching opportunity. None of those programs could be considered in the midst of thriving at the time. So it…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The word Caitlin Bunte sought to describe the manner in which the Quincy Notre Dame softball team is stringing victories together popped in her head in the middle of her answer. “Oh, contagious,” she said. “That’s it.” Winning is contagious. Hitting is contagious. Energy is contagious. “We have so many leaders who like…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys tennis team traveled to the St. Louis metro east area last weekend and rolled him without losing a dual match. That momentum carried over to Monday. The Blue Devils wrapped up a dual victory over Quincy Notre Dame in the crosstown rivalry match at Reservoir Park by the…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball players stayed patient at a pivotal juncture Monday night, drawing four consecutive walks to spark a five-run outburst in the third inning that carried them to a 7-1 victory over Quincy High School at the QHS field. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening in center…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — On the first pitch Ethan Rose saw, he knew he shouldn’t swing. On the second pitch, he knew he couldn’t pass. He made the right call on both. With one out in the bottom of the second inning Friday and runners on second and third after Gavin Doellman’s double, Rose jumped on a…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Four pitchers — two each from the Quincy Notre Dame and Illini West baseball teams — combine to strike out 14 batters and allow just five hits during Friday night’s showdown at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. The Raiders won 4-2 on the strength of Ethan Rose’s three-run home run and Evan Kenning’s…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — For those who grew up during the Whiteyball era, names like Ozzie and Willie had a special in their hearts. Those who lived through the 1960s and watched the St. Louis Cardinals win a pair of World Series titles will forever root for Gibby and Sweet Lou. If you experienced World War II…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The sideways glances. The whispers. The feeling of being judged. The general uneasiness of being in public and knowing your character is in question. Brian Holzgrafe felt it all. For too long. Far too often. For no fault of his own. That’s what a false accusation does to a person. It tears them…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Brian Holzgrafe exited the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield last Thursday to a sight that brought him to tears. “My wife and I drove away seeing an angel in the sky with the sunset and we just praised God that we were heard,” Holzgrafe said. “We were thankful we were heard.” Seven years after…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Seated at a table just a few feet from the dais, Whitey Herzog looked across the room at legendary St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Rick Hummel and pointed out the Quincy native was more than likely the smartest person in the room. The Hall of Fame manager then leaned forward and said, “But…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — When opportunity knocked, Steve Hawkins needed to listen. He owed that to his family. After discussing an offer to join an NCAA Division I coaching staff with his wife, Kelly, the Quincy University men’s basketball coach knew the time was right to make a move. Monday, he officially resigned as the Hawks’ coach,…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The challenge facing the next Quincy University men’s basketball coach is three-fold. One, replenish the roster. Two, put fans in the stands. Three, win games. All three are intertwined. Prior to Steve Hawkins resigning Monday to pursue another coaching opportunity, four QU players had entered the transfer portal, although two of which are…
Read Full Article 
MACOMB, Ill. — A crisp morning turned into a sun-splashed afternoon and the breeze that came with it made fishing at Spring Lake Park enjoyable. So did catching some big lunkers. The Macomb High School bass fishing team played host to its first tournament Saturday, welcoming 30 two-angler teams to the 244-acre lake. Rushville-Industry topped…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The changes are subtle, probably unnoticeable to many. For those who see them, follow them, abide by them and trust them, the payoff should be substantial, at least that’s what the Quincy University football players need to be thinking. The transition to a new head coach with new standards and ideals to go…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Halfway to the nearest finish line, but only just beginning the process. That’s where the Quincy University football team finds itself. The Hawks wrapped up their eighth spring practice Friday afternoon at QU Stadium with a spirited, energetic effort that moves them a step closer to the spring game. Quincy will engage in…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls soccer players are far too young to know the song “Never Surrender,” which was a top-five hit in 1985 sung by Corey Hart. But the classic rock tune could be the Blue Devils’ theme song. Down two goals and playing a person short for the final 17 minutes…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls soccer team woke up at halftime Thursday night and nearly pulled off an improbable comeback, losing 3-2 to Springfield at Flinn Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening at the venerable facility and put together this photo gallery.
Read Full Article