Illinois
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — As usual, Taryn Moorman was in complete control. That should not have come as a surprise, considering what she had already accomplished during her junior season as the ace of the Brown County softball team. “Taryn throws strikes,” Brown County coach David Woodruff said. “She also works quickly and never gets…
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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…
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MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — Mason Henry’s last day as a high school senior received the perfect punctuation. Moments after exiting Brown County High School for the last time as a student, the left-hander pitched the Hornets baseball team to a Class 1A regional championship — on his home field, no less. Henry was in complete…
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QUINCY — That friendly, almost folksy voice that permeates the grounds of Adams County Speedway is always a welcome greeting for fans and drivers alike. When the deep, baritone sounds of announcer Doug Mealy are first heard Sunday evenings, everyone knows racing is not far behind at the dirt track tucked away off the entrance…
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CHARLESTON, Ill. — Shannon O’Neil keeps going faster and faster, while Olivia Campbell keeps throwing farther and farther. Saturday, they will have the chance to make a little history. O’Neil, the Liberty senior hurdler, lowered her school-record time in the 300-meter hurdles yet again Thursday during the preliminaries at the Class 1A girls state track…
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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. — Don’t worry about Brooklynn Howell being ready to pitch come Saturday. Fortunately, the Unity sophomore right-hander will have a couple of days to recover from what was a marvelous — albeit taxing — effort Wednesday afternoon at Central High School. Howell pitched the seventh-seeded Unity softball team to a 4-0, 13-inning…
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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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QUINCY — Tanner Klingele was living the high life. Literally. Normally, the 27-year-old driver prefers to work his way around the low groove at Adams County Speedway, but Sunday night saw Klingele take to the high line to eventually outlast Adam Birck, Joe Bliven and Nicholas Profeta in a dandy four-car battle for the checkered…
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QUINCY — West Central Illinois will be well represented at the Illinois girls state track and field championships next weekend at O’Brien Stadium on the Eastern Illinois University campus in Charleston. Quincy High School pushed two athletes through the Class 3A Danville Sectional on Thursday, while Illini West got two through at the Class 1A…
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QUINCY — A.J. Tournear mirrors the feelings of most drivers and fans alike who have found their way back to Adams County Speedway, which in its former lifetime was known as Quincy Raceways. Tournear’s emotions can be felt through his responses. “Dirt-track racing is everything to me,” said the driver behind the wheel of the…
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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 — Adam Birck will readily admit the top groove at Adams County Speedway is not necessarily his pursuit of choice. Sunday night, however, was different. Birck found the fastest way around the track — and to catch Logan Cumby — was by pushin’ the cushion. Birck took to the top relatively early in the…
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QUINCY — The message came through loud and clear. Whichever prep softball team wins the Class 1A Jacksonville Routt Sectional is going to have to earn it. Pleasant Hill took a pair of games from top competition at the QND Cluster, outlasting Central 6-5 after stymieing the Panthers’ rally from a six-run deficit and then…
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QUINCY — Obviously, the kid is a natural. Actually, Logan Cumby is only a “kid” in a dirt-track racing sense, but the 26-year-old is rapidly opening eyes in his sport mod rookie season at Adams County Speedway. Cumby won his first feature in just his second try at the Broadway Bullring, warding off a deep…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Steve Smith became known throughout West-Central Illinois as one of the region’s most influential and impartial basketball referees. For Katie Cox, he was simply grandpa. “He truly always wanted me to be the best,” said Cox, a senior three-sport athlete at Pittsfield High School. “With everything I did, he was pushing me.…
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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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MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — The ability to produce in every spot in the order is what has made the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team a 20-win season. A never-say-die attitude has done the same for Brown County. Monday, glimpses of both were evident. The Raiders sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning,…
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The inaugural Muddy River Showcase is taking place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Illinois vs. Missouri format for senior prep basketball players will feature a girls game at 3 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 5 p.m. CARTHAGE, Ill. — Grant Surprenant took a hiatus from basketball…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The comeback track has another fan. Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, a St. Louis native who these days keeps himself busy driving a dirt-track modified, showed up unannounced Sunday night at Adams County Speedway. Wallace knew of the track’s recent troubled past — it had been shuttered since late 2019 — and felt…
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QUINCY — Jimmy Lieurance is the first to admit there were some hiccups. But not many. “I was totally blown away by the community’s response,” said Lieurance, who with his wife, Tammy, are one week into their first year of operating Adams County Speedway, the .29-mile dirt track that had been shut down for two…
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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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QUINCY — The man they call “Superman” provided the perfect punctuation for a perfect night. Moments after “Superman Sam” Halstead outdueled Denny Woodworth to win the season-opening late model feature at Adams County Speedway — formerly known as Quincy Raceways — he delivered a loud and oh-so-clear message Sunday night to the raucous crowd of…
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RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Ezra Thompson’s leaping ability, Jettason Rose’s speed and LaMarrio Rodgers’ strength were the highlights of the 19th Rob Garcia Invitational, which featured 17 prep track and field teams. Central’s Thompson shattered his personal best in the triple jump, winning the event with a leap of 12.45 meters. He also set a new…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jimmy Lieurance has his fingers crossed. And so do about 100 racers and a few thousand dirt-track fans. “If we don’t get any more rain, we’ll be able to race Sunday,” said Lieurance, the 62-year-old first-year promoter at Adams County Speedway. Realistically, that might be a big “if.” “There’s a 38-percent chance of…
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MENDON, Ill. — One swing gave Aidan Obert the memory for a lifetime. The Unity baseball team trailed Southeastern 5-1 going to the sixth inning last Friday when the Mustangs began piecing together a rally. With one out, Cody Shaffer walked, Obert was hit by a pitch and Bryson Muegge reached on an error to…
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PAYSON, Ill. — Kylie Simmons earned the ultimate sign of respect. Pitchers quit pitching to her. A senior on the Payson Seymour softball team, Simmons drew six walks in three victories last week as the Indians knocked off Unity, Griggsville-Perry and Pittsfield. The rest of the damage she did was more impressive. Simmons went 7…
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MENDON, Ill. — Annabelle Schaffnit started to be apologetic for her answer. What the Unity senior softball player didn’t realize in the moment was how much her answer resonated. After chatting a little about the Mustangs and their ongoing season, Schaffnit was asked about how much her life revolves around sports. “I’ll be honest,” she…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team fought the Law and the Law won. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday and Brown County having already scored once in the frame to take the lead, the Raiders chose to intentionally walk Karsyn Moorman after a passed ball allowed both runners…
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MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — Gabe Blakeley’s success and the 7-0 start for the Brown County baseball team are going hand-in-hand. In his last three games, Blakeley has gone 7 for 10 with five runs scored, four RBIs and three doubles as the Hornets outscored their opponents 38-2 in that stretch. That included a 4-for-4 effort…
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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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The success of teams throughout the area on the boys basketball scene led to incredible memories and remarkable performances on both sides of the Mississippi River. Here is the inaugural Muddy River Sports boys basketball all-area team, with the the 10 players listed in alphabetical order:
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Keaton Dickhut harbored ideas of being a multi-sport athlete when he entered high school, but physically, he didn’t exactly fit the part. “I couldn’t even jump up and touch the net if I wanted to,” said Dickhut, now a senior three-sport athlete at Central who said he checked in at 5-foot-7…
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The success of teams throughout the area on the girls basketball scene led to a vast number of players on both sides of the Mississippi River receiving postseason honors. Here is the inaugural Muddy River Sports all-area team, with the the 10 players listed in alphabetical order:
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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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QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton’s senior season ranks as one of the best produced by a Quincy High School boys basketball player in the last quarter century. It’s fitting then he is only the second player in that span to receive first-team all-state honors. The 6-foot-6 Talton, who led the Blue Devils to a 28-6 season,…
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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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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Greg Altmix was agitated, and he had no problem telling his Liberty boys basketball team why. The veteran head coach scanned the Class 1A all-state teams released Wednesday by the Associated Press and didn’t see any of his players on the first or second team despite their upcoming appearance in the final…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Breiton Klingele’s hairstyle came down to a choice. Not a bet. Not a dare. Not anything other than a conscious decision to let it grow. “I just decided it one day, so I started growing it,” Klingele said. “No other reason. I just wanted a mullet.” The Liberty senior’s long, curly locks…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The fans of the Liberty and Southeastern boys basketball teams filled the Jacksonville Bowl on Monday night for a titanic matchup in the Class 1A Jacksonville Super-Sectional. Photographer Steve Davis captured the moments from start to finish. Below is a gallery of Davis’ images.
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Devin Klauser likely has never been in trouble for talking in class at Liberty High School. The senior is a guy of few words. Very, very few words. “He’s kind of shy,” Eagles teammate Cannen Wolf said, with the expected grin. The 6-foot-6 Klauser let his performance on the floor do his…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Danny Stephens will be back for a curtain call. The 6-foot-7 Stephens’ junior year came to halt Monday night when he and his Southeastern Suns were beaten by a talented — and deep — Liberty team 49-42 in the Class 1A Jacksonville Super-Sectional at the Jacksonville Bowl. The defeat did not diminish…
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WHITE HALL, Ill. — Understandably, Breiton Klingele found it difficult to keep his emotions in check. “Ever since I was little, all I have wanted to do was play in the state tournament,” he said. Well, Klingele, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, and his Liberty teammates now find themselves one step away from the Class 1A…
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ABINGDON, Ill. — Late in the first half Friday night, Danny Stephens turned to the bench and tugged at his jersey, signaling he needed a break. The breather never came for the Southeastern standout forward, but that didn’t stop him from powering the Suns to a dazzling finish and 45-34 victory over Peoria Christian in…
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ABINGDON, Ill. — Former University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal liked to say, “You dance with who brung you,” when referring to the importance of consistency — especially when his quarterback was handing the ball off to Heisman Trophy-winning running back Earl Campbell. The Southeastern boys basketball team has consistently danced with Danny Stephens…
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WHITE HALL, Ill. — The inbounds play worked the way Liberty coach Greg Altmix thought it would. Clayton Obert set a screen for Logan Robbins, who curled toward the basket. “Our first option was actually open,” Altmix said. Cannen Wolf, who was throwing the inbounds pass with 2.9 seconds left in the game, didn’t agree.…
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GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — Logan Robbins’ right knee is feeling just fine, thank you. So is that troublesome left ankle. Finally able to showcase his overall talent that had been hampered much of the season because of injuries, Robbins helped power Liberty to a 59-39 victory over Winchester-Bluffs West Central in Friday’s Class 1A regional championship…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Pleasant Plains’ Zach Powell dribbled across the lane midway through the third quarter and tossed up a right-handed hook shot that Quincy Notre Dame’s Jake Wallingford got a fingertip on. Powell grabbed the rebound, then went back up for a second shot — only for Wallingford to swat it into a group…
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BRIMFIELD, Ill. — Unity girls basketball coach Brad Begeman knew his team needed to play well early to prove it belonged on the same court as No. 1-ranked Brimfield and take the home crowd out of the game. The first eight minutes, however, couldn’t have gone any worse. Brimfield forced No. 7 Unity into nine…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The rules of high school basketball call for a game to be played for 32 minutes, but the Quincy Notre Dame basketball team needed less than five Wednesday night. The Raiders dominated their Class 2A regional semifinal matchup with Illini West, scoring the game’s first 12 points and leading 30-10 at halftime…
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GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — Better late than never. Liberty withstood Griggsville-Perry’s upset bid Wednesday night in a Class 1A regional semifinal game, eventually pulling away in the final quarter to secure a 61-47 victory. The top-seeded Eagles (25-5) entered the game a huge favorite but were unable to turn back Griggsville-Perry (15-17) — a team they…
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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…
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GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — Unfortunately, the third time was not the charm for the Payson Seymour boys basketball team. The Indians saw their postseason run come to an abrupt end Wednesday night when Winchester West Central posted a 62-49 victory in a Class 1A Griggsville-Perry Regional semifinal game. West Central’s victory was its third this season…
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BRIMFIELD, Ill. — Unity’s masterful execution of one of basketball’s simplest plays proved to be too much for Elmwood in the Class 1A girls sectional at Brimfield High School. The Mustangs used the pick-and-roll to perfection in a 49-29 victory on Tuesday night and advanced to the sectional championship game on Thursday against the host…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — The team with a penchant for fourth-quarter magic needed to drum up another miracle moment. Shots have to fall for that to happen. Tuesday night, in the semifinals of the Class 2A Waverly Sectional, the Illini West girls basketball team couldn’t make a field goal to start a rally until the deficit…
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BRIMFIELD, Ill. — Oh, to play the first five minutes again. The Brown County girls basketball team played right with No. 1-ranked Brimfield for much of Tuesday night’s 63-49 loss in the Class 1A sectional semifinals. The Hornets, however, stumbled out of the gate, falling behind 17-4. They turned the ball over nine times in…
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LEWISTOWN, Ill. — The Brown County girls basketball team turned up the defensive heat to cook the Havana Ducks. The Hornets limited Havana to just three made field goals in the first half and scored 18 consecutive points during a six-minute stretch overlapping the second and third quarters Saturday afternoon to roll to a convincing…
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'Oh my gosh': Reed's 3-pointer rescues Illini West, Kirkham's free throws seal regional championship
CAMP POINT, Ill. — After being hounded by Karlee Marlow and the Central-Southeastern defense Friday night, Caydee Kirkham finally found a spot on the floor the Panthers couldn’t guard her. The free-throw line. Kirkham was limited to nine points — half of her season average — through regulation and the first 3 1/2 minutes of…
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BIGGSVILLE, Ill. — The winter storm that forced a 24-hour postponement of the Class 1A Biggsville Regional championship game might have been a blessing in disguise for the Unity girls basketball team. Abingdon-Avon must have felt like it was a curse. Tuesday night, prior to the regional semifinal victory over Monmouth United, Mustangs junior forward…
Read Full Article CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — To reach the podium at the Illinois High School Association state wrestling championships, three area grapplers are going to have to fight their way through the Class 1A wrestlebacks. Quincy Notre Dame senior Curtis Steinkamp, Illini West senior Lance Belshaw and Pittsfield senior Mason Davis each suffered an opening-round loss Thursday at…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Illini West girls basketball team dispelled the adage “it’s tough to beat a team three times in a season” once already. Thursday night, the Chargers have to do it again to keep their season alive. This one will be as tough as the earlier chore. Illini West, seeded second in…
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LEWISTOWN, Ill. — The second-seeded Brown County girls basketball team scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to extend its lead to 20 points and finish off a 63-41 victory over sixth-seeded Lewistown in Monday’s semifinals of the Class 1A Lewistown Regional. Ahead 43-33 entering the fourth quarter after managing just eight points…
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Curtis Steinkamp wouldn’t be denied. Lance Belshaw is blazing a trail. And Mason Davis gets his name on the board. Each one of them gets to wrestle at the state tournament, too. Steinkamp, the Quincy Notre Dame 126-pound senior, lost in the semifinals of the Class 1A Stanford Olympia Sectional on Saturday, but rebounded to…
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The Prairie State Profile will appear each week to highlight an Illinois area student-athlete. PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Mason Davis refuses to get caught daydreaming. Sure, his goal is clear cut: Become a state wrestling qualifier. After that, there’s the hope of wrestling well enough to earn a medal and a spot on the podium at…
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QUINCY — An opponent the Quincy High School boys basketball team missed out on seeing during the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic could be the one that stands between the Blue Devils and a regional championship. Meanwhile, Liberty and Southeastern are on a collision course for an epic showdown — if both can survive. The…
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QUINCY — The Moline boys basketball team’s victory over Quincy High School last Friday night at Wharton Field House vaulted the Maroons into the Class 4A state rankings, while the Blue Devils remain among the others receiving votes. Liberty is still the only area team ranked, although the Eagles dropped one spot to No. 5…
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QUINCY — In the final state rankings before the Illinois girls basketball postseason begins, not much changed for the area teams. Quincy Notre Dame remains ranked No. 1 in Class 2A and Illini West is No. 3, although the Chargers are now tied with Pana, which is enjoying a 29-1 season and has not lost…
Read Full Article JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — By not wrestling the final weekend of the regular season to rest an aching shoulder, Pittsfield senior grappler Mason Davis put himself in prime position to vie for a regional championship. Smart move. Davis was the Saukees’ lone regional champion and one of three Pittsfield wrestlers to advance to sectionals with top…
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QUINCY — Tied up, off target, then true. Joshua Talton smiled knowing the last one was the only one that mattered. Stymied at the end of regulation when his drive to the basket resulted in a jump ball and foiled at the end of the first overtime when his elbow jumper caromed off the rim,…
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QUINCY — Four players scored in double figures for the Unity girls basketball team in a resounding 73-31 victory over Winchester West Central on Saturday afternoon during the SuperFan Shootout at the Pit. Unity (23-4) led 18-10 after the first quarter, then outscored the Cougars 20-4 in the second quarter. The lead never dipped below…
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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 QUINCY — Nolan Deitrich made four 3-pointers in the first quarter to stake Illini West to a lead it never relinquished in a 59-49 victory over Griggsville-Perry in a boys basketball game during the SuperFan Shootout on Friday night at the Pit. Deitrich finished with five 3-pointers and led all scorers with 27 points. Max…
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QUINCY — A colossal conference clash. A cross-river showdown of state-ranked teams. A collegiate matchup with first place in the conference on the line. And champions to be crowned. It’s going to be quite a weekend. The madness starts Friday night when the Quincy High School boys basketball team travels to Moline with the chance…
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The Prairie State Profile will appear each week to highlight Illinois area student-athletes. CAMP POINT, Ill. — The youth wrestling program designed to promote the sport and serve as a feeder program for Central’s high school team is working. Saturday, the rest of the state will start to see how well it works. The Central…
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QUINCY — Brad Hoyt remembers fondly going head-to-head with players from the opposite side of the Mississippi River in a summer all-star basketball game while creating long-lasting relationships with rivals he played against during the regular season. “There are stories from that game that we still share,” Hoyt said. And it’s been almost 30 years…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Abbey McMillen’s 3-point prowess could be a weapon the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team relies on during the upcoming postseason. Pleasant Hill witnessed last week how dangerous it can be. McMillen, a junior, set a single-game program record by sinking seven 3-pointers in a 61-22 victory last Thursday night. McMillen also played…
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QUINCY — Luke Triplett questioned the toughness of his Illinois counterparts Saturday. “I didn’t know they were softer on this side of the river,” the Palmyra wrestler said with a smile after his semifinal match in the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational at the Pit. It turns out no one was as tough as him, certainly…
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QUINCY — Respect is growing for the Liberty boys basketball team. The Eagles remained No. 5 in the Class 1A state poll released Wednesday, but they received a first-place vote as the top of the Class 1A poll remains stacked. Four teams received first-place votes with No. 2 Yorkville Christian receiving the most with seven.…
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QUINCY — For the first time since 2012, when the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team won the second of its three straight state championships, the Raiders are the No. 1-ranked team in the state. QND and Winnebago switched spots atop the Class 2A state poll after the Raiders beat third-ranked Illini West on the…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Abbey Schreacke’s reaction said everything. This one meant something. An all-state junior guard on the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, Schreacke caught the ball on the left block as time ticked away in the final 15 seconds of last Thursday’s state-ranked showdown with Illini West and the game tied at 38.…
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QUINCY — The initial reaction was what Greg Altmix expected. Thursday afternoon, the Liberty boys basketball coach informed his players they had added a game to the schedule with an appearance in the fourth Quincy Shootout at Blue Devil Gym. “(The organizers) giving us a chance to come and play in this event really got…
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The Prairie State Profile will appear each week to highlight an Illinois area student-athlete. CARTHAGE, Ill. — Technology has changed the method of delivery, but the messages are similar to what they were three decades ago. The intent is the same, too. It’s to give Caydee Kirkham all the knowledge she needs to succeed at…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Grant Surprenant knows there is nothing easy about playing and beating the same team three times in one season, let alone within a 17-day stretch. That’s why the Illini West girls basketball coach was giddy with how the Chargers played down the stretch Saturday night. Illini West limited Unity to one…
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QUINCY — Weather may have altered the brackets and forced some teams to decline making the trip to compete in the Quincy Invitational, but Friday night’s opening rounds of the long-time wrestling tournament showed the cream always rises to the top. Quincy High School had five wrestlers go unbeaten during Friday’s action, while Central had…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Here we go with round three. Caroline Knox did her part to make it happen with two clutch free throws. The Illini West girls basketball team’s defense held up its end of the equation. Now, two state-ranked foes will meet for the third time in 17 days and the second time…
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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. Glenbard West (10) 16-0 100 1 2. Kenwood 12-4 84 2 3. Glenbrook South 14-1 81 3 4. Curie 16-1 74 4 5. Whitney Young 10-4 54 5 6. Normal Community 18-1…
Read Full Article 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. Benet (4) 15-2 81 1 2. Stevenson (1) 19-1 76 2 3. Hersey (1) 17-3 67 3 4. Loyola 18-2 55 5 5. Fremd (3) 15-4 53…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Pittsfield boys basketball team gave Ronne Thelander a fitting goodbye. The Saukees sophomore manager was in the starting lineup for last Friday’s game against Quincy Notre Dame at Voshall Gym, and after Pittsfield won the opening tip, Thelander was given the opportunity to take the first shot. His initial attempt fell…
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Runner of the Year — Anna Schuering, Sr., Quincy High School If there’s one thing that 2021 showed, it was that 2020 was no fluke for Quincy High School senior Anna Schuering. The reigning Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Girls Runner of the Year used the 2020 season as her coming out party to the area…
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Runner of the Year — Miles Sheppard, Sr., West Hancock If you’ve ever watched Miles Sheppard race, there is one thing that is constant. He races with a passion and determination that is unmatched by most. It has become his calling card in the tri-state area and across the Land of Lincoln over the last…
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WINCHESTER, Ill. — Cannen Wolf thought he had a little bit of wiggle room. When the official handed him the basketball, he discovered there was none. Fouled as time expired as he caught an inbounds pass and attempted to launch a 3-point shot, the Liberty boys basketball team’s senior guard assumed the call came in…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The three state-ranked teams in the Central-Southeastern Classic field showed why they are so highly regarded with a pair of victories apiece on the tournament’s opening day. The host school showed it belongs in the conversation, too. Illini West, ranked fourth in Class 2A and the tournament favorite after winning the…
Read Full Article CARTHAGE, Ill. — Caydee Kirkham’s confidence in herself is equal to her confidence in her teammates. Wednesday night, they showed why. Trailing state-ranked Unity by four points with four minutes remaining in regulation, the fourth-ranked Illini West girls basketball team went on a 10-2 run with four field goals coming from players not named Kirkham…
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Here are the state rankings of Illinois high school girls basketball teams in each class for Jan. 5, 2022, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters. Class 4A School W-L Pts 1. Lisle Benet 14-2 59 5 2. Lincolnshire Stevenson (2) 17-1 57 NR 3. Arlington Heights Hersey (3) 14-3 54 1 4. Chicago…
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Here are the state rankings of Illinois high school boys basketball teams in each class for Jan. 5, 2022, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Glen Ellyn Glenbard West (10) 14-0 100 1 2. Chicago Kenwood 12-2 87 3 3. Glenview Glenbrook South 13-1 72 T4…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Caydee Kirkham saved her best for last. The three efforts preceding her championship game performance at the Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic weren’t too shabby either. The senior point guard on the Illini West girls basketball team nearly put together a triple double in a 66-51 victory over top-seeded Unity in the title…
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