Illinois
CHICAGO — 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. Loyola (2) 18-0 45 1 2. Maine South 20-0 44 3 3. Alton (3) 15-0 40 2 4. Normal Community 18-2 23 4 5. Bolingbrook 14-2 22 5 6.…
Read Full Article PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Pittsfield boys basketball coach Brad Tomhave and Quincy Notre Dame coach Kevin Meyer shared a common assessment of their respective team’s defensive effort in Friday night’s game at Voshall Gym. Both were encouraged by the engagement. Offensively, however, their critiques were polar opposites. Meyer liked how the Raiders worked the ball from…
Read Full Article PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Pittsfield and Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball teams collided in their 2024 openers Friday night at Voshall Gym. The Raiders built a double-digit lead, saw the Saukees whittle it to eight points on two separate occasions in the second half and then pulled away for a 50-31 victory. Muddy River Sports…
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 QUINCY — Tucker Cook understands it may be a while before he can get a tattoo, especially one of any significant size, but he already has a plan for what he wants it to look like and say. The words “iron sharpens iron” will be prominent. “I believe in that,” the Pittsfield junior wrestler said.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Wrestling took center stage Wednesday night at The Pit as the Quincy High School, Quincy Notre Dame and Pittsfield squad engaged in a series of duals. The Blue Devils beat the Raiders 67-0 and the Saukees 54-6, while Pittsfield scored a 35-33 victory over QND. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat matside…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are the Associated Press girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points, and previous rank. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (3) 18-0 62 2 2. Alton (3) 15-0 58 3 3. Maine South (1) 18-0 52 7 4. Normal Community 17-1 42 8 5. Bolingbrook…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are the Associated Press boys prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes: Class 4A 1. Chicago Curie (4) 14-1 119 2 2. Collinsville (4) 16-0 97 10 (tie) Homewood-Flossmoor (4) 13-1 97 4 4. Normal Community (1) 12-1 82 1 5. Gurnee Warren 15-1 76 8 (tie) Lisle Benet 14-1 76…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is becoming pretty good at playing from behind. Eleven days ago, the Panthers trailed Quincy Notre Dame 27-2 but had two chances to win the game in a 35-31 loss. Twenty-four hours before playing in the small school girls bracket championship at the State Farm Holiday Classic,…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit to hand Galena its first loss in a 45-40 victory in the championship game in the small school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic. MRN Editor David Adam captured some of the action from the game.
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 BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — High school basketball fans clamoring for a shot clock would not have enjoyed the final five minutes of Central-Southeastern’s 39-25 victory over Kankakee Bishop McNamara in the semifinals of the small school girls bracket in the State Farm Holiday Classic on Friday night at the Shirk Center. Once the Panthers built their…
Read Full Article MENDON, Ill. — The halftime adjustments Unity boys basketball coach Keith Carothers made worked perfectly. The Mustangs trailed Bushnell-Prairie City 27-24 at halftime of Friday night’s championship game of the Mississippi Valley Invitational Tournament before taking the lead with a 17-point third quarter and holding the Spartans to a single point in the fourth quarter.…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team only led 18-17 at halftime but pulled away in the second half to defeat Kankakee Bishop McNamara 39-25 in the semifinals of the small school bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at the Shirk Center on Friday. CSE will play Galena for the title at 3:30…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the holiday basketball tournament scores and upcoming schedule: Friday’s games Boys At Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic Collinsville 44, Quincy High School 39 At State Farm Holiday Classic Small School Bracket At Bloomington High School Minonk Fieldcrest 64, Quincy Notre Dame 40 Quincy Notre Dame 78, Rockford Lutheran…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Central-Southeastern coach Matt Long knew some people might think he was trying to be funny, but when it comes to girls basketball, he’s usually quite serious. “We told (the Panthers) we wanted to be ticks on their belly buttons,” Long said after his team’s 60-26 victory over Stanford Olympia in the quarterfinals…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the holiday basketball tournament scores and upcoming schedule: Thursday’s games Boys At Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic Quincy High School 61, Belleville Althoff 48 Quincy High School 57, O’Fallon 46 At State Farm Holiday Classic Small School Bracket At Shirk Center Quincy Notre Dame 60, Stanford Olympia 28…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team forced 18 second-half turnovers and didn’t allow a field goal for nearly a quarter and a half in a 60-26 victory over Stanford Olympia in the quarterfinals of the small school girls bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic on Thursday afternoon at Bloomington High School. MRN…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the holiday basketball tournament scores and upcoming schedule: Wednesday’s games Boys At Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic Quincy High School 76, Oakville (Mo.) 38 Click here for complete scores and bracket At State Farm Holiday Classic Pecatonica 55, Quincy Notre Dame 50 Click here for complete scores and…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — The No. 1 seed played like the No. 1 seed. The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s defensive intensity frustrated and stymied Normal U-High from start to finish in Wednesday night’s 67-19 victory in the opening round of the small school bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic at Normal Community High School. It…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the holiday basketball tournament scores from Tuesday and Wednesday’s schedule: Tuesday’s games Boys At MVIT Unity 67, West Prairie 49 Bushnell-Prairie City 66, Western 47 Girls At Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic West Hancock 67, Athens 34 Mendon Unity 42, Beardstown 29 Macomb 40, Illini West 34 Macomb 55,…
Read Full Article For the first time in modern Illinois history, deer hunters were allowed to use single-shot centerfire rifles in 2023 during deer firearm season. Hunting instructor Dan Stephens, a recruiter with Illinois Learn to Hunt, said that preteen hunters and folks with shoulder issues are two groups who are prime buyers for the now-legal-for-hunting centerfire rifles.…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — Defense is top priority at Camp Point Central, no matter the sport. “We preach it. It’s not just me preaching it,” said James Barnett, the boys basketball coach whose team enters the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament this week not having allowed an opponent to score 40 points in a game yet this…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here are the brackets for holiday boys and girls basketball tournaments involving area teams: Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic State Farm Holiday Classic small school boys State Farm Holiday Classic small school girls State Farm Holiday Classic large school girls Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament Beardstown Lady Tiger Classic MVIT St. Dominic Christmas Tournament (boys…
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 QUINCY — Here is a look at the scoreboard for the 16th Rumble on the River Holiday Shootout: Played at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center Friday, December 15 Quincy Notre Dame girls 59, Hannibal 21 MVP — QND’s Sage Stratton Saturday, December 16 North Shelby girls 38, Payson Seymour 33 MVP — North…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the scoreboard and upcoming schedule for the 16th Rumble on the River: Played at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center Friday, December 15 Quincy Notre Dame girls 59, Hannibal 21 MVP — QND’s Sage Stratton Saturday, December 16 North Shelby girls 38, Payson Seymour 33 MVP —…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Conference play and rivalry games will remain part of the Illinois high school football landscape for now. But for how long? Tuesday, the Illinois High School Association announced the results of the annual by-law referendum with a proposal for statewide district scheduling for football failing. Of the 727 votes cast, 379 member schools…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Eric Orne’s post-game expressions captured his thoughts perfectly. There was the occasional wince, coupled with the rubbing of the top of his head with the palm of his hand. Even an occasional sigh. “Today is my birthday … and I feel like I aged 10 years tonight,” said Orne, the veteran Quincy Notre…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Monday night proved to be Missouri’s night. Three Missouri squads — the Monroe City boys and girls basketball teams along with the Palmyra boys — snared victories at the 16th Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Monroe City girls used eight points apiece from JWCC signee…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the scoreboard and upcoming schedule for the 16th Rumble on the River: Played at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center Friday, December 15 Quincy Notre Dame girls 59, Hannibal 21 MVP — QND’s Sage Stratton Saturday, December 16 North Shelby girls 38, Payson Seymour 33 MVP —…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Rumble on the River rumbled on Saturday with eight games being played at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was there for half of the slate and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here are the results and the remaining schedule for the 16th Rumble on the River Shootout at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center.
Read Full Article LIBERTY, Ill. — Braden Holthaus admittedly has been searching for his shot during much of the early portion of the basketball season. The Macomb junior guard may have finally found it. Holthaus sank four of his seven 3-pointers in the first quarter — most well beyond the arc — to propel the Bombers to an…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — When asked, Camp Point Central boys basketball coach James Barnett has no problem pointing out what is special about senior center Gavin Blewett. “Gavin brings such huge energy, and he stepped up big for us tonight,” Barnett said. Correct on both accounts, Coach. The 6-foot-2 Blewett produced game highs of 14…
Read Full Article GERMANTOWN HILLS, Ill. — The Pittsfield eighth grade girls basketball team is coming home with a state championship. Pittsfield outscored Germantown Hills 12-2 in the first quarter of Thursday night’s Illinois Elementary School Association Class 3A title game, setting the tone for a 39-20 victory at Germantown Hills Middle School. The Lady Braves finished their…
Read Full Article HAVANA, Ill. — A second-quarter offensive spurt gave the Havana eighth grade girls basketball team the edge it needed to beat Liberty 36-25 in the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 2A state championship game Thursday night at Havana High School. Liberty ends its season as the state runner-up with a 25-3 record. Havana outscored Liberty…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here is a look at the Illinois Associated Press girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts 1. Bolingbrook (4) 9-0 71 2. Loyola (2) …
Read Full Article QUINCY — Chris Duesdieker’s tireless effort is done with one goal in mind. Put the spotlight on area basketball. The collection of talented teams he is bringing to John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center and the intriguing matchups he has created for the 16th Rumble on the River have transformed the event from a…
Read Full Article GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — The battle for Pike County supremacy came down to free throws. The Pittsfield boys basketball team made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 53 seconds of regulation Tuesday night to hold off Griggsville-Perry for a 46-44 victory, handing the Tornadoes their first loss of the season while alloowing the Saukees…
Read Full Article PAYSON, Ill. — Melvin McMillen thoroughly enjoyed himself Friday night. “I like a physical style of game, and it’s also great when there’s a lot of trash talkin’ going on,” said McMillen, a 6-foot-4 senior whose 27 points and 12 rebounds spearheaded Unity’s 50-41 victory over rival Payson Seymour. McMillen was at his best when…
Read Full Article ASSUMPTION, Ill. — It took the best defensive team in the state to derail the Western seventh-grade girls basketball team’s state championship dreams. Washington St. Patrick, which didn’t allow more than 13 points in any postseason game, clamped down defensively on the Wildcats in a 22-6 victory Thursday night in the IESA Class 1A state…
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 CARTHAGE, Ill. — Karly Peters did not offer any excuses. Nor did she try to sugarcoat the first-half performance turned in by the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team. “We weren’t working hard enough on defense in the first half, but we kind of locked it down in the second half,” said Peters, a 5-foot-9 junior. That…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Three Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball teams will be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The IBCA announced its Class of 2024 honorees on Monday. The induction ceremony will be held May 4 at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena. Among the teams being inducted are QND’s 2011, 2012 and…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — Malachi Conley played the hero at the end of regulation. In overtime, his teammates did the rest. Conley, a guard on the Macomb boys basketball team, made two critical defensive plays and scored the game-tying basket in the final minute of regulation Saturday night, helping the Bombers force Quincy Notre Dame to…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A pair of area seventh grade girls basketball teams will play for Illinois Elementary School Association state championships this week. Western advanced to the Class 1A title game with a pair of victories Saturday at Assumption Central A&M Middle School, while Nauvoo-Colusa advanced in Class 2A by winning twice at Riverton High School.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Check out Muddy River Sports’ in-depth look at the area boys basketball scene for the 2023-24 season with some perspective on what was learned the first week of the season and what to look forward to moving forward.
Read Full Article PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The manner in which the Pittsfield boys basketball team secured the 300th victory of Brad Tomhave’s coaching career might not be so memorable. The milestone certainly is. The Saukees overcame making just one of their first 18 field goals and a 15-point third-quarter deficit to take the lead for the first time…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — Camp Point Central’s boys basketball team is far from a finished product, despite what Monday night’s 48-26 season-opening victory over Brown Country might suggest. In fact, the Panthers are not even close to what James Barnett envisions he will see later this season. “It’s going to take a while, probably until…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — This was not pretty by any stretch of the basketball imagination. “But we found a way to win when things were not going well,” Matt Long said. “I’ll compliment our girls for being able to do that.” Long, beginning his 31st year as Central-Southeastern girls coach, saw his club pull out…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — At times, they seem like just another play. Other times, they define a championship. Friday at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium, the Camp Point Central football team made a number of plays that would be easy to overlook on a stat sheet but proved to be pivotal moments in the 14-0 victory…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — The Camp Point Central football team brought the first state championship trophy in school history back to Adams County on Friday. Central used a stone-solid defense and two Elijah Genenbacher touchdown runs to beat three-time defending Class 1A state champion Lena-Winslow 14-0 at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium. Photographer Mike Pritchard roamed…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The 2023-24 basketball season is a week old and some teams are just now reaching their tipping point. Make sure to check out the 2023-24 Muddy River Sports girls basketball preview section to learn more about the teams throughout our area in Illinois and Missouri.
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The politically correct expression would be “unfinished business.” In football layman’s terms, Camp Point Central tight end Jack Thompson may have hit the nail on the proverbial head. “We want some revenge,” Thompson said only moments following the Panthers’ 54-20 rout of Greenfield Northwestern in the Class 1A semifinals Saturday afternoon…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Camp Point Central football team will be playing for a Class 1A state championship once again. The Panthers steamrolled through a showdown of undefeated teams in Saturday’s state semifinal, flattening Greenfield-Northwestern 54-20. Central (13-0) will face defending state champion Lena-Winslow (13-0) at 10 a.m. Friday in the Class 1A title…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — They tossed the football and tackled each other. They wore black and gold to celebrate their favorite team. They asked for autographs afterward. The elementary school kids turned Saturday’s Class 1A state semifinal football game into their own playground. It’s how it’s meant to be. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — By now, Nick Moore shouldn’t be amazed or surprised. Yet, he always is. Together over the past three seasons, Camp Point Central offensive coordinator Casey Rhea and Moore, his starting quarterback, have poured over hours of game film to gain a better grasp of what opposing defenses intend to do and…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — It’s no secret the chance of a Camp Point Central vs. Greenfield-Northwestern postseason rematch had been on everyone’s mind throughout the regular season. It’s finally time. The Western Illinois Valley Conference division champions both sit 12-0 heading into Saturday’s Class 1A state semifinal taking place in Camp Point. Last year, the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A quarterback who helped his team make history, a linebacker who tackled everything in sight and a pair of all-purpose performers who have pushed their team into the state semifinals share one thing in common. They have been named first-team all-staters. The Illinois High School Football Coaches Association released its all-state teams Tuesday…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Camp Point Central football team is back in the state semifinals, and the Panthers got there with a burst. Central outscored Belleville Althoff 30-0 in the first quarter of Saturday’s Class 1A state quarterfinal and rode the momentum to a 42-22 victory. Photographer Mike Pritchard put together this gallery of…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — This isn’t the first time in the postseason the Camp Point Central football team has faced Belleville Althoff. In 2012, the Panthers reached the state semifinals for the first time in program history, only to lose 28-7 to Althoff in the Class 2A semis on Lindenwood-Belleville’s candy-stripe field. The Panthers have…
Read Full Article HARDIN, Ill. — Drew Paben’s first touchdown run was by design, but his second was more or less an accident. Paben scored twice in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon to propel Camp Point Central past Hardin Calhoun 32-14 in the second round of the Class 1A state playoffs. Paben’s two touchdowns allowed Central to pull…
Read Full Article HARDIN, Ill. — The road doesn’t get any easier, but it does lead home. After beating Hardin Calhoun 32-14 on Saturday in the second-round of the Class 1A playoffs, the Camp Point Central draws Belleville Althoff in the state quarterfinals. The Crusaders (10-1) will face the Panthers (11-0) at 2 p.m. next Saturday in Camp…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The second round of the Illinois football playoffs means a five-hour road trip for Quincy High School, a rematch for Camp Point Central and the return to Advance Physical Therapy Field for Quincy Notre Dame. Here’s a look at what Saturday’s slate looks like: Quincy High School (10-0) at Wheaton North (7-3), 2…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — A record-setting season needed one final rally. The Pleasant Plains volleyball team didn’t let that happen. Illini West led the second set of Wednesday night’s Class 2A sectional championship game 13-12 and was in the process of overcoming losing the first set, just as it had in Monday’s semifinal victory over…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Only four times in 37 matches leading up to Monday night’s Class 2A sectional semifinals had the Illini West volleyball team engaged in a three-set marathon. And only once had the Chargers won. “I was kind of worried about that,” Illini West coach Dakota Lafferty said. So when the Chargers lost…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Madalyn Boyer said every play gives the Illini West volleyball team confidence, and throughout Monday night’s Class 2A sectional semifinal against Petersburg PORTA — especially the final two sets — confidence grew. The Chargers outlasted the Bluejays 22-25, 25-21, 25-18 to advance to the sectional title match against Pleasant Plains at…
Read Full Article CONCORD, Ill. — The Unity volleyball players knew the only way to compete against one of the state’s top Class 1A teams in Hartsburg-Emden was to play the way they had all season long — calm, collected and consistent. Finding themselves in a dogfight, the Mustangs never wavered in an attempt to upset the Stags,…
Read Full Article CONCORD, Ill. — Behind the bleachers in the Triopia High School gymnasium, Southeastern volleyball coach Tim Kerr hugged his players as they exited the locker room Monday night. He offered words of appreciation, encouragement and consolation following his Suns’ 25-18, 25-21 loss to Decatur Unity in the Class 1A Concord Sectional semifinals. As Kerr approaches…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Pleasant Plains volleyball team figured out how to continually stem the tide. During Monday night’s Class 2A sectional semifinal against Macomb, the Cardinals strategically used timeouts to stall scoring runs by the Bombers, putting the brakes on a four-point swing late in the second set that enabled Pleasant Plains to…
Read Full Article PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The momentum the Macomb volleyball team created by winning the Class 2A regional title last Thursday night seemed to linger with a stellar start to Monday’s sectional semifinal until Pleasant Plains took it away. Behind the program’s all-time leading hitter in Sydney McFee, the Cardinals stopped each Bombers’ run and earned…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The first time Elijah Genenbacher touched the ball proved to be a harbinger of things to come Saturday afternoon. For both Genenbacher and the Camp Point Central football team. Genenbacher, a junior running back whose true passion is playing linebacker on defense, was handed the ball on Central’s first offensive play…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — Once the Camp Point Central football team’s offense took the field, a spot in the second round of the Class 1A playoffs seemed secure. Elijah Genenbacher scored on a 68-yard run on the Panthers’ first play and they rolled to a 54-0 victory over Bridgeport Red Hill on Saturday. Next up…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Saturday, four area football teams kickstart their pursuit of a trip to Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium on Thanksgiving weekend for the chance to play for a state championship. Here is a closer look at each of those matchups: West Chicago (5-4) at Quincy High School (9-0), 2 p.m. • Class 7A first-round…
Read Full Article PAYSON, Ill. — The best may be yet to come for the Unity volleyball team. Or so Hayden Frankel thinks. “I honestly don’t think we’ve played our best yet,” said Frankel, a senior setter. Frankel’s assessment came shortly after Unity’s relatively easy 25-17, 25-16 elimination of Triopia on Thursday evening in the Class 1A regional…
Read Full Article CANTON, Ill. — Dakota Lafferty found herself being a spectator as much as a coach Thursday night. Sparked by a booming Josie Bryan kill down the line for the first point of the match, the Illini West volleyball team used its energy and enthusiasm to overwhelm Peoria Notre Dame in a 25-17, 25-14 victory in…
Read Full Article AUGUSTA, Ill. — Southeastern volleyball coach Tim Kerr has been waiting for Kenzie Griswold to have a breakout performance. The sophomore outside hitter delivered at an opportune time. Griswold had five early kills to help set an aggressive tone and 13 overall Thursday night as the top-seeded Suns dispatched Rushville-Industry in straight sets 25-12, 25-14…
Read Full Article QUINCY — An answered prayer, a unique draw and a top spot on the bracket. The revealing of the Illinois High School Association’s football playoff pairings had some of the intrigue teams crave and an intriguing twist with the final team to qualify for the 256-team field spread over eight classes. Quincy Notre Dame, which…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A little dose of “secret sauce” was all Abigail Genenbacher needed. The Quincy Notre Dame senior used a burst to catch and pass frontrunners Chloe Kelly of Monmouth-Roseville and Emma Whitaker of Illini West over the final 50 meters Saturday morning to win the girls individual title in the Class 1A cross country…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Camp Point Central football team finds itself in a familiar position — riding high heading into the postseason. The Panthers finished their fifth undefeated run through the regular season in the last 13 seasons with Friday night’s 59-13 victory over Winchester West Central. The second-ranked team in Class 1A will…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Some of the postseason drama that comes with Week 9 has been eliminated already, although a couple of Illinois prep football teams need victories to enhance their postseason prospects. Here is a look at what’s on tap this week: Mahomet-Seymour (7-1) at Quincy High School (8-0), 7 p.m. • WTAD 930 AM •…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are the latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters: Class 8A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (10) (8-0) 109 1 2. Lincoln-Way East (1) (8-0) 100 2 3. Barrington (8-0) 88 3 4. Maine South (7-1) 74 4 5.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The red tag blind drawing for Quincy Bay Waterfowl Management Area will take place Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources district office in Pittsfield. Registration begins at 10 a.m., and the drawing will take place at noon. The office is at 1252 W. Washington in Pittsfield. To participate, applicants…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Conference championships. Playoff qualifiers. District seeding. Week 8’s importance is at a high level across the board for Illinois and Missouri prep football teams. Here is a look at this weekend’s slate: Friday’s games Geneseo (6-1, 3-1 WB6) at Quincy High School (7-0, 5-0 WB6), 7 p.m. • WTAD 930 AM • WGEM…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are the latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters: Class 8A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (11) (7-0) 119 1 2. Lincoln-Way East (1) (7-0) 109 2 3. Barrington (7-0) 94 4 4. Maine South (6-1) 81 5 5.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Illinois prep football playoff picture is starting to gain some clarity. Six teams in our area have qualified, should qualify or could qualify depending on what happens over the final two weeks of the regular season. Around the state, some coaches and other prognosticators are updating and changing brackets, opinions and thoughts…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Saturday turned into a bounce-back day for the Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team and several area golfers. After tying for eighth and narrowly making the cut following the first round of the Class 1A state tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course, the Raiders shot the third lowest round of the day,…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame boys golf coach Brian Hendrian was monitoring the barrage of birdies coming from the first wave of golfers to hit Prairie Vista Golf Course on Friday morning when he received a text message. Michael Venvertloh’s father, Bruce, let Hendrian know his senior golfer had holed out for an eagle…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Week 7 of the prep football season will help determine which teams play for conference championships and which teams keep their postseason hopes alive. Here is a look at the weekend slate: Friday’s games Quincy High School (6-0) at Sterling (4-2), 7 p.m. • WTAD 930 AM • NFHS Network Did you know?:…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will conduct a public drawing for the allocation of trapping permits for nine different state locations on Saturday, Oct. 14, at Siloam Springs State Park in Adams County. Registration will begin at 10 a.m., and the drawing will follow at 11 a.m. People whose names are…
Read Full Article PAYSON, Ill. — Aden Frese positioned himself to make history. Then came the ninth hole at Edgewood Golf Course in Auburn, Ill., and suddenly, he felt like he was teetering on the edge. A wayward shot into the woods on his final hole of the Class 1A Auburn Sectional saddled the Payson Seymour senior golfer…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are the latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters: Class 8A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Loyola (11) (6-0) 128 1 2. Lincoln-Way East (2) (6-0) 119 2 3. York (6-0) 104 3 4. Barrington (6-0) 84 4 5. Maine…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Earlier this season, Trevor Neville said he had heard a lot of good things about Adams County Speedway. So the modified driver from Mackinaw, Ill., which is close to three hours away from Quincy and sits between Bloomington and Peoria, made the journey to Adams County for what he felt would be some…
Read Full Article EAST PEORIA, Ill. — A four-run third inning gave the Carthage junior high baseball team the lead and the Blueboys scored in every inning thereafter to beat Paris Crestwood 9-7 in the third-place game of the IESA Class 1A state tournament on Saturday. The Blueboys finish their season with a 23-5 record. Carthage beat Joliet…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois fall trout season will open Saturday, Oct. 21, at 59 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is warning anglers that warm weather will delay some early stockings this fall. The early catch-and-release season, scheduled to open Oct. 7 this year, will be…
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