Liberty High School
CONCORD, Ill. — Chandler John did not let one inning define the Liberty softball team’s season. Instead, John and the Eagles intend to use it as fuel for an even deeper postseason run in 2026. Liberty led Havana 5-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning of Friday’s Class 1A Triopia Sectional championship game before…
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CONCORD, Ill. — The Liberty softball team’s season came to an end with a 7-5 loss to Havana in Friday’s Class 1A Triopia Sectional championship game. The Eagles led 5-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Ducks rallied for six runs in that frame to take the lead and held on to…
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CONCORD, Ill. — It was fitting that the last ball put into play during Tuesday’s Class 1A sectional semifinal softball game was handled flawlessly by Liberty shortstop Ava Heming. Every time a big play was needed, Heming came through. Heming flawlessly fielded two grounders in the seventh, helped turn a double play in the fifth…
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A 4-3 victory over Delavan in the semifinals of the Class 1A Concord (Triopia) Sectional on Tuesday night gave the Liberty softball team its 24th victory this season, breaking a school record for victories in a season. The Eagles will play for their first sectional championship since 2005 at 4 p.m. Friday when they meet…
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BARRY, Ill. — Years from now, when people talk about Friday night’s Class 1A softball regional championship game, most will remember Camdyn Ormond’s sixth-inning single through the right side of the infield that brought home the winning runs for Liberty in a 3-1 victory on Friday night at Western High School. Pleasant Hill coach Ryan…
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Liberty’s Chandler John allowed just three hits and one walk in a complete game effort in a 3-1 victory over Pleasant Hill in the Class 1A softball regional on Friday night at Western High School in Barry. Pleasant Hill’s Ava Wombles also turned in a solid game in the circle, allowing five hits and walking…
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WINCHESTER, Ill. — A career day dashed the Liberty baseball team’s dreams of playing for a regional title, and it came courtesy of a familiar foe. Rushville-Industry senior right-hander Macon Kessler struck out a career-high 16 batters and tossed a complete-game shutout as the sixth-seeded Rockets ended the fourth-seeded Eagles’ season with an 8-0 victory…
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WINCHESTER, Ill. — Liberty senior right-hander Jack Sparrow held Rushville-Industry scoreless for the first four innings and struck out 15 batters, but Rockets senior Macon Kessler tossed a three-hit shutout and struck out a career-high 16 batters in the Rockets’ 8-0 victory in the Class 1A Bluffs Regional semifinals. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey…
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BARRY, Ill. — Liberty softball coach BJ Fessler remained optimistic while also addressing the elephant in the room in the postgame huddle following a 14-7 victory over Griggsville-Perry in Tuesday’s Class 1A Barry Western Regional semifinal game. The No. 2 seed Eagles did not perform up to their standard. “I wasn’t hard on the girls,”…
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BARRY, Ill. — The Liberty softball team scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull away from Griggsville-Perry to win Tuesday’s Class 1A Barry Western Regional semifinal game 14-7. The Eagles (22-5) will play for the regional championship on Friday against the winner between No. 3 seed Pleasant Hill and fifth-seeded…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Ally Lefringhouse would rather stay out of the spotlight, but her softball talents make it difficult for her to avoid it. Lefringhouse, a senior catcher for Liberty, has been a consistent force over the last four seasons. She has played at least 25 games each season, made just five errors behind the…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Ally Lefringhouse’s home run sparked the Liberty softball team’s comeback, Chandler John’s homer completed it, and Claire Obert’s slam put an exclamation point on it. Lefringhouse got the Eagles within a run with a solo blast in the bottom of the third inning, John gave the Eagles a one-run lead with her…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — The Liberty softball team belted three home runs, including a grand slam by sophomore first baseman Claire Obert in the sixth inning, in a 12-7 victory over Pittsfield on Thursday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured these images from the Liberty softball field.
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LIBERTY, Ill. — After the bottom of the first inning in which the Pittsfield baseball team gave up four runs and fell behind Liberty 4-2, Saukees coach Zach Ferguson gathered his team in front of their third-base dugout. Ferguson did not disclose exactly what he said to his troops. Rather, he gave the PG version.…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — The Pittsfield baseball team rebounded from a slow start and scored eight unanswered runs two different times to beat Liberty 18-7 on Tuesday. With victories in their final two regular season games, the Saukees (18-10) can reach 20 wins for the fourth year in a row. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — With the tying run on third base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, pitcher Reed Sparrow got Eli Olson to ground out to first baseman Gavin Edgar for the final out in Liberty’s 7-6 victory over Jacksonville Routt on Thursday afternoon in a high school baseball game. Two…
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PLEASANT HILL, Ill. — Ava Wombles scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie and give Pleasant Hill a 2-1 victory over Liberty in high school girls softball action. Lyla Higgins walked and Wombles singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Makenna Winchell hit…
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MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — The Brown County baseball team has rounded back into form, and the depth of the Hornets’ lineup continues to be a reason why. After back-to-back losses to Greenfield/Northwestern and Winchester West Central on Monday and Tuesday, the Hornets have won three games in three days by a combined 21 runs, the…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Lady Luck was on the Liberty softball team’s side on Tuesday. With Liberty and Pittsfield tied at 2, Anna Dietrich at first and one out in the top of the eighth, Liberty semior catcher Ally Lefringhouse launched an 0-1 pitch from Emma Henry high in the air to deep center field. The…
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Photo Gallery: Liberty's John finishes off complete game after Lefringhouse's homer in extra innings
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Liberty senior catcher Ally Lefringhouse delivered a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning, and Chandler John retired the final three batters in the bottom of the inning after surrendering a leadoff home run to Pittsfield’s Grace Henry to close out a 4-3 Liberty victory on Tuesday. John…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Unity infielder Carter Rolando broke the Liberty baseball team’s heart on April 9. Jackson Sims made sure Rolando didn’t do it again on Friday. A little more than two weeks after delivering a walk-off single in the 10th inning of a 2-1 Mustangs victory, Rolando again stepped to the plate in a…
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QUINCY — Chandler John was oh-so-close to a no-hitter, but the run differential after the final out was all she was concerned about. The Liberty sophomore right-hander was two outs from a no-hitter against Quincy High School on Wednesday before Avary Hlubek thwarted John’s chances at a no-no with a single through the left side,…
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The Quincy High School baseball team lost 3-0 at home on Wednesday to Western Big 6 Conference rival Moline, while the Quincy High School softball team lost 5-2 at home to Liberty. Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured some of the action at both games.
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Layne Bent anticipated a pickoff attempt to third base, but he did not foresee what happened as a result of it. Bent scored on a throwng error in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Liberty a 4-3 victory Saturday afternoon over Camp Point Central. Bent, a junior outfielder for the…
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Liberty’s Gavin Edgar pitched six innings of one-run ball on Saturday while striking out seven, walking two and giving up four hits before giving way to Jack Sparrow in the top of the seventh in a 4-3 victory over Central. Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured some of the action from the game.
Read Full Article Liberty softball team backs John's pitching with nine unanswered runs in victory over Payson Seymour
LIBERTY, Ill. — The Liberty softball team trailed 3-2 after 2½ innings, then scored nine unanswered runs to post an 11-3 victory over Payson Seymour on Thursday afternoon. Chandler John earned the victory, striking out eight, allowing five hits, three walks and one unearned run. Payson Seymour scored twice in the second inning, then Abby…
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MENDON, Ill. — Simon Rabe’s swing kept the Mendon Unity baseball team’s hopes alive. Carter Rolando turned those hopes into jubilation. Rolando’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th drove in the winning run as Unity defeated Liberty 2-1 on Wednesday in a West Central Conference game. After Jackson Sims gave Liberty a 1-0…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — For Jackson Sims, baseball and fishing go hand-in-hand. “When things aren’t going your way, you just have to cope with it and be patient,” said Sims, a senior right-handed pitcher and third baseman for the Liberty baseball team and an avid angler. Both baseball and fishing are about adjustments — finding what…
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PAYSON, Ill. — For one night at least, Liberty owns Adams County bragging rights. The Liberty baseball and softball teams swept matchups with Payson Seymour on Monday as the baseball team picked up four hits and two RBIs from the bottom three batters in the order to secure a 6-0 victory, while the softball team…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Junior High School eighth grade girls volleyball team finished third at the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 4A state tournament, while the Liberty eighth graders took fourth at the Class 2A state tournament. QJHS split its matches Saturday at Morton Junior High School, losing 25-15, 25-21 to Frankfort Hickory Creek in…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Luckily for Liberty senior right-handed pitcher Jack Sparrow, his bullpen session before Friday’s start against Winchester West Central was not a harbinger of things to come. “My warmups weren’t very good,” Sparrow said. “With the wind, it was knocking me everywhere. (Liberty catcher Evan Sims) had to go run after one that…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Junior High School and Liberty eighth grade girls volleyball teams will be bringing trophies home from their respective state tournaments. QJHS beat Shorewood Troy in straight sets Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 4A state tournament at Morton Junior High School and will play in…
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QUINCY — A pair of eighth grade girls volleyball teams are headed to their respective Illinois Elementary School Association state tournaments. Quincy Junior High School beat Taylorville 13-25, 25-22, 25-11 in Monday night’s sectional to advance to the Class 4A state tournament. The Comets (27-1) will face Shorewood Troy (12-9) in the state quarterfinals at…
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QUINCY — Alex Dance and his four Quincy Notre Dame senior teammates don’t get many chances to play together at the same time on the basketball court. Naturally, they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity on Senior Night. “We knew this was one of our last chances to start together,” Dance said. “We just…
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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…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Balanced and connected. When the West Hancock boys basketball team is both of those things — like it was on Monday — Titans senior guard Lewis Siegfried would hate to play against them. “It’s scary just thinking about it,” Siegfried said. The Titans put four players in double figures and clamped down…
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QUINCY — As his teammates moved the ball up the floor, Trey Smyser gravitated to one of his favorite spots on the floor. “I like shooting on the wing,” he said. Apparently so. The Monroe City senior guard buried a 3-pointer from the right wing in front of the Panthers’ bench with 49.1 seconds remaining…
Read Full Article PAYSON, Ill. — Vince Cramsey is one of the premier guards in West-Central Illinois, and he’s just a sophomore. Cramsey punctuated the Liberty boys basketball team’s 49-42 victory Friday night over Payson Seymour, scoring seven of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter to propel the Eagles to their fourth straight victory in front…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Any worries about a potential letdown were quickly extinguished. Two nights after posting an emotional victory over crosstown rival Quincy High School, the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team wasted little time in taking control in a West Central Conference matchup with Liberty. The state-ranked Raiders forced 16 turnovers and limited the…
Read Full Article ASSUMPTION, Ill. — The LaHarpe seventh grade girls basketball team overcame a first-quarter deficit and marched to a 32-24 victory over Carrollton St. John in Thursday night’s Illinois Elementary School Association Class 7-1A state championship game. The Eagles trailed 11-6 after the first quarter, but outscored the Redbirds 11-4 in the second quarter and never…
Read Full Article RIVERTON, Ill. — The Brown County seventh grade girls basketball team will play for a state championship after remaining undefeated with a pair of victories Saturday in the Class 7-2A state tournament. The Hornets will be joined in the title pursuit by LaHarpe, which advanced to the Class 7-1A championship game. Liberty fell a game…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Chalk it up to inexperience. The Liberty and Camp Point Central boys basketball teams have one senior each on rosters littered with freshmen and sophomores, and both played like it’s early December and they’re trying to find their footing in Friday night’s West Central Conference opener. The teams combined to misfire…
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QUINCY — Three area seventh grade girls basketball teams are headed to their respective Illinois Elementary School Association state tournaments after winning sectional championships Wednesday night. Brown County won the Class 7-2A sectional at Virginia with a 37-33 overtime victory against Carthage. The Hornets, who improved to 24-0, will face Effingham St. Anthony (20-3) in…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Keep shooting. Eventually, the ball goes in. That’s the mentality the Pittsfield boys basketball players needed Friday night. The Saukees missed their first nine 3-point attempts, but once the ball started going through the hoop, everything changed. Taylor Graham hit a 3-pointer as the third quarter ended to give Pittsfield a one-point…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — When Reed Sparrow finds his groove, there is no telling where he will shoot from next. “You kind of question it a little bit with him being so far away, but you also have to give him the green light because sometimes that hoop looks like an ocean to him,” Liberty boys…
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Coverage of the Liberty boys basketball team brought to you by: LIBERTY, Ill. — Even though the first film in the series had already been out for three years and the second was released the year before, Dan Sparrow had not seen any of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies before choosing a name for…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Maybe the third time will be the charm for the Mendon Unity volleyball team. The Mustangs dispatched Liberty 25-20, 24-26, 25-17 in Wednesday night’s Class 1A Camp Point Central Regional semifinals, which sets up an interesting matchup in the championship match. Unity (25-12) will challenge regional host Camp Point Central (24-7)…
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RUSHVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys and girls cross country teams each finished second Saturday in the Class 1A Rushville-Industry Regional at Scripps Park. On the boys side, in a race dominated by runners from Pleasant Plains, four area runners finished in the top 10 individually. Liberty junior Lane Obert was sixth in…
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To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls golf team conquered the elements Tuesday on its way to a West Central Conference title. The Raiders’ top four golfers posted a 333 on holes 10 through 27 at a damp…
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To purchase digital downloads of prints from this gallery,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — More than 160 high school cross country runners pounded the dusty, hard ground as they made their way through South Park on Tuesday afternoon during the Running Raider Classic. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman hung out along…
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AUGUSTA, Ill. — Kennedy Gunning’s reaction said it all. In a rematch of a three-set roller coaster that took place just nine days ago, Gunning delivered the game-winning kill for the Illini West volleyball team in a 20-25, 25-18, 15-11 victory over Camp Point Central in Lady Suns Classic pool play Thursday. Her subsequent celebration…
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QUINCY — Four players who helped the Pleasant Hill softball team reach a sectional championship game for the first time in school history recently received all-state honors. Senior pitcher McKinley Lowe and junior outfielder and pitcher Ava Wombles each made the Illinois Coaches Association Class 1A all-state first team. Lowe tossed three no-hitters and carried…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Illini West’s Ian Bentzinger and Liberty’s Keegan Sunde spent all season as rivals. On Friday, they were teammates, and they made sure to have some fun. During the Illinois/Missouri Senior All-Star Track Meet at Palmyra High School, the state-qualifying sprinters made up the first two legs of the Illinois boys 4×100 meter…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Dan Sparrow first had to address the situation as an athletic director before he could look at it as an interested party. Greg Altmix resigned as the Liberty boys basketball coach in mid-May, forcing the Liberty administration to act with a certain degree of haste in finding his replacement in order to…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — A school record to go along with a state medal isn’t too shabby of a way to end the season. The Camp Point Central girls 4×100-meter relay team accomplished that feat Saturday at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium, finishing in fifth place at the Class 1A state track and field championships. The…
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BARRY, Ill. — As the ball came off Ava Heming’s bat, Payson Seymour softball coach Joe Fessler figured the tying run was headed for home. “I thought for sure it was hit into the outfield,” he said. Olivia Mock didn’t let that happen. The Indians second baseman and a leaping catch of Heming’s liner between…
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RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Jack Thompson shared the results of the events he participated in Wednesday during the Class 1A Rushville-Industry Sectional and the closing line summed it up his effort quite nicely. “Huge Day!!!” he wrote. The Camp Point Central senior jumper and sprinter set a personal record in one event, helped the Panthers break…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Patience, persistence and pitching have put the Mendon Unity baseball team on the verge of both a 20-win season and the program’s first regional title in more than 30 years. The second-seeded Mustangs took advantage of 10 free bases, broke through to take the lead in the third inning and finished off…
Read Full Article PAYSON, Ill. — The top of the Payson Seymour baseball team’s lineup set the tone for a 10-5 victory over Southeastern in Monday’s opening round matchup in the Class 1A Liberty Regional. It made history possible, too. Indians leadoff hitter Nolan Sparks went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while No.…
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VINCENNES, Ind. — Tyler Dance found his footing. The John Wood Community College freshman right-hander threw six scoreless innings Saturday, striking out eight and walking one as the Trail Blazers opened a four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference series with an 8-0 victory over Vincennes University. JWCC also won the nightcap of the doubleheader 14-4. Dance, a…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Sara Reichert sees it as clearly as anyone. Her brother and her cousin share a common trait passed down through generations of the Fessler family. That’s their even-keel disposition. “Our grandparents were sports-loving fans,” said Reichert, the junior varsity softball coach at Liberty, where her first cousin B.J. Fessler is the varsity…
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PAYSON, Ill. — It was windy Thursday afternoon. Really windy. Gusts blew as strong as 25 miles per hour with steady wind around 15 mph, forcing Liberty softball coach BJ Fessler to make sure his team was prepared for the conditions. “During our in-and-out (before the game), I hit some big flies so they could…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Spend any amount of time chatting with Keegan Sunde about his track career and you come away with one overriding realization. His passion for the sport is all encompassing. The Liberty senior sprinter enjoyed a solid indoor season, running the 60-meter dash in 7.25 seconds at the Illinois Top Times Meet at…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — The line drive hit Cody Shaffer’s upper right arm with enough force that the ricochet led to an out at first base and had people scrambling to check on the Mendon Unity right-hander. Immediately, the umpires called time and Mustangs coach Tyler McAllister popped out of the dugout to assess Schaffer’s injury…
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LIBERTY, Mo. — A pair of right-handed hurlers engaged in a pitchers’ duel Thursday as neither Mendon Unity’s Cody Shaffer nor Liberty’s Jackson Sims allowed a run over the first six innings. The relievers were just a stingy in the seventh inning. It wasn’t until the eighth inning when a pair of errors enabled Unity…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Friday began and ended with late-inning heroics. First, Garrett Neisen stranded the tying run in scoring position as the Camp Point Central baseball team rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Liberty 5-4. Then, the Central softball team allowed Liberty to score five times in the top of the sixth inning…
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QUINCY — One of Caitlin Bunte’s responsibilities, aside from being the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s starting pitcher and leadoff hitter, is to choose the musical playlist that serves as the soundtrack for each game at The Backyard. She has four personally designed playlists at her disposal. “Stuff that gets me hyped, stuff that’s upbeat…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team had played one game this season prior to Thursday’s home opener, but it didn’t look like the Raiders were rusty at all. QND collected 17 hits in a 9-2 victory over Liberty at The Backyard. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman enjoyed a rare warm, sunny day…
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QUINCY — The Liberty baseball team wasn’t going to allow Nolan Robb to beat it. So Abram Wiewel did. After Quincy Notre Dame’s Logan Sutton singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday and stole second base, the Eagles chose to intentionally walk Robb. Wiewel followed by hitting a two-strike line…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — The inning that kept going and going and going ultimately ended with the Liberty softball team scoring enough runs to create a cushion the Eagles needed to withstand Rushville-Industry’s rally. The Eagles scored 12 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Wednesday, only to see the Rockets come back with four…
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LIBERTY, Ill. – Quincy Notre Dame forward Jackson Connoyer had to refocus after receiving a technical foul following a scramble for a rebound under his own basket midway through the second quarter Friday night. His actions resulted in two free throws that gave Liberty a seven-point lead. “I said things I shouldn’t have said,” Connoyer…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Braden Holthaus admittedly has been searching for his shot during much of the early portion of the basketball season. The Macomb junior guard may have finally found it. Holthaus sank four of his seven 3-pointers in the first quarter — most well beyond the arc — to propel the Bombers to an…
Read Full Article HAVANA, Ill. — A second-quarter offensive spurt gave the Havana eighth grade girls basketball team the edge it needed to beat Liberty 36-25 in the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 2A state championship game Thursday night at Havana High School. Liberty ends its season as the state runner-up with a 25-3 record. Havana outscored Liberty…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — The Liberty Booster Club will hold a bags tournament on Saturday, Aug. 12, at Liberty Park. Entry fee for this double elimination tournament is $25 person for adults and $15 for individuals 16 and younger. A blind draw will be used for partner selection. The event will offer a 50/50 raffle along…
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Chargers' Deitrich in high jump finals at Illinois boys state track, Eagles' Gimm to throw in discus
CHARLESTON, Ill. — Three Quincy High School runners were unable to advance to the finals in the Class 3A boys state track and field championships during Friday’s preliminaries at O’Brien Stadium on the Eastern Illinois University campus. Boen Brockmiller placed 27th in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 22.90 seconds, while Eric McClelland was 34th in…
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RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Unity’s Saylor Barry won two events and finished second in another, Liberty’s Arianna Neisen dominated the distance events and a bevy of area athletes punched their ticket to the state track and field championships during Wednesday’s Class 1A Rushville Sectional. The state championships take place May 18-20 at O’Brien Stadium on the…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Landon Deege understands the reality the Liberty baseball team is facing. “We’re young, but we’re growing,” the senior said. With that comes the ups and downs of inexperience. The Eagles have won one game to date — a 1-0 victory over Illini West in which Jackson Sims struck out eight over five…
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QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Kevin Meyer could have waited another 35 seconds until the first quarter ended to address the issues he saw with how the Raiders were interacting defensively. It wouldn’t have had the same impact. So when Liberty coach Greg Altmix used a timeout with 34.8 seconds remaining in…
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AUBURN, Ill. — By the end of the first quarter of the Illinois Elementary School Association seventh grade Class 3A girls basketball state championship, the intrigue was mostly gone. The Pittsfield Lady Braves saw to that. Pittsfield overwhelmed Paris Mayo 19-2 in the first quarter, went on another 12-2 run in the third quarter and…
Read Full Article The Liberty seventh grade girls basketball team will play for a state championship. So will the Pittsfield seventh graders. The Brown County and Quincy Junior High School eighth grade teams may, too. Liberty reached the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 2A title game by beating Altamont 31-19 in the quarterfinals and Nokomis 36-19 in the…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Liberty junior Arianna Neisen will run at Detweiler Park this weekend. Quincy High School senior Eric McClelland will, too, in what is the ultimate weekend for Illinois prep cross country runners. The state meet takes place Saturday in Peoria with three classes running 3-mile races on both the boys and girls sides.…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — A decorated high school golf career came to an end last Saturday when Liberty senior Blake Arnold finished tied for 13th at the Class 1A state tournament, and he finished it with a birdie on his final hole. In the process, Arnold became the highest individual state finisher in Liberty golf history.…
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ST. JOSEPH, Ill. — In a field of 140 cross country runners, mostly from the Champaign-Urbana area, Liberty junior Ariana Neisen proved yet again she belongs in the lead pack. Neisen finished third individually, posting a time of 17 minutes, 41.47 seconds at the Spartan Invitational hosted by St. Joseph-Ogden. Tolono Unity junior Erica Woodard…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — Jettason Rose fulfilled the promise of his name. The Quincy High School sprinter became the ninth individual state track and field champion in school history Saturday, jetting past the field to win the 200-meter dash at the Class 3A state championships at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium. Rose finished in 22.04 seconds,…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — Ezra Thompson led the brigade of area athletes into the finals of the Class 1A boys state track and field championship. The Central leaper qualified for two events, finishing seventh in the long jump at 6.47 meters and eighth in the triple jump at 12.76 meters. He will compete in the finals…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — For a fleeting few minutes, the Liberty softball team had everyone thinking its magical run might continue. With two outs in the top of the first inning Tuesday against the state’s No. 1-ranked team, the Eagles made a little noise. Larissa Neisen and Natalie Hildebrand collected back-to-back singles before a strikeout ended…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — B.J. Fessler was prepared for it to happen. The Liberty softball coach had watched, time and time again this season, his team play well but lose games because of one disastrous inning. So when the Eagles took the lead in Friday afternoon’s Class 1A regional championship game with three runs in…
Read Full Article RUSHVILLE, Ill. — The combination of springs and speed led to a historic moment Wednesday night for the Central boys track and field program. The Panthers won three individual field events and two sprint relays at the Class 1A Rushville-Industry Sectional on Wednesday. It led to Central piling up 90 team points and capturing the…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Jade Blair’s hair was a bit frazzled, and her eyes carried a look that her check-engine light was probably blinking. Still, the Liberty right-hander was able to gather her wits, weather a couple of late-inning storms and pitch the Eagles past Central 5-4 in the Class 1A Central Regional softball semifinals…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Photographer Mike Pritchard found himself behind the lens of his camera for two epic softball games Wednesday in the Class 1A Central Regional with seventh-seeded Unity upsetting second-seeded Pleasant Hill 4-0 in a 13-inning marathon and fifth-seeded Liberty outlasting third-seeded Central 5-4. Here is a gallery of images Pritchard captured from…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Jared Schmidt’s excitement is understandable. Despite a spring in which the weather has been “absolutely atrocious,” the Liberty girls track and field team has piled up a number of school records in individual events. Now the weather is ripe for running as the Eagles head to Friday’s Class 1A Beardstown Sectional. “So…
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QUINCY — Want to relive the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s postseason run to the Class 2A state championship? Would you want to revisit the Liberty boys basketball team’s pursuit of the highest state tournament finish in program history? Here’s your chance. Muddy River Sports has put together a pair of commemorative editions, highlighting…
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QUINCY — Cannen Wolf’s plan didn’t go exactly how either he or Liberty track coach Jared Schmidt envisioned. Luckily, there will be other chances to chase the school record in the 1,600-meter run. Should Wolf chase the record down, it would be the perfect catapult to an NCAA Division I track career. The Eagles senior…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — For a University of Illinois graduate who has remained loyal to his alma mater and is a basketball junkie through and through, walking out of the tunnel onto the State Farm Center court was like living out a dream. Seeing his players live out their dream of playing for a state championship…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — It turned out to be a medal-filled weekend for area track athletes at the Illinois Top Times indoor championships at the Shirk Center on the Illinois State University campus. Jettason Rose led a trio of Quincy High School runners into the finals by placing in the top five in two events in…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — The road to Liberty High School’s first appearance in a basketball state tournament championship game began in 1975, when Paul Kreke accepted the only job offer he had after graduating from Quincy College. He became the head coach of a Liberty program that posted winning records only three times the previous 20…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The arena entrance was breath-taking, and the postgame exit was humbling. Yet, the welcome the Liberty boys basketball team received in its own gym from a community that raced home from the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center following Saturday’s Class 1A state championship game made the experience complete. “I wasn’t expecting…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Logan Robbins embraces playing defense. Actually, he enjoys it quite a bit. “It’s another way to impact the game,” said Robbins, a 6-foot-5 senior forward on the Liberty boys basketball team. “And if you can get the guy your guarding frustrated, it’s going to give you an edge.” It helps explain why…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Alex Altmix harbors dreams of eventually being a head coach and running his own high school basketball program. Should his brother, Jordan, want the same thing, neither will have to search far to find a blueprint for success. It’s been in front of them since the day either picked up a whistle.…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — When the two-lane state highway without a shoulder snakes past the farms and fields and reaches the eastern border of Liberty, a sign looms large on the right side of the road. “Give me Liberty” it reads, and it lists the population of this Adams County village as 600. There may be…
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