West Hancock
QUINCY — Players do not wear pads. There are no offensive lineman. There is no tackling. But as coaches can attest, that does not mean 7-on-7 camps are just free-for-alls. “Get reps and coach on the fly,” Hannibal coach Jeff Gschwender said. “That’s how we do it.” Hannibal was one of six teams — Quincy…
Read Full Article 
The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10. HAMILTON, Ill. — DeeDee Church aims to provide John Wood Community College basketball fans with plenty…
Read Full Article 
The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10. WARSAW, Ill. — The serenity of sitting in a boat on a lake waiting for the…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Brown County girls basketball coach Dave Phelps sometimes has to give his two-time all-state scoring sensation Kenzie Kassing a friendly reminder during summer games. “She wants to win, win, win all the time, and keeping her from getting frustrated with herself in the summer is important because this is her opportunity to be…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — What transpired on the water in Mississippi River Pool 13 the day before the Illinois bass fishing sectional didn’t leave either Gavin Grothaus or Jess Scott very confident. Getting skunked will do that. “We didn’t catch a single fish,” Grothaus said. “We were going into the tournament like, ‘Oh, boy, this is…
Read Full Article 
The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John WoodCommunity College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m.with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10. HAMILTON, Ill. — Lewis Siegfried and Gavin Grothaus’ fishing trips won’t have to stop now. This fall, the…
Read Full Article 
CARTHAGE, Ill. — The West Hancock softball team couldn’t figure out a way to generate any offense against Williamsville pitcher Izzy Nowack during Friday’s Class 2A Illini West Regional championship. Nowack struck out seven, walked one and allowed just three hits in the Bullets’ 3-0 victory. West Hancock’s Lakin Larson led off the fourth inning…
Read Full Article BARRY, Ill. — The Lauren Stevenson show took center stage at the Western softball field on Thursday. Stevenson, a freshman right-handed pitcher, belted two home runs, drove in all of West Hancock’s runs and tossed a complete-game one-hit shutout in the Titans’ 4-0 victory. Her first home run, a solo shot to center field in…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — Caitlin Bunte came within a home run of the cycle, five players had multiple hits and Madalyn Boyer tossed a five-hit complete game as the Quincy Notre Dame softball team handled West Hancock 9-2 in Tuesday’s West Central Conference game. QND center fielder Morgan Winking helped get the Raiders on the board…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — Brayden Carter gave the West Hancock baseball team the lead for good with one swing. The Titans scored seven runs in the fifth inning Monday, highlighted by Carter’s grand slam that led to a 7-4 victory over Mendon Unity and West Hancock’s second West Central Conference victory in its last three games.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — In a game that featured four lead changes and 29 combined hits, the Pittsfield softball team scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good and held off a West Hancock seventh inning rally to win 13-11 in the first game of QND Slam on Saturday at…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — West Hancock senior third baseman Grayson Conkright hit a three-run home run and reached base four times, and his brother, junior Layton Conkright, had two RBIs and pitched the final 3⅔ innings to earn the save in a 9-4 victory over Quincy Notre Dame on Thursday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — Layton Conkright’s exuberance after the final out encapsulated what Thursday’s 9-4 victory over Quincy Notre Dame meant to him and the West Hancock baseball program. After Conkright got Logan Sutton to ground out to end the game, Conkright pumped his fists, let out a roar that was probably audible from Warsaw and…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Same opponent, same circumstance, different venue. Yet, it was still the same result for the West Hancock boys basketball team. Facing Pleasant Plains in the Class 2A regional championship for the second straight year — last year it happened in Warsaw, this time in Pleasant Plains — the Titans struggled offensively,…
Read Full Article 
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 
QUINCY — As he dribbled from one side of the court to the other, West Hancock senior guard Gavin Grothaus found himself dangerously close to a five-second violation. A turnover could have changed the outcome of the game. Instead, Grothaus avoided the mishap and made the biggest pass of Tuesday’s showdown with Quincy Notre Dame,…
Read Full Article 
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 
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 
CARTHAGE, Ill. — The first four minutes of Tuesday’s Class 2A Illini West Regional semifinal game against Petersburg PORTA were everything West Hancock junior forward Jadyn Climer and the Titans girls basketball team could have asked for. “The energy was up,” Climer said. “We were like, ‘This is going to be a good game.’” Then…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — Southeastern boys basketball coach Brandon Gooding was honest in his assessment. Brutally honest. “If we’d play a great team like West Hancock 100 times, they’d probably win all 100,” Gooding said. “But we’re trying to emphasize to our kids go out there and be a puncher, play as hard as you can.”…
Read Full Article 
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Sure, they played a game Tuesday night. But wrapped around what was registering on the scoreboard was a celebration, for both an unequaled senior class of players and a retiring coach whose 32-year mark with the Central-Southeastern program may never be matched. For the record, CSE turned back West Hancock 66-41…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Lewis Siegfried, Gavin Grothaus and the West Hancock boys basketball team went on the attack. Trailing Clopton (Mo.) 13-12 with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter Saturday in the KHQA/American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout, the Titans went on a 15-0 run while holding the Hawks without a field goal for…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — An 18-point halftime lead steadily dwindled to four points by the start of the fourth quarter. Yet, the Pittsfield girls basketball team never panicked. “I like how we never felt like, ‘Oh, my gosh, they’re coming back,’” senior forward Madison Frieden said. “I felt we were pretty level-headed.” A Frieden layin with four…
Read Full Article 
CHICAGO — Here are the latest Illinois Associated Press boys basketball state rankings, as voted on by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Kenwood (11) 23-1 119 1 2. Homewood-Flossmoor 23-2 106 3 3. Quincy (1) 22-2 103 2 4. Bolingbrook (1)…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — West Hancock boys basketball coach Jeff Dahl tried his best to wrap his arms around what had just transpired. “This … was a grinder,” he said. West Hancock survived an overtime struggle with Fort Madison (Iowa), winning 74-67 Tuesday night to extend its win streak to nine in front of a crowd…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — Hunter Froman did a double take from the bench. Gavin Grothaus ran back on defense with his hands on his head and mouth wide open in disbelief. They were in awe of what Cooper Knowles had just done. It was just the cherry on top of a dominant sundae whipped up by…
Read Full Article WARSAW, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team proved Friday night its victory over Macomb in late December was no fluke. The Titans controlled every aspect of the return engagement, ending with a 54-40 triumph Friday night at Warsaw High School. West Hancock is now 19-4 and within one win of a third straight…
Read Full Article WARSAW, Ill. — Hunter Froman did not mince any words. “We thought it was going to be a cakewalk,” said the 6-foot-3 West Hancock sophomore, who was openly relieved once his club had managed to escape Saturday night with a hard-earned victory. West Hancock’s 47-39 win over Illini West in the game that decided the…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — Lewis Siegfried’s body language is obvious, and the confidence practically oozes from his fingertips with each release beyond the 3-point arc. “I can just feel it,” Siegfried said. “I know when I’m on.” The long-range senior assassin was certainly on Friday night. Siegfried poured through a game-best 21 points, including five 3-point…
Read Full Article 
CHICAGO — Here are this week’s Illinois Associated Press boys basketball state rankings as voted on by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Quincy (4) 16-1 80 1 2. Kenwood (2) 17-1 75 T2 3. Rich Township (2) 12-4 74 T2 4.…
Read Full Article WARSAW, Ill. — Mendon Unity boys basketball coach Keith Carothers was brutally honest Tuesday night when he was breaking down his club’s 91-42 loss to West Hancock. “They could have scored 120,” Carothers said. He meant the observation as both a compliment of West Hancock’s performance, which was accented by repeated end-to-end mercurial runs by…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team’s second-half plan was quite simple — put Mercer County away. The Titans went on a 9-2 run in the first three minutes of the second half and outscored the Golden Eagles 26-11 in the third quarter to run away with a 69-31 victory Wednesday night at…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team tuned up for a showdown with second-ranked Williamsville by whitewashing Mercer County 69-31 on Wednesday night at Red Rogers Gymnasium. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was there and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article 
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — For the first 41 years of the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic, the Pittsfield girls basketball team had never so much as reached the championship game. Now, in the 42nd edition, the Saukees have a tournament title to their name, and they will ring in the new year with a zero still in…
Read Full Article 
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Pittsfield girls basketball team won the championship of the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic for the first time in the 42-year history of the event, beating West Hancock 53-40 Monday night to complete a four-game run through the tourney field. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was on site for the title…
Read Full Article 
MACOMB, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team took Rockridge’s punches. The Titans’ counterpunches came too late. The Titans could not crawl out of a 20-point deficit, and the Rockets won their second consecutive Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament title by defeating the Titans 66-59 on Saturday night at Western Hall. “We woke up a little…
Read Full Article BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Pittsfield girls basketball team better be aware of what West Hancock is doing. The Titans are chopping seeded opponents down to size. West Hancock, seeded 10th in the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic, upended a higher seeded opponent for the third straight game Saturday night, knocking off sixth-seeded Carrollton 48-47 in overtime…
Read Full Article 
MACOMB, Ill. — West Hancock boys basketball coach Jeff Dahl barely recognized his team over the first quarter and change of Friday’s Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament quarterfinal game against Eureka. “It looked like we were disinterested, and I don’t know why because we have to win this to go on,” Dahl said. “It was really irritating.”…
Read Full Article 
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Some of the area’s top underclass talent will go head-to-head Saturday with a berth in the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic championship game on the line. But don’t count out the old guard from having a say in which team advances. The top-seeded Pittsfield girls basketball team reached the semifinals with a 58-45…
Read Full Article 
MACOMB, Ill. — West Hancock sophomore guard Hunter Froman brimmed with confidence when asked about the Titans solidifying their position as the No. 1 seed in the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. “I’ve heard people talking about how there’s no real difference between the top four seeds, but I think that’s wrong,” Froman said. “I think we’re…
Read Full Article 
NAUVOO, Ill. — When Doug Siegfried watches his nephew Lewis Siegfried play for the West Hancock boys basketball team, it’s almost as if he’s stepped into a time machine. He cannot help but feel like he is watching his brother — Lewis’ father Mike Siegfried — play for Nauvoo-Colusa in the 1990s. “He reminds me…
Read Full Article 
ABINGDON, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team proved something to Titans coach Jeff Dahl and the rest of Illinois on Saturday. The Titans belong in the upper echelon of Class 2A. “This game should inspire them to think that we can get to the top,” Dahl said. The Titans went toe-to-toe with Peoria…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Jadyn Climer barely had to pause when asked about her style of play. “Aggression is my thing,” she said. The 6-foot-1 West Hancock junior backed up those words — rather emphatically — Saturday night during the Titans’ 53-46 girls basketball victory at John Wood Community College. Climer scored 18 points and secured 17…
Read Full Article 
CHICAGO — Here are the latest Association Press boys basketball state rankings, as voted on by a panel of sportswriters and sportscasters from throughout the state. First-place votes are in parenthesis: Class 4A Rank School Total Points Previous 1. Kenwood (8) (8-0) 88 1 2. Quincy (1) (7-0) 69 3 (tie) Bolingbrook (8-1) 69 4…
Read Full Article 
CHICAGO — Here are the latest Associated Press Illinois boys basketball state rankings, as voted on by a panel of sportswriters and sportscasters from throughout the stat. First-place votes are in parenthesis: Class 4A Rank School Total Points Previous 1. Kenwood (4) (5-0) 112 3 2. Homewood-Flossmoor (6) (7-0) 97 2 3. Quincy (6-0) 81…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — Make no mistake, at this point of the season the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team is far from a finished product. But the work-in-progress Raiders still aren’t too shabby. Notre Dame, ranked No. 8 in this week’s Associated Press Class 3A state poll, overwhelmed West Hancock 72-32 before about 350 fans…
Read Full Article 
CHICAGO — Here is a look at the first Illinois Associated Press boys basketball state rankings, as voted on by a panel of sports writers and sportscasters from throughout the state: Class 4A Rank School Total Points 1. Gurnee Warren (5) (4-0) 76 2. Homewood-Flossmoor (2) (4-0) 67 3. Kenwood (2-0) 63 …
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — Friday was a light day in weight training class for Illini West senior wide receiver and defensive back Tre Niederman, but his thoughts weighed heavily on him. As Niederman walked the track at Fuzz Berges Field during that class — Illini West football assistant coach Michael Lafferty, who teaches the class, was…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article 
Coverage of the West Hancock football program is brought to you by: HAMILTON, Ill. — A change in scheme yielded substantial offensive improvements for the West Hancock football team in 2023. If the Titans take a similar leap forward in 2024, it will be with a new quarterback who set a school record at wide…
Read Full Article 
Coverage of the West Hancock football program is brought to you by: HAMILTON, Ill. — Nolan Gooding truly believes better days are ahead for the West Hancock football program. His enthusiasm and confidence are born from having learned second-year head coach Coy Dorothy’s system and a lifelong connection with a senior class ready to make…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Lillie Woodworth’s hand has healed, and she’s ready to go. That’s not good news for the Missouri all-stars. Two months after suffering a pair of broken bones in her right hand playing softball, the West Hancock all-state basketball player is back playing in open gyms at her future college home — Lincoln Land…
Read Full Article 
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…
Read Full Article 
CHARLESTON, Ill. — The Mendon Unity girls track and field program hasn’t had an individual or relay state champion in more than 40 years. Saylor Barry has given herself three chances to make history. The Unity sophomore qualified for the finals in three individual events during Thursday’s preliminaries in the Class 1A state championships at…
Read Full Article 
FARMINGTON, Ill. — Ian Bentzinger is sprinting his way toward a shot at a state championship, and the Illini West senior will have four chances at that. Bentzinger qualified for the Class 1A state track and field championships in four events during Wednesday’s Farmington Sectional, winning both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and running a…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Elliott Hendrian might as well have taken a flashing neon sign screaming “Hit it here” with him to second base. The baseball gods were well aware he was there. Quincy Notre Dame coach Rich Polak made an abrupt switch in the top of the fourth inning Monday, pulling starting second baseman Oliver Triplett…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A pitcher’s duel turned in the favor of the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team when the Raiders were able to manufacture a pair of runs in the fifth inning of Monday’s 3-1 victory over West Hancock in West Central Conference action at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The rain stayed away Saturday, which led to a competitive day of softball at The Backyard as four area teams took part in the Quincy Notre Dame softball slam. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent time at The Backyard and put together this photo gallery:
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 — Lauren Miller’s ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her Central-Southeastern girls basketball teammates elevated her game to that of a first-team all-stater. The 5-foot-10 junior forward was named to the Class 2A all-state first team by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, one of three CSE players to be honored by the…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team was facing near-certain defeat when it trailed by nine points with 56 seconds remaining. Thirty-six seconds later, the Titans had a chance at a miracle. Pleasant Plains’ Owen Johnson missed two free throws with 33.8 seconds, and the Wildcats had the ball trailing 60-57. Gavin Grothaus…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — After racing to an 11-3 lead in the first quarter, the West Hancock boys basketball team missed 11 straight 3-pointers to fall behind by as many as 15 points. A late comeback failed in a 64-60 loss to Pleasant Plains in the Class 2A regional championship game Friday night at Warsaw High…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team could never quite find its shooting touch from the perimeter in the season’s rubber match against Illini West. Fortunately, its defense showed up when it mattered most. Hunter Froman’s steal and layup with five minutes remaining gave the Titans their first lead since late in the…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — A pair of Hancock County rivals made their third meeting of the season a memorable one. The West Hancock boys basketball team outlasted Illini West 44-39 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Warsaw Regional on Wednesday night. It gave the Titans a 2-1 edge in the season series. MRN Editor David…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — Fittingly, it was Jace Allensworth who sealed the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team’s 68-64 victory Tuesday night over West Hancock. Allensworth, a 6-foot sophomore guard, swished a pair of free throws with 11 seconds remaining to cap a brilliant offensive night for himself and punctuate an impressive turnaround for the Raiders.…
Read Full Article 
CAMP POINT, Ill. — The West Hancock girls basketball team opened Monday night’s Class 2A regional semifinal game with an impressive 16-point first quarter against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin. Unfortunately, the Titans only scored 16 more points the rest of the game. Sacred Heart-Griffin’s defense and a ball-control offense in the fourth quarter combined to eliminate…
Read Full Article 
CAMP POINT, Ill. — The top-seeded Central-Southeastern girls basketball team and fourth-seeded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin remained on a collision course as both won Class 2A regional semifinals Monday night at Central High School. The Panthers beat Pittsfield 51-28 and the Cyclones upended West Hancock 42-32. Freelance photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery from semifinal…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The final play was designed to go to Gage Scott, but when the ball eventually went into the hands of Lewis Siegfried, West Hancock coach Jeff Dahl knew his team was in good hands. Siegfried scored on a driving layup with two seconds to play, giving the Titans a 58-56 victory over the…
Read Full Article 
West Hancock’s comeback 58-56 victory over KIPP Academy of St. Louis on Friday night at the Pit was led by 6-foot-6 sophomore Cooper Knowles. He scored four points during a 12-4 run that got West Hancock within 44-42 at the end of the quarter, then scored the first three baskets in the fourth quarter —…
Read Full Article 
WARSAW, Ill. — Camp Point Central guard Nick Moore launched a seeing-eye pass from the top left corner of the key, aimed directly at Gavin Blewett, who was wide open about five feet to the right of the basket. Blewett reeled in the laser-like toss, took one step toward the hoop and calmly banked in…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team has knocked off rival Camp Point Central twice in a six-day span. The Titans’ two victories, however, were hardly mirror images. West Hancock’s 45-42 West Central Conference victory before 625 fans on Thursday night resulted from a second-half comeback and a reliance on a strong…
Read Full Article 
MACOMB, Ill. — Two of the best defensive teams in the field squared off in the championship game of the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. As expected, it was a grind-it-out affair. Third-seeded Rockridge built a 10-point halftime cushion despite leading scorer Landon Bull spending the final 6:35 on the bench with two personal fouls and held…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A pair of girls basketball teams hoping to build momentum before tackling the challenging task of being the No. 1 seed in a holiday tournament gained a much-needed boost Thursday night. It just happened to come in vastly different ways. West Hancock, the No. 1 seed in the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic, used…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The West Hancock and Central-Southeastern girls basketball teams put a cap on the 16th Rumble on the River Holiday Shootout with victories Thursday night. The Titans beat Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton 58-49 and the Panthers dispatched Fort Madison (Iowa) 49-16. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening at John Wood Community…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — Lillie Woodworth is part of the final class of high school student-athletes who had their careers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The West Hancock basketball standout played only nine games as a freshman when the Illinois High School Association altered its calendar and shrunk season lengths in hopes of getting all fall,…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Tristan Pieper cut right to the chase in her postgame assessment of the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s 60-54 victory over West Hancock. “We knew they’d be strong,” said Pieper, a 6-foot sophomore who was one of four Raiders to score in double figures Thursday night at The Pit. In a game…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — As often as Kourtney Keck sprawled out in an attempt to dig up every shot that came her way, she was bound to leave The Pit on Thursday night with some floor burns. “A couple,” the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team’s junior libero said. She shrugged that off. “That’s not unusual,” she said.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team finished off back-to-back victories on back-to-back nights with back-to-back sweeps. The Raiders beat West Hancock 25-8, 25-11 on Thursday night at The Pit to open the season 2-0. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was at The Pit and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article 
The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. WARSAW, Ill. — Alec…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Jake Hoyt made sure the playful razzing he received ended with an exclamation point. At Friday’s pregame shootaround, the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coaches ran a set play for their senior point guard to shoot a 3-pointer and Hoyt missed the first attempt. “We teased him a little bit,” Raiders coach Kevin…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team won the Class 2A regional championship on Friday night at the Pit with a 63-46 victory over West Hancock. It was the Raiders’ second victory over the Titans in the last 10 nights. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the images from the game.
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Eight nights ago, Gavin Grothaus walked off the floor at The Pit with a bitter taste in his mouth. “That one kind of hurt,” the West Hancock sophomore said of the Titans’ 17-point loss to Quincy Notre Dame on Valentine’s Day at The Pit. Grothaus made sure he wouldn’t feel the same disappointment…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A little more than a week after the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team secured its 20th victory of the season by beating West Hancock, the Raiders will have to do so again to keep their season alive. QND advanced to the championship game of the Class 2A QND Regional with a 75-47…
Read Full Article 
The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team pulled away in the second half to defeat West Hancock 73-56 on Senior Night at The Pit. Muddy River News Editor David Adam captured some of the action.
Read Full Article 
The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team opened its quest for a second straight state championship with a 79-33 victory over West Hancock in the Class 2A regional semifinals Monday night at The Pit. MRN Editor David Adam captured images from the game.
Read Full Article QUINCY — Gavin Grothaus has gladly accepted his role as the West Hancock boys basketball team’s sixth man. In fact, the sophomore guard relishes the role of being first player off the bench. “I’ve been the sixth man all year,” Grothaus said. “I like it because it gives me a little time to watch and…
Read Full Article 
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Central boys basketball coach James Barnett had a difficult decision to make. With his team obviously laboring in the midst of a third-quarter meltdown, Barnett opted to pull senior Isaac Genenbacher from the lineup. Often the heart and soul of the Panthers at both ends of the floor, Genenbacher was struggling…
Read Full Article 
CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central boys basketball team used a fourth-quarter run to pull ahead and stay ahead in a 61-48 victory Friday night over West Hancock. It’s the third time this season the Panthers have beaten the Titans. Freelance photographer Mike Pritchard shared action photos from Friday’s game. Here is a gallery of…
Read Full Article 
MACOMB, Ill. — It’s a good thing Central’s Nick Moore has a short memory. His 3-pointer with 3:10 remaining in the fourth quarter cut West Hancock’s lead to 47-45. Thirty seconds later, Moore launched what could have been the go-ahead shot from the corner. Instead, the ball hit the support behind the backboard. “That wasn’t…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — If pressed, Dakota Lafferty will admit, at times, it is difficult not to look toward next season. Considering her Illini West volleyball team will play Quincy Notre Dame for a Class 2A QND Regional title Thursday, what’s the deal, Dakota? “We don’t have any seniors,” she said. “We start two freshmen, three sophomores…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — If rain cannot slow the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s offense, what can? Opposing pitchers are asking the same thing. Thursday at the Ferd, the Raiders scored in double digits for the fourth straight game and the 13th time this season while beating West Hancock 11-0. QND has outscored its opponents 49-3 in…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A walk-off and a milestone. Not a bad way for Eryn Cornwell to end her day. The Quincy Notre Dame senior softball standout followed Caitlin Bunte’s leadoff single in the fifth inning Wednesday with a two-run home run to left field at the Backyard, finishing off a 12-1 victory over West Hancock and…
Read Full Article 
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team appeared to be primed for a massive upset when it got within 31-30 with 5:15 remaining to play in the third quarter. Five minutes of a leaky zone defense proved costly. The Titans gave up 16 of the game’s next 18 points, and not even a…
Read Full Article 
HAMILTON, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team’s inability to run West Hancock off the 3-point strip Tuesday is alarming with the start of postseason play just four days away. The Titans made 13 3-pointers and maintained a 13-point advantage throughout the second and third quarters, parlaying it into a 68-58 West Central…
Read Full Article 
TREMONT, Ill. — Central sophomore Jack Thompson became the only area wrestler to capture a championship at the Class 1A Tremont Regional, winning the title at 113 pounds Saturday. The Panthers had three other wrestlers advance to the Stanford Olympia Sectional, while Quincy Notre Dame has three wrestlers moving on and Illini West and West…
Read Full Article