High School
QUINCY — After seeing the volleyball team’s creative use of The Pit’s videoboards, which were installed last spring, the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players wanted to have their turn implementing hype videos. Initially, Raiders coach Eric Orne hedged. “He told us we had to earn it with the December stretch that we had and…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Similar script, different ending. Much, much different. The Brown County girls basketball team put the brakes on a five-game losing streak to Unity when the Hornets pulled off a surprising 47-43 come-from-behind victory Thursday night in the semifinals of the 30th Lady Panther Classic at Central High School. Brown County, ranked…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — If given an option, Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long likes his team to get up and down the floor as quickly as possible. But that personal preference is not any sort of prerequisite for the Panthers to win. Case in point: CSE’s 37-26 victory over Illini West in Thursday night’s…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Brown County girls basketball team handed Unity consecutive losses for the first time this season, while Central-Southeastern continued its winning ways as both teams battled their way into the championship game of the CSE Lady Panther Classic. Brown County, ranked fifth in Class 1A, knocked off second-ranked Unity 47-43 in…
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QUINCY — Playing its first game on its home floor in more than a month gave the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team the chance to re-engage with its home crowd and showcase the kind of balanced scoring needed to succeed in the postseason. The Raiders accomplished that with a 51-41 victory over Rochester. Muddy…
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Boys basketball Pittsfield 54, Rushville-Industry 51 Marion County 58, Madison 25 Winchester Invitational Tournament Jacksonville Routt 47, Central 43 Liberty 44, Calhoun 38 Girls basketball Quincy Notre Dame 51, Rochester 41 Marion County 48, Madison 22 CSE Lady Panther Classic Brown County 47, Unity 43 Central-Southeastern 37, Illini West 26 North Greene Lady Spartan Classic…
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GENESEO, Ill. — The energy expended defensively finally paid off. Neither the Quincy High School girls basketball team nor Geneseo scored in the first 2 ½ minutes of overtime Wednesday night, but Leah Chevalier’s steal that led to a layin with 1 minute, 24 seconds to play changed everything. The Blue Devils scored on back-to-back…
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Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points: Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Geneva (5) 14-2 72 2 2. Fremd (2) 17-1 67 1 3. Bolingbrook (1) 14-1 62 4 4. Alton 17-0 61 6 5. Normal Community 18-0 38 5 6. Maine South…
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Here are the Illinois boys prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points: Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Kenwood (8) 14-2 116 2 2. Whitney Young (4) 14-4 110 1 3. Lisle (Benet Academy) 18-1 93 3 4. Moline 15-2 83 5 5. Joliet West 15-4 67 6 6.…
Read Full Article Boys basketball Hancock County Tournament Southeastern 48, Unity 43 West Hancock 59, Illini West 38 Winchester Invitational Tournament Griggsville-Perry 52, Winchester West Central 49 Liberty 49, Carlinville 34 Girls basketball Quincy High School 46, Geneseo 44 (OT) CSE Lady Panther Classic South Fulton 48, Liberty 33 Lewistown 57, Rushville-Industry 23 Men’s basketball John Wood Community…
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CAMP POINT, Ill — Lauren Miller never broke a sweat, let alone panicked. “We knew it was going to be a long game,” the Central-Southeastern sophomore said. Long and grueling. Miller and her CSE girls basketball teammates were not rattled when Unity bolted to a sizable advantage in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s showdown…
Read Full Article GENESEO, Ill. — None of the Quincy High School boys basketball players played more than 13 minutes Tuesday night, nor did they log a single minute of the second half. None of them complained about it either. The starters staked the Blue Devils to an insurmountable lead, exited the game in the second quarter and…
Read Full Article Boys basketball Quincy High School 71, Geneseo 26 Canton 72, Highland 51 Kirksville 49, Palmyra 37 Monroe City 50, Hannibal 39 Marion County 47, Bucklin 32 Winchester Invitational Tournament Carrollton 53, Western 45 Triopia 65, Pleasant Hill 38 Girls basketball Palmyra 48, Kirksville 41 Canton 56, Highland 30 Bucklin 36, Marion County 34 Keokuk 48,…
Read Full Article Boys basketball Marion County 58, Wellsville-Middletown 53 Hancock County Tournament Southeastern 55, Illini West 37 West Hancock 72, Unity 50 Winchester Invitational Tournament Jacksonville Routt 76, Payson Seymour 70 (OT) Central 49, Brown County 40 Girls basketball Macomb 46, North Fulton 31 Centralia 62, Hannibal 37 Wellsville-Middletown 52, Marion County 42 CSE Classic Lewistown 44,…
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MACON, Mo. — My cellphone rang the day after Christmas. I looked at the screen to see it was Tom Sneed, or Tommy Joe as he was called growing up, a moniker some of us in the family still use. He’s a second cousin on my mother’s side. It had been a while since we…
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QUINCY — The idea of reprising “Run, Devils, Run” doesn’t necessarily marry with Keshaun Thomas’ strengths, and the 6-foot-6 sophomore forward doesn’t always keep pace with his more fleet-of-foot Quincy High School boys basketball teammates. “Ahh, it’s hard sometimes,” Thomas said. Yet, he’s fully in favor of a return to the more fast-paced mantra. “Yes,…
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HIGHLAND, Ill. — Jake Hoyt was very diplomatic with his answer when asked if the 3-pointer he launched as time expired beat the buzzer. “All I know is that it was close,” he said. Close enough for a debate. With the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team trailing Highland by three points and 2.5 seconds…
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BREESE, Ill. — Rebounding for his all-state guard while she shot around at The Pit on Friday, Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne noticed something a little different. Abbey Schreacke got her groove back. Not that she ever truly lost it, but playing 14 games in the first 21 days of December had…
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LEWISTOWN, Mo. — The Canton girls basketball team entered the 51st Highland Tournament as the third seed and with a losing record. “I call it the state softball championship hangover,” Canton coach Danielle Baker, referencing the Tigers’ Class 1 state title from last October. “It took us a little while to get going.” This week,…
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QUINCY — The scoreboard lacked the zero the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball players yearned to see. A goose egg in the scorebook sufficed. The Raiders held Pittsfield without a field goal in the first quarter Friday night at The Pit, allowing only a single Adam Musgrave free throw while building a 13-1 advantage. The…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team won its fourth straight game Friday night, beating Pittsfield 52-30 after allowing the Saukees just 15 points through the first three quarters. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action through his camera lens. Check out his photo gallery:
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QUINCY — The words rolled from Bradley Longcor III in matter-of-fact fashion. “We’re a good team,” the Quincy High School sophomore said. And more times than not, good teams find ways to win games. Friday night at Blue Devil Gym was a classic case in point. Fueled by a scintillating second half at both ends…
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QUINCY — The way the numbers added up, Jake Hamilton needed one more shot at history. So Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin boys basketball coach Tim Allen obliged. With a sizable second-half lead over North Chicago in the opening round of the State Farm Holiday Classic on December 27, Allen was set to sub out all of…
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BARRY, Ill. — As the minutes dwindled and the lead grew Thursday night, Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Kevin Meyer could sense a growing challenge among his players. The Raiders wanted to pitch a first-quarter shutout. For nearly seven minutes, they did. QND raced to a 23-0 lead before Mason Smith ended Western’s scoring…
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Here are the boys prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Whitney Young (14) 12-4 140 4 2. Kenwood (1) 12-2 134 1 3. Lisle (Benet Academy) 16-1 110 8 4. Rolling Meadows 16-1 103 6 5. Moline 12-2 90 2 6. Joliet…
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Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (1) 15-1 91 3 2. Geneva (5) 12-2 89 10 3. Hersey 15-3 78 1 4. Bolingbrook (2) 13-1 77 4 5. Normal Community (2) 16-0 54 8 6. Alton (1)…
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AUGUSTA, Ill. — Second verse, same as the first. For the second time in less than a week, the Central boys basketball team dispatched rival Southeastern and on the same day both teams ended up in the Class 1A state poll nonetheless. Central’s 39-33 victory Wednesday night came in a grueling chest-to-chest contest where defensive…
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QUINCY — A tumultuous and resignation of a high school football coach. A magical run to a state championship game appearance. A bicycle ride from one coast to the other. A shot for the ages. Those were the moments our readers wanted to know about. Here are the most viewed stories on Muddy River Sports…
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QUINCY — This week marks one year since joining Muddy River Sports, and what a year it has been. As we begin 2023 and start the countdown to Matt Schuckman’s 50th birthday celebration, let’s look back at some of my favorite columns of 2022. From Warsaw to West Point to the world, Rothert’s journey is…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The most unfortunate thing to happen to the Quincy High School boys basketball team Friday night was for time to run out in the first quarter. The brief interlude between quarters was exactly what Decatur MacArthur needed. The Blue Devils opened the championship game of the 38th Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach Matt Long referred to top-seeded Paris as “a monster.” Consider his squad the beast slayers then. The Panthers completed a remarkable run to the State Farm Holiday Classic championship Friday afternoon, making 5 of 6 free throws in the final 18.2 seconds to hand the Tigers their first…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Decatur MacArthur denied the Quincy High School boys basketball team its first championship of the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic in a quarter century Friday night when the Generals recovered from a 16-4 first-quarter deficit and earned a 57-53 victory at Vergil Fletcher Gym. Freelance photographer Tim Vizer captured the action and…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — It has taken the Quincy High School boys basketball team a decade to get back to where it could possibly end what is now a quarter-century drought. A shot at redemption comes with it, too. The Blue Devils will play for the championship of the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic for the…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Shock. That’s what Dominique Clay’s expression screamed. He wasn’t alone in his jaw-dropping assessment. “I had the same look, too,” Camden Brown said. After the Quincy High School boys basketball team dispatched Collierville (Tenn.) 62-48 in Thursday’s quarterfinals of the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic, the Blue Devils were headed to the…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Christina Meyer made a promise the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball players intended her to keep. So after beating Kankakee Bishop McNamara 53-46 in Thursday night’s fifth-place game of the State Farm Holiday Classic, the Raiders reminded Meyer’s husband — QND coach Kevin Meyer — she said she’d buy the team milkshakes…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Because of the widespread success of the Central-Southeastern girls basketball players across all sports, it’s easy to forget how youthful the Panthers are. “I know,” C-SE coach Matt Long said. Still, a majority of the time, C-SE has three sophomores, sometimes four, on the floor. That makes this week’s run to the…
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Photo gallery: QHS wins twice to reach title game game of Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys basketball team will play in the championship game of the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic after beating Collierville (Tenn.) 62-48 in Thursday afternoon’s quarterfinals and Rockford East 47-41 in the Thursday night’s semifinals at Vergil Fletcher Gym. Freelance photographer Tim Vizer captured all of the action and…
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MENDON, Ill. — Maybe it was the tournament championship his team had just won. Or the appreciative response he was hearing from those who packed the gym at Unity High School. Or just possibly it was him soaking in all that is good about high school athletics on a warm December night. “This is what…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Andy Douglas had a pocket full of excuses if he needed any. The Quincy High School boys basketball coach refused to let the Blue Devils use them. A scintillating first half devolved into less-than-ideal execution in the second half Wednesday night in the opening round of the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic,…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — This time, the roles were reversed. When the Unity girls basketball team defeated Illini West 50-35 in Wednesday night’s semifinals of the 40th Lady Tiger Classic at Beardstown High School, the victory helped exorcise at least some of the memories from a year ago. “(Illini West) beat us three times last season,…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Matt Long made it sound so simple. “In the second half, I thought we had a lot of energy and effort and it turned the game for us,” the veteran Central-Southeastern girls basketball coach said. The tenaciousness defensively brought about by playing with more energy and effort certainly did that. A five-point…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Obviously, the victory itself was important for the Brown County girls basketball team. The 50-29 win Wednesday night over Havana moved the Hornets into the finals of the 40th Lady Tiger Classic at Beardstown High School while improving their record to 14-1. But of equal significance was how Brown County’s victory materialized.…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — A game of chase morphed into a game of giveaway Wednesday night. After opening the State Farm Holiday Classic with an aggressive, transition-based effort offensively that led to its highest scoring game of the season, the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team allowed two many empty possessions to derail it in a…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Having watched a nine-point advantage dwindle to three, the Central-Southeastern girls basketball players simply refused to let Kankakee Bishop McNamara draw any closer. The Panthers made their free throws, too. Central-Southeastern outscored Bishop McNamara 8-2 over the final 2 minutes, 40 seconds of regulation Tuesday night and earned a 36-27 victory in…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — A dynamic defensive effort pushed the Illini West girls basketball team back to the semifinals of the 40th Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic. The fifth-seeded Chargers held fourth-seeded Lewistown to two points in the second quarter and 10 points overall in the first half Tuesday, winning the quarterfinal matchup 42-26. Illini West (11-4)…
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MACOMB, Ill. — The last time I spent an entire day at the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament was in 1996 when a talented Stephen Decatur squad, led by Tarise Bryson, claimed the title by defeating Warsaw in the title game. That was so long ago that now Stephen Decatur doesn’t even exist. But when Muddy River…
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MACOMB, Ill. — The top seeds held serve in each of the eight first-round games Tuesday in the 76th annual Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. The Illini West boys basketball team had the best shot at pulling off an upset. The Chargers led No. 3 seed Eureka 15-4 after one quarter and by as many as 14 points…
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MACOMB, Ill. — Muddy River News Editor David Adam provides photos from six games during the first round of the 76th annual Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. Illini West vs. Eureka West Hancock vs. Canton (Ill.) Pittsfield vs. Macomb Southeastern vs. Abingdon Central vs. Lewistown Brown County vs. Farmington
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Tuesday’s Games Boys State Farm Holiday Classic At Normal West A Gym, Normal, Ill. No. 8 El Paso-Gridley 55, No. 9 East Dubuque 41 No. 1 St. Joseph-Ogden 78, No. 16 Annawan 28 No. 4 Rockford Lutheran 78, No. 13 Stanford Olympia 46 No. 5 Quincy Notre Dame 73, No. 12 Providence St. Mel 42…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Fully aware his team’s offense needed to ratchet everything up a notch or two, Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Kevin Meyer presented the Raiders with a challenge heading into the State Farm Holiday Classic. Catch Jake. Meyer told his point guard — senior Jake Hoyt — to push the pace at…
Read Full Article DIXON, Ill. — The strong decision-making, aggressiveness and confidence Quincy High School girls basketball coach Brad Dance enjoyed seeing from the Blue Devils on Tuesday morning dissipated to a more stagnant effort in the afternoon. It’s why QHS split its first two games in the Dixon KSB Holiday Classic. The Blue Devils opened with a…
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Monday’s games Boys MVIT At Mendon, Ill. Unity 63, Bushnell-Prairie City 40 Payson Seymour 53, Rushville-Industry 33 Girls Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic At Beardstown, Ill. Unity 59, Beardstown 27 Beardstown 48, South Fulton 41 Jacksonville Routt 55, North Greene 19 Macomb 63, Jacksonville Routt 56 Lewistown 62, West Hancock 40 West Hancock 51, Liberty 25…
Read Full Article Here is a look at the brackets for the high school basketball holiday tournaments involving area teams: Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic State Farm Holiday Classic — Small School Boys Bracket Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament US Bank Holiday Tournament Dixon-KSB Holiday Classic Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic State Farm Holiday Classic — Small School Girls Bracket
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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 —…
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QUINCY — Owen Rigg has played in dozens, if not hundreds, of basketball games in his life. But the Southeastern junior guard had never hit a game-winning buzzer beater. Not until Wednesday night. With the clock winding down and the game tied at 42, Suns senior Danny Stephens drew a double team and found Rigg…
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QUINCY — Eric Orne wants the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players to relish a well-earned holiday reprieve. “They get to rest,” the veteran coach said, “and they get to enjoy some family time.” The Raiders get to do so as far away from the gym as they wish. “He told us to forget about…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team’s search for its identity seems to be over. All the Raiders had to do was rediscover who they really are. “Play tough defense, get in our offense fast, run in transition, and do the little things right,” senior guard Jackson Stratton said Tuesday night after a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Nick Maynard made two free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining in regulation Tuesday night to help the Unity boys basketball team seal a 45-41 victory over Monroe City in the 15th annual Rumble on the River. It also completed a sweep for the Mustangs, as the Unity girls, ranked third in Class 1A,…
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QUINCY — Video genius Frank Cann takes you to Blue Devil Gym to look at Friday night’s Quincy vs. Quincy Notre Dame basketball game.
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NEW SALEM, Ill. — Jim Shields retold the story of a reporter once asking him about the difference between coaching boys and coaching girls in high school basketball. “I said the boys never gave me a state championship,” Shields laughed. It was a vintage answer by a career coach, a straight shooter, a man who…
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QUINCY — A simple suggestion is all it took. Needing to inject more life into his team — Quincy High School led Quincy Notre Dame 29-23 at halftime of Saturday night’s boys basketball showdown but had been rather lackluster defensively the first 16 minutes — Blue Devils coach Andy Douglas listened to an idea assistant…
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QUINCY — It sounds relaxing when you say it out loud. The Quincy High School boys basketball team has 11 days until its next game. That offers the impression it will be a low-key holiday week leading up to Christmas and then a couple of get-back-into-the-groove days before the Blue Devils head off to play…
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QUINCY — For one night at least, and probably a couple of days to follow, the angst was eased. No one associated with the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball program is going to accept losing, not even to a state-ranked Class 4A squad on its home floor, but the positive vibes felt after Saturday night’s…
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QUINCY — For the second season in a row and the seventh time in eight meetings, the Quincy High School boys basketball team won the crosstown showdown with Quincy Notre Dame since the series was renewed in 2015. The Blue Devils used a lockdown effort in the second half to post a 60-43 victory Saturday…
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QUINCY — Camp Point Central boys basketball coach James Barnett admits the preparation for this weekend’s pair of challenges included some uneasiness. “Nervous,” Barnett said of the one word he thought of having to travel to play West Central Conference opponent Quincy Notre Dame on Friday night and then play a neutral site affair against…
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QUINCY — No rest for the weary. At least not for a few more days. The December schedule that has the top-ranked Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team playing 13 games in 21 days is nearing its end. Two games in a three-day span will wrap it up before the Raiders go 17 days until…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — A plastic baggie filled with marshmallows helped keep quiet the biggest secret in Hannibal a little bit longer. Aneyas Williams, the No. 1 all-purpose back in the 2024 recruiting class according to Rivals.com, and Tippy Toes, the family dog dressed like a leprechaun, combined to announce Williams’ decision to attend the University…
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MOLINE, Ill. — Not even the most foolhearted Quincy High School boys basketball fan was gullible enough to believe Brock Harding wouldn’t eventually put his stamp on Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference showdown. “We knew he had only two points at halftime,” Quincy junior swingman Camden Brown said. “You know he’s going to score…
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QUINCY — Eric Orne’s milestone moment came at home … sort of. The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach reached the 500 career victory plateau Friday night with a 58-42 victory over Mascoutah in the opening game of the four-day, 16-game Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Although the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Having chiseled a 10-point deficit down to two over the final 3 minutes, 45 seconds of the first half Friday night, the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team had a simple plan of attack for the start of the second half and keep the momentum rolling. “We said, ‘OK, go out and get…
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NORMAL, Ill. — The Quincy Junior High School eighth grade girls basketball team won the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 4A state championship Thursday night, beating Danville North Ridge 40-26. The Comets outscored the Ridge Runners 13-2 in the first quarter at Normal Parkside Junior High and led 20-6 at halftime. Jada Brown went 10…
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The middle of December brings holiday gift ideas, All-American game goals and memories of a game played more than 30 years ago … Two venerable high school basketball gyms in Illinois and arguably the two most historic within the Western Big 6 Conference are being featured in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s 2023 Unique Gyms…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — One of the nation’s most coveted recruits, who is days away from revealing his college choice, received an honor fitting his impressive production. One of the best tacklers Northeast Missouri has seen in recent memory picked up another honor, too. Hannibal all-purpose back Aneyas Williams and Monroe City linebacker Ceaton Pennewell repeated…
Read Full Article PAYSON, Ill. — Payson Seymour girls basketball coach Bert Koehler resigned Wednesday from his duties as a teacher and coach amid an investigation being conducted by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Koehler, who was a junior high math teacher, is being investigated for allegedly exchanging text messages with a 14-year-old student. He submitted his resignation…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — The consistent presence of Bear Bock doing whatever is necessary — scoring, rebounding and blocking shots — is part of the reason the Palmyra boys basketball team is riding an undefeated wave with the Christmas break approaching. Bock scored eight points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked two shots in Tuesday night’s 55-34…
Read Full Article WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. — The signs this youthful, yet talented Quincy High School boys basketball team is maturing come in glimpses where momentum is teetering or the Blue Devils’ unbeaten record is threatened. Another of those moments came Tuesday night. A 13-point second-half advantage against the defending Missouri Class 5 state champion had dwindled to…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — No rest for the weary? Well, not quite. “We’ll have a day off Wednesday, but then it’s back to work,” Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball Eric Orne said. Notre Dame’s 51-19 victory over Palmyra on Tuesday night marked the end of a five-games-in-six-days stretch for the Raiders. All those games were on…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Granted, the Palmyra boys basketball team sits undefeated following a convincing 55-34 victory Tuesday night over Quincy Notre Dame. But Jon Lundberg feels Palmyra has barely scratched the surface of what it might accomplish between now and the end of the season. “I can feel it all coming together. I can sense the…
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HAVANA, Ill. — The long road home is nearly complete. Only 40 or so miles to go, although the last leg promises to be as tough as any of the others the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team has traveled. Monday night’s trip — the fourth of five road games in six days — was…
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QUINCY — Five area prep football standouts have been selected to play in the Illinois Shrine Bowl, taking place June 17 at Illinois Wesleyan College in Bloomington. Quincy High School cornerback Gregory Quince and Quincy Notre Dame linebacker Jackson Stratton will be on the blue squad. Central running back Isaac Genenbacher, Central center Owen Roth…
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QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team’s path to the championship of the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic is filled with obstacles. That starts with playing the final game of the opening round. The Blue Devils (7-0) drew Alton (1-6) in the 9 p.m. game in the first round, the last of eight…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — As far as Palmyra’s Bear Bock was concerned, the championship trophy for the Monroe City boys basketball tournament is back where it belongs. “It’s been a long time since we won this tournament,” he said. “We’re bringing that trophy back home.” Bock’s 14 points, including 12 in the first half when…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Palmyra girls basketball team was better-equipped for such a challenge. South Shelby is still a work in progress. Palmyra, which emerged with a 56-54 victory in Saturday night’s championship round of the 98th annual Monroe City Tournament, was able to maneuver through crunch time with just enough moxie to preserve…
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QUINCY — The chatter, the comparisons and the hype the state-ranked Quincy High School boys basketball team continues creating could be a detriment if the Blue Devils allow those things to infiltrate the team-first mentality. “If we just do us, the best in us will come out,” sophomore guard Bradley Longcor III said. When the…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team enjoyed a solid first half on Saturday night against Hannibal. Then the third quarter happened. The Raiders led by 16 points at halftime, then made 10 of 11 free throws in the final four minutes of the game to hold off the Pirates 49-39 at…
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BREESE, Ill. — Unable to find her long-range shooting stroke recently, Quincy Notre Dame senior guard Blair Eftink elected to change one key component to her game. Money, it’s gotta be the shoes. Switching to her old kicks this weekend, Eftink regained her perimeter shot by burying her first five 3-point attempts Saturday afternoon. Her…
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Two area eighth grade girls basketball teams will play for Illinois Elementary School Association state titles, while a third will battle for third place. Quincy Junior High School and Brown County advanced to their respective championship games by winning twice Saturday, while Pittsfield suffered a five-point loss in the semifinals. QJHS opened with a 39-10…
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QUINCY — Andy Douglas let his ears be his guide. “If we can come out the first few possessions and our communication is great, it’s probably going to be a good night defensively,” the Quincy High School boys basketball coach said. “Tonight, it wasn’t. We didn’t talk.” So the fact Sterling opened the second half…
Read Full Article BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A Blair barrage put the top-ranked Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team on the right path to another victory. Senior guard Blair Eftink opened Friday night’s game at Belleville Althoff with a 3-pointer from the top of the key and another from the left corner, setting the stage for a 57-38 victory…
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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…
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QUINCY — Too many turnovers and too few defensive rebounds made for way too long of a second quarter Thursday night for the Quincy High School girls basketball team. At halftime, the Blue Devils made certain to change that before the outcome was too far gone. Asia Seangmany buried a 3-pointer from the left corner…
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QUINCY — Before Ryan Oden left his house Thursday morning for a meeting with the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players, his wife, Deb, wanted to know he was comfortable with his decision to resign as the Raiders head coach. “She asked, ‘Are you sure?’” Oden said. “And I told her I am.” With his son…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Palmyra girls basketball team gets its first shot at the champs. The second-seeded Panthers marched their way into the championship game of the 98th annual Monroe City Tournament by beating third-seeded Highland 71-46 in Thursday night’s semifinals. By doing so, the Panthers (5-0) will face top-seeded and reigning Clarence Cannon…
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Palmyra boys basketball team used a 12-point burst at the start Wednesday night to slingshot its way into the championship game of the 98th annual Monroe City Tournament. The South Shelby girls used stellar defense to do the same. The second-seeded Panthers rode their strong start to a 57-50 victory…
Read Full Article Three area eighth grade girls basketball teams earned spots in their respective state tournament fields by winning sectional championships Wednesday night. Brown County beat Abingdon-Avon 41-25 in Class 2A. The Hornets (23-2) will face Mount Pulaski (22-1) in the state quarterfinals at 10 a.m. Saturday in Havana. Pittsfield beat Williamsville 43-13 in Class 3A. The…
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QUINCY — When you face the No. 1-ranked girls basketball team in Class 2A with the reigning state player of the year, the goal becomes quite obvious. Slow down Abbey Schreacke. Many try. Most fail. Tuesday night, Pleasant Plains succeeded in limiting Schreacke, Quincy Notre Dame’s all-state senior forward, to a season-low 13 points in…
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QUINCY — Let’s be honest. Brutally honest. The Quincy High School boys basketball team probably could have put 100 points on the scoreboard — and with relative ease — during Tuesday’s Western Big 6 Conference game against overmatched and outmanned Rock Island Alleman at Blue Devil Gym. Instead, state-ranked QHS settled for a 65-28 victory…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — Despite being limited to just four points in the third quarter Tuesday night, the Monroe City boys basketball team was able to fend off Marion County’s upset bid and advance to the semifinals of the 98th annual Monroe City Tournament. The top-seeded Panthers secured a 51-45 victory over eighth-seeded Marion County…
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QUINCY — A busy Tuesday night saw action taking place on the hardwood and the mats. Here’s a look at some of the area highlights … • Already leading by 14 points at halftime, the Quincy High School girls basketball team used a strong dose of Taylor Fohey in the second half to finish off…
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MENDON, Ill. — Ashlynn Arnsman sees her future with a clear view. For those whose sights are a little more murky, she has a plan to help them, too. The Unity multi-sport standout who recently signed a national letter of intent with the Quincy University women’s basketball team plans to study biology and use her…
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