Muddy River Sports
February 27, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Rico Clay Jr.’s instincts when it comes to making a play on the ball brought more than a handful of college football recruiters to visit the talented cornerback last summer and fall. Those same instincts helped ensure the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s season didn’t end prematurely. With the top-seeded Blue…
Read Full Article February 27, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Palmyra wrestling team will have one wrestler chasing a state title and two others chasing podium finishes Thursday at the Class 1 state wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena. The Hannibal girls have a pair of grapplers fighting for state medals as well. Palmyra’s Brayden Pillars, a senior wrestling at 165 pounds,…
Read Full Article February 26, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
CHATHAM, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team saw a 15-point second-half lead dwindle to one in the fourth quarter before the Raiders made plenty of free throws to survive with a 62-53 victory over Decatur MacArthur in Tuesday’s semifinals of the Class 3A Chatham Glenwood Sectional. QND will face Mahomet-Seymour at 6:30…
Read Full Article February 26, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
WAVERLY, Ill. — By the end of the first quarter Tuesday night, there was little doubt the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team was headed to the sectional championship. Now the Panthers know a familiar face awaits. CSE beat Staunton 58-22 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Waverly Sectional, earning spot opposite Pleasant Plains in the…
Read Full Article February 26, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
CANTON, Mo. — Culver-Stockton College junior forward Connor Davis recently was named the Heart of America Athletic Conference men’s basketball Offensive Player of the Week. Davis earned the honor for the second time this season by averaging 26.5 points in two games last week. Davis scored 24 points at Central Methodist before recording 29 points…
Read Full Article February 25, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — Each week during Muddy Night Hoops powered by Farm & Home Supply — a 90-minute talk show centered on prep basketball — the Starry Star of the Week will be presented to one area student-athlete. Sponsored by Refreshment Services Pepsi, the Starry Star of the Week looks to highlight someone who did something…
Read Full Article February 24, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
VERSAILLES, Mo. — The Palmyra boys wrestling team is sending six grapplers to the Class 1 state championships after finishing fourth as a team at the Class 1 District 3 tournament at Versailles High School last Saturday. The state tournament begins Wednesday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Palmyra senior Brayden Pillars powered his way to…
Read Full Article February 24, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Austin Brown’s road to winning another state wrestling championship has him heading back to Mizzou Arena. The Hannibal junior won the 120-pound championship at the Class 3 District 2 meet last Saturday at St. Charles High School, earning a 21-5 technical fall over St. Charles junior Derek Plaza-Smither in the title…
Read Full Article February 23, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Hundreds of die-hard anglers line the banks at one of Missouri’s trout parks every year on March 1 for the opening day of catch-and-keep trout season. In years past, anglers have faced frigid winter temperatures, snow, sleet and ice, as well as sunshine and springlike weather — all in the attempt…
Read Full Article February 23, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — Quincy University celebrated the 75th anniversary of Pepsi Arena on Saturday with a $5,000 winner, a Hall of Fame induction and a split decision on the court. The QU men’s basketball team rallied in the second half for an 82-75 victory over Maryville in Great Lakes Valley Conference play, ending a nine-game losing…
Read Full Article February 23, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Saturday, February 22: Men’s basketball Quincy University 82, Maryville 75 John Wood Community College 78, Illinois Central College 63 Missouri Valley 85, Culver-Stockton College 75 Women’s basketball Maryville 94, Quincy University 86 Illinois Central College 69, John Wood Community 57 Missouri Valley 85, Culver-Stockton College 78 College…
Read Full Article February 22, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The road through the wrestlebacks ended abruptly. Three area wrestlers — Quincy Notre Dame’s Sam Darnell, Illini West’s Shawn Watkins Jr. and Pittsfield’s Tucker Cook — saw their seasons end Friday with losses in the consolation bracket at the Class 1A state wrestling championships at the State Farm Center on the University…
Read Full Article February 22, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
GRANITE CITY, Ill. — With 4:43 remaining in regulation Friday night, Quincy High School girls basketball coach Brad Dance called his final timeout of the season. “I just challenged the girls,” Dance said. The Blue Devils trailed top-seeded Alton by 27 points in the Class 4A Granite City Regional championship, having played from behind since…
Read Full Article February 22, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
CARTHAGE, Ill. — Karly Peters led the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s second-half push, scoring 10 points in the third quarter of the Panthers’ 45-41 victory over Petersburg PORTA in Friday night’s championship game of the Class 2A Illini West Regional. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article February 22, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Friday, February 21: Boys basketball Quincy Notre Dame 64, Keokuk (Iowa) 62 Brown County 87, Pleasant Hill 55 Monmouth-Roseville 43, Macomb 37 Palmyra 69, Highland 36 Monroe City 52, Macon 20 South Shelby 60, Higbee 48 Marion County 63, North Shelby 59 Louisiana 72, Mark Twain 49…
Read Full Article February 21, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The luck of the draw wasn’t on Ryan Darnell’s side. A runner-up in the Class 1A Clinton Sectional, the Quincy Notre Dame senior wrestler drew a spot at the top of the 215-pound bracket at the Illinois state wrestling championships, which began Thursday at the State Farm Center on the University of…
Read Full Article February 21, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — Trailing by 13 points early in the second half, the Quincy Junior High School eighth grade boys basketball team got within two points in the fourth quarter but never got the lead in a 46-42 loss to the Michelle Obama School of Technology and the Arts (STA) from Park Forest in the…
Read Full Article February 21, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s and women’s basketball teams are trending in different directions. The QU women extended their winning streak to 15 games with Thursday night’s 88-76 victory over McKendree in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Pepsi Arena, while the QU men suffered a 76-62 loss to the Bearcats, extending the Hawks’…
Read Full Article February 20, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
CHICAGO — Here are the latest Associated Press Illinois boys basketball state rankings, as compiled by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes are in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Kenwood (11) 27-1 118 1 2. Marist 28-2 92 5 3. Quincy (1) 27-3 86 2 4. Waubonsie Valley…
Read Full Article February 20, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Wednesday, February 19: Boys basketball Brown County 64, Carrollton 45 Illini West 57, Rushville-Industry 40 Calhoun 53, Pittsfield 34 Palmyra 54, Clark County 39 Columbia Battle 76, Monroe City 41 Girls basketball Palmyra 54, Clark County 49 Men’s basketball Central Methodist 87, Culver-Stockton College 63 Women’s basketball…
Read Full Article February 19, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — For a moment, Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas thought maybe his team’s lackluster demeanor was just an aberration. The state-ranked Blue Devils lethargically took the floor for warmups prior to Tuesday night’s Western Big 6 Conference game against Rock Island at the Rocky Fieldhouse with a chance to…
Read Full Article February 19, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — The West Hancock boys basketball team went toe-to-toe with Quincy Notre Dame on Tuesday night with a packed house at The Pit raising the decibel levels to as loud as the gym has been all winter. The Titans put a stamp on their West Central Conference title with a 65-58 victory. Muddy River…
Read Full Article February 19, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
CARTHAGE, Ill. — The stage is set for the Class 2A Illini West Regional championship as top-seeded Central-Southeastern advanced with a 49-34 victory over Illini West on Tuesday, while fourth-seeded Petersburg PORTA moved on with a 47-31 victory over West Hancock. The regional championship will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at Illini West High…
Read Full Article February 18, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
GRANITE CITY, Ill. — The growth in confidence and maturity of the Quincy High School girls basketball players can be seen by looking at two measuring sticks. On Nov. 23, the Blue Devils lost 42-29 to Edwardsville in a neutral site game in O’Fallon, Ill. Monday night, in the Class 4A Granite City Regional semifinals,…
Read Full Article February 16, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
CLINTON, Ill. — Ryan Darnell and Shawn Watkins Jr. will end their prep wrestling careers on the state’s biggest stage. It took some tenacity and resilience to get there. Darnell, the Quincy Notre Dame senior wrestling at 215 pounds, finished as the runner-up in the Class 1A Clinton Sectional, pinning his first two opponents before…
Read Full Article February 16, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team’s game plan was obvious from the get-go Saturday. Own the paint. The Hawks shot 56.1 percent from the field overall and 69 percent inside the 3-point stripe, while collecting 46 points in the paint in a dominating 78-61 victory over Lincoln in Great Lakes Valley…
Read Full Article February 16, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
Comets use strong second half to reach title game TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Junior High School eighth grade boys basketball team will play for an Illinois Elementary School Association Class 4A state championship Thursday after winning a pair of games Saturday at Taylorville High School. The Comets beat O’Fallon Carriel 33-20 in the quarterfinals…
Read Full Article February 16, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Saturday, February 15: Boys basketball Quincy High School 66, Jacksonville 49 Palmyra 69, Bowling Green 56 Girls basketball Class 2A Illini West Regional Illini West 43, South County 40 West Hancock 39, Beardstown 29 Class 1A Payson Regional West Prairie 64, Payson Seymour 33 Rushville-Industry 56, Bushnell-Prairie…
Read Full Article February 15, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team led 20-2 after one quarter and 39-8 at halftime as they rolled to a 71-29 victory over Liberty during Friday’s West Central Conference tussle at The Pit. Four seniors — Alex Dance, Conner Young, Jackson Pyatt and Carter Miller — combined for 11 points in the…
Read Full Article February 14, 2025 | By Muddy River Sports
QUINCY — The final home game for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team became an emotional tribute to a rival and friend and a hug to a community reeling from a tragedy. The Raiders beat Jefferson City Helias 61-36, but the night was honoring Pittsfield’s Reese Ramsey, who passed away in car accident Tuesday…
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