QHS
NORMAL, Ill. — Andy Douglas didn’t remember what he said in the locker room because he didn’t know what to say when he walked in there. Tasked with offering some sense of comfort to his Quincy High School boys basketball team following its 58-50 loss Monday night to Lisle Benet Academy in the Class 4A…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — A scoring droiught that lasted more than five minutes at the start of the game put the Quincy High School boys basketball team in catch-up mode for the entirety of Monday night’s 58-50 loss to Lisle Benet Academy in the Class 4A Normal Super-Sectional at CEFCU Arena on the Illinois State University…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Each time Kamren Wires stood up to walk, the pain surged through his left foot and ankle, and that cast further doubt on the possibility he’d play anymore this postseason. “The doctors said I was out for three or four weeks, and I believed them,” said the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — No over-the-counter remedy could help those associated with the Quincy High School boys basketball program overcome the gnawing disappointment which had lingered for the equivalent of a calendar year. This wasn’t heartburn. This was heartache. “We know what it feels like to be one inch away,” said senior point guard Kamren Wires,…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Milton Whitfield had yet to experience playing in historic Vergil Fletcher Gym prior to Tuesday night. “All I wanted was a chance on this floor,” the Quincy High School junior guard said. For good reason. “It’s very beautiful, very big, very spacious,” Whitfield said. “The kind of floor you want to run…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — As they filed out of Vergil Fletcher Gym on Tuesday night, the Quincy High School boys basketball players weren’t aware of who their opponent would be in Friday’s Class 4A Collinsville Sectional title game. “Either one, I’m excited to play,” senior guard Bradley Longcor III said. He knew there would be motivation…
Read Full Article BELLEVILLE, Ill. — The sea of blue that flooded the Belleville West High School gym made Dom Clay feel like he was at Blue Devil Gym. “It felt like home, for sure,” Clay said. As the Quincy High School boys basketball team kept extending their blistering scoring run to start Friday’s Class 4A Belleville West…
Read Full Article BELLEVILLE, Ill. — When the Quincy High School boys basketball team breaks their huddle with shouts of ‘Family,’ that is no coincidence. “It’s a testament to what they’ve built over the years,” Blue Devils coach Andy Douglas said. “They truly care about each other on the floor, and they care about each other more off…
Read Full Article BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Rico Clay Jr.’s instincts when it comes to making a play on the ball brought more than a handful of college football recruiters to visit the talented cornerback last summer and fall. Those same instincts helped ensure the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s season didn’t end prematurely. With the top-seeded Blue…
Read Full Article GRANITE CITY, Ill. — With 4:43 remaining in regulation Friday night, Quincy High School girls basketball coach Brad Dance called his final timeout of the season. “I just challenged the girls,” Dance said. The Blue Devils trailed top-seeded Alton by 27 points in the Class 4A Granite City Regional championship, having played from behind since…
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 ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — For a moment, Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas thought maybe his team’s lackluster demeanor was just an aberration. The state-ranked Blue Devils lethargically took the floor for warmups prior to Tuesday night’s Western Big 6 Conference game against Rock Island at the Rocky Fieldhouse with a chance to…
Read Full Article GRANITE CITY, Ill. — The growth in confidence and maturity of the Quincy High School girls basketball players can be seen by looking at two measuring sticks. On Nov. 23, the Blue Devils lost 42-29 to Edwardsville in a neutral site game in O’Fallon, Ill. Monday night, in the Class 4A Granite City Regional semifinals,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Dom Clay got all the tears out of his system on Friday night, but that did not make Saturday any less emotional or memorable. For Clay and the seven other seniors on the Quincy High School boys basketball team, Saturday’s clash with Jacksonville marked their final game at Blue Devil Gym. “It hit…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Each time Keshaun Thomas gained position on a Moline defender in the post Friday night, Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas could hear former assistant coach Tom Lepper barking at the guards to make the entry pass. In fact, Douglas could envision the lumbering 6-foot-9 Lepper getting off the bench and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team needs a victory Tuesday night at Rock Island to finish undefeated in the Western Big 6 Conferenece following a 69-52 victory over Moline on Friday night at Blue Devil Gym,. The Blue Devils are 26-2 overall and 11-0 in the WB6. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Bring on the postseason. Quincy High School’s girls basketball team put the cap on another successful regular season Thursday night when it overwhelmed Moline 73-51 in a Western Big 6 Conference game before a crowd of about 290. Quincy, now 19-10 and one victory away from a third straight 20-win season, put four…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are the latest Illinois Associated Press boys basketball state rankings, as compiled by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Kenwood (10) 25-1 109 1 2. Quincy (1) 25-2 95 3 3. Homewood-Flossmoor 25-2 89 2 4. Hinsdale Central 27-2…
Read Full Article ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — For a moment Tuesday night, however brief it was, the Rock Island Alleman boys basketball team led state-ranked Quincy High School. Then the Blue Devils took possession of the ball, the lead and the game. Alleman sophomore guard Jack Wendt scored on a drive down the left side of the lane…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Quincy High School girls basketball team bookended its opening salvo with 3-pointers from Madelyn Hamby and Myley Longcor. After that, Jada Brown took over. The Blue Devils rattled off a 12-2 run to start Tuesday night’s game against Hannibal at Korf Gym as Hamby scored the first seven points and Longcor’s…
Read Full Article MENDON, Ill. — As the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball players prepared to take the floor Tuesday night, they had a little extra pep to their step. Credit, in part, goes to Mother Nature. “After we heard there’s a snow day (Wednesday), that just got us excited and we got after it,” Raiders junior guard…
Read Full Article QUINCY — It wasn’t going to be a repeat performance. One night after being held to a lone field goal in the first quarter and to just 13 points in the opening half against United Township, the Quincy High School boys basketball team made sure there would be no need for any second-half heroics. Beginning…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School wrestling team qualified six grapplers for sectionals, while Quincy Notre Dame will be sending five wrestlers forward after top-three finishes Saturday as the postseason got started with regional action. Overall, five area wrestlers won individual regional titles and 24 advanced to sectionals. The Blue Devils, competing in the Class…
Read Full Article QUINCY — It is not an exaggeration to say the Quincy High School boys basketball team played its worst 16 minutes of the season Friday night. It’s not hyperbole either to suggest it was the worst half of the Blue Devils’ careers. They freely admitted it was a struggle beyond measure. “Worst of all time,”…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team scored just three points in the first quarter Friday night against United Township and trailed 22-5 with three minutes to go in the first half, but the Blue Devils went on a 30-3 run to take control and post a 53-43 Western Big 6 Conference victory…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Gary Phillips didn’t return to his roots often, but when he did, the Quincy High School Hall of Fame basketball player was treated with legendary status. Even if he shied away from it. A star for the Blue Devils in the 1950s who became an All-American at the University of Houston and played…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Brad Dance may not have seemed overly excited when the final buzzer sounded or when he got recognized following his 100th career win as the Quincy High School girls basketball coach on Thursday, but the fashion in which the Blue Devils helped Dance reach the century mark made him proud. The Blue Devils…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls basketball team rallied to beat Rock Island Alleman 66-53 in Western Big 6 Conference play Thursday night at the QHS gym, giving coach Brad Dance his 100th victory with the Blue Devils. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was there and put together this photo gallery:
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 QUINCY — The need for redemption lasted 370 days. The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players refused to let it linger a day longer. Desperate to makes amends for last year’s 23-point loss to Quincy High School at The Pit in which they scored just 24 points, the state-ranked Raiders rattled off 10 of the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jenna Durst didn’t feel the vibes. “I didn’t really think the first two I shot were very good,” the Quincy Notre Dame junior forward said of her 3-point attempts from the left wing and the top of the key in the first 35 seconds of Tuesday night’s game against the Quincy High School…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team scored the first eight points of the second quarter Tuesday and never trailed again, building a 15-point second-half lead and fending off Quincy High School’s fourth-quarter charge for a 66-55 victory at Blue Devil Gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — The efficiency with which the Quincy High School boys basketball team runs its offense typically means a shot is going up after one, two or at most three passes. “Normally, We don’t normally get a reversal,” Blue Devils coach Andy Douglas said. The patience with which the Blue Devils played Saturday night…
Read Full Article STERLING, Ill. — Quincy High School girls basketball coach Brad Dance and the Blue Devils would have liked four extra minutes to attempt to topple state-ranked Sterling. A fraction of a second negated that opportunity. Off an inbounds play under the basket with 4.3 seconds remaining in regulation of a tied Western Big 6 Conference…
Read Full Article NORMAL, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys basketball team led by as many as eight points in the second half of Saturday’s game at the Midwest Crossroads Shootout and never gave up the lead despite St. Louis Chaminade whittling the deficit to as little as two points. The Blue Devils held on for a…
Read Full Article STERLING, Ill. — The Quincy High School wrestling team had three individual champions and finished second in the team standings in the Western Big 6 Conference Tournament on Friday night at Homer B. Musgrove Fieldhouse. Geneseo won the conference title with 240 team points, followed by Quincy with 190 and Moline with 108.5. Quincy freshman…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Every contender wants a shot at the title. So as both the reigning Western Big 6 Conference champion and the No. 2-ranked team in the state in Class 4A, the Quincy High School boys basketball squad has to be prepared to make sure a prize fight doesn’t turn into a back-alley brawl. “Everybody…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team improved to 10-0 in the Western Big 6 Conference with Friday night’s 84-45 victory over Sterling at Blue Devil Gym, giving the Blue Devils a two-game lead in the league standings. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article GALESBURG, Ill. — Quincy High School girls basketball coach Brad Dance dubbed it the “3A gauntlet.” Three games in six days against teams ranked in the top 11 in the state in Class 3A. “Yeah, that’s a challenge,” Dance said. The Blue Devils proved they’re up to the task. Myley Longcor buried a 3-pointer with…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are this week’s Illinois Associated Press boys basketball state rankings, as compiled by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Kenwood (11) 22-1 135 2 2. Quincy (2) 20-2 118 1 3. Homewood-Flossmoor (1) 22-2 108 7 4. Bolingbrook 22-3…
Read Full Article GALESBURG, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys basketball players’ action spoke just as loud as their words following Saturday’s loss — just the No. 1-ranked Blue Devils’ second loss of the season and first at home in nearly two years. They said a more focused attitude at practice would lead to better on-court results.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The seventh Quincy Shootout is in the books. What will we remember from it? Brad Underwood’s appearance, Oak Park’s impressive play, Chris Cenac’s name, Blue Devil Gym packed to the rafters and so much more. A basketball junkie’s dream weekend was undoubtedly successful yet again. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent Saturday…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The seventh Quincy Shootout is taking place this weekend at Blue Devil Gym and The Pit. All games are being streamed on the Central Illinois Sports channel on YouTube. Here is the schedule: Friday’s games At Blue Devil Gym Sunrise Christian 76, Father Tolton 40 MVP — Sunrise Christian guard Jacob Walker, who…
Read Full Article QUINCY — This one stings, not because of the outcome but more so because of the preparation. When you’re the No. 1-ranked boys basketball team in the Illinois Class 4A state poll and you’re asked to defend your home court in a spotlight matchup in a ballyhooed event, you can’t coast through the week. It’s…
Read Full Article QUINCY — About the only thing any of the Quincy High School girls basketball players would change about their return to the Quincy Shootout field is the ending. The Blue Devils would like a redo on the fourth quarter, too. The Blue Devils led Millard North, of Omaha, Neb., by 11 points at the start…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The top-ranked Quincy High School boys basketball team suffered its second loss of the season, falling 53-46 to Bishop O’Connell of Arlington, Va., in the marquee game of the seventh Quincy Shootout on Saturday night at Blue Devil Gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls basketball team saw its second-half lead evaporate, but the Blue Devils fought until the final seconds ticked away in a 56-52 loss to Millard North of Omaha, Neb., on Saturday during the seventh Quincy Shootout in Blue Devil Gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and…
Read Full Article 'We have to come with energy': Blue Devils prep for showdown with Knights by dispatching Maple Leafs
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team wasn’t going to disrespect the opponent, the event or the sport with a nonchalant effort. There’s too much riding on this weekend to be anything less than focused. So despite knowing what the outcome of Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference matchup with Geneseo could have…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Quincy High School softball coach Darrell Henze was suspended Friday without pay pending a termination to be decided by the Quincy School Board at its February meeting for violating the school’s code of conduct for coaches. Henze said he was informed of the decision by Lisa Otten, the director of personnel for the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The first night of the seventh Quincy Shootout produced what basketball fans have come to expect from the marquee event of the winter — high-level teams competing with energy and enthusiasm, college-level talent playing above the rim and games decided in the waning seconds. More of the same is expected Saturday, when nine…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Shootout returns Friday with four games being played at both Blue Devil Gym and The Pit on Friday night and nine games taking place Saturday at Blue Devil Gym. Here’s an A-to-Z look at what to expect and what to be on the lookout for this weekend: A is for attendance,…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are the latest Illinois Associated Press boys basketball state rankings, as compiled by a panel of sportswriters and sportscasters from across the state. First-place votes are in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Quincy (8) 18-1 142 1 2. Kenwood (2) 20-1 126 2 3. Bolingbrook (3) 20-2 122…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Evan Wakefield did not let an early three-point deficit deter him. Cale Mixer did not let the fact he had been pinned by the same opponent the day before deter him. And Clayton McClelland did not let more than two minutes of overtime or the gauze falling out of his bloody nose several…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Bradley Longcor III doesn’t glance at the scoreboard often during a game other than to check the time remaining and occasionally see what the score might be. “Just the time really,” he said. “To be honest, that’s it.” And he ignores the individual numbers shared on the big scoreboard on the south wall…
Read Full Article QUINCY — First, down went Moline. Then Rock Island. And lastly Lincoln. The No. 1-ranked Quincy High School boys basketball team swept three tradition-rich foes this week, completing the trifecta Saturday night with a 51-21 victory over Lincoln at Blue Devil Gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The challengers continue to line up to take a crack at knocking the Quincy High School boys basketball team from its best-team-in-the-state perch. They keep failing for one very significant reason. The Blue Devils adjust, anchor down and get aggressive defensively. “I like our odds against anybody as long as we do what…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Two senior wrestlers entered Friday’s Quincy Invitational at 99 career wins and it did not take long for either of them to reach the century mark. Quincy High School’s Gunnar Derhake and Palmyra’s Luke Lawson each won their first-round matches to reach the 100-win plateau. At 165 pounds, Derhake defeated Pekin’s Trace Holmes…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A second-quarter surge carried the top-ranked Quincy High School boys basketball team to a 56-44 victory over ninth-ranked Rock Island in Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference showdown at Blue Devil Gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
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 MOLINE, Ill. — Dom Clay didn’t try to hide what this one meant. As the final seconds ticked away on Tuesday night’s 71-56 Western Big 6 Conference victory over the Moline boys basketball team at Wharton Field House, the Quincy High School senior guard stood near midcourt pumping his right arm in celebration. “It was…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Quincy High School girls basketball team plays only one game in the next 10 days, giving the Blue Devils a chance to recharge, refocus and recover. All are needed. Sunday’s 60-54 overtime loss to Strafford (Mo.) in the Sophie Cunningham Classic at Columbia College’s Southwell Complex marked Quincy’s third game in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Keshaun Thomas despises the idea of coasting into halftime. “Everybody has to go out there and hustle their hardest, no matter how much we’re up,” said Thomas, the 6-foot-6 senior forward with a relentless motor who has helped the Quincy High School boys basketball rise to No. 1 in the Class 4A state…
Read Full Article COLUMBIA, Mo. — The moment nearly swept the Quincy High School girls basketball team away. Playing in the Sophie Cunningham Classic at Columbia College’s Southwell Complex on Saturday, the Blue Devils had the opportunity to meet Cunningham, the former Mizzou standout and current Phoenix Mercury guard, and experience what it is like to play in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The No. 1-ranked team in the state isn’t showing any signs of taking it easy on anyone. The Quincy High School boys basketball team — No. 1 in Class 4A — built a 22-point lead by halftime Saturday night and cruised to an 80-56 victory over Springfield at Blue Devil Gym. Quincy improved…
Read Full Article QUINCY — In the locker room after the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s 59-56 loss to Vashon on Jan. 4 — the Blue Devils’ first setback of the season — the attention turned to how to move forward. Four seniors — Dom Clay, Bradley Longcor III, Kamren Wires, and Keshaun Thomas — stood up…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The top-ranked Quincy High School boys basketball team scored the first 10 points Friday night and never let up in a 90-34 victory over Rock Island Alleman in Western Big 6 Conference play at Blue Devil Gym. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Here are the Associated Press boys basketball state rankings as compiled by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes in parenthesis: Class 4A Rank School Total Points Previous 1. Quincy (6) (13-1) 90 T2 2. Kenwood (3) (14-1) 80 1 (tie) Rich Township (1) (9-4) 80 NR 4. Bolingbrook (15-2) 74…
Read Full Article HIGHLAND, Ill. — There was optimism amid disappointment Saturday night, which is a sign the Quincy High School boys basketball team will be better because of this. For starters, the Blue Devils were adamant a single loss will not derail them. “We are still hungry and not satisfied where we are right now,” senior guard…
Read Full Article HIGHLAND, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys basketball team led four-time defending Missouri Class 4 state champion St. Louis Vashon with five minutes to play in Saturday’s marquee game of the Highland Shootout, but the Wolverines used a closing kick to secure a 59-56 victory. Freelance photographer Tim Vizer was courtside and put together…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Mark this victory down as comfortably easy. The Quincy High School girls basketball team’s 63-42 victory over Springfield Southeast did not quite qualify as a blowout, but neither was it a nailbiter. “It felt a lot closer than a 21-point game, but at several points it seemed like we were going to blow…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Mission accomplished. After losing back-to-back years in the championship game of the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic, the Quincy High School boys basketball players set a goal — actually they made it their mission — to win the title this season as a springboard into 2025. In fact, almost two months ago…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The fifth Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic championship the Quincy High School boys basketball team won has some striking similarities to one of the previous four. In 1991, the Blue Devils waltzed to the title, beating four opponents by an average of 15.5 points and hammering Jacksonville 55-40 in the championship game.…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys basketball team won its first Christmas holiday tournament championship since 1997, beating The Woodlands Christian Academy (Texas) 68-47 on Sunday night in the title game of the 40th Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic at Vergil Fletcher Gym. Photographer Tim Vizer put together this photo gallery from the…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — When a timeout was called midway through the third quarter Saturday night, Kamren Wires gathered his Quincy High School boys basketball teammates and delivered an important message. Let it go, he told them. “He brought all the guys in and was like, ‘Hey, quit complaining about fouls. Quit whining to the officials.…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The first three quarters of Saturday afternoon’s game at the Shirk Center in the State Farm Holiday Classic showed just how good the Quincy High School girls basketball team can be. One moment halfway through the fourth quarter showed how fragile that success is. The Blue Devils posted a 61-42 victory over…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys basketball team, ranked second in Class 4A, will play in the championship game of the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic for a third straight year when the Blue Devils face The Woodlands Christian (Texas) at 8 p.m. Sunday at Vergil Fletcher Gym. The Blue Devils reached the…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — By now, the Quincy High School boys basketball players have discovered how much of a challenge it is to make reality match increasingly high expectations. The Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic has taught them that. This is the fourth consecutive season the Blue Devils have reached Christmas either undefeated or with just…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — No matter what the Quincy High School girls basketball team did, Chicago St. Ignatius always had an answer. Typically, it was in the form of a 3-pointer. Sally Kennedy’s 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer Friday night gave the Wolfpack a four-point halftime edge, while Reganne Reardon bookended a tide-turning 10-2 run in…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The pursuit of its first holiday tournament championship in nearly 30 years is well underway after the Quincy High School boys basketball team dispatched McCluer (Mo.) North 68-46 on Friday afternoon in the 40th Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic at Vergil Fletcher Gym. Freelance photographer Tim Vizer set up courtside and put…
Read Full Article BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — If the State Farm Holiday Classic organizing committee had chosen to incorporate the shot clock for this year’s tournament, the Quincy High School girls basketball team’s nine-point halftime lead Thursday night could have been substantially more. “I bet we force another four or five turnovers,” QHS coach Brad Dance said. “Our defense…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Following an emotionally charged weekend that saw the Quincy High School boys basketball team win a pair of games to improve to 9-0, the Blue Devils were given Sunday off to rest and recharge. Not that any of them planned to take advantage of it. “I know guys are already talking about being…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Bradyn Little’s name is littered all over the record books. The Quincy High School senior quarterback established new single-season records in every passing category this fall, throwing for 4,130 yards with 263 completions and 47 touchdowns. Each one of those marks ranks among the top 10 single-season performances in Illinois High School Association…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Anyone who caught sight of Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas on the sideline after the Blue Devils forced a turnover on Quincy Notre Dame’s third possession of Saturday night’s game might have been a little perplexed. Douglas stomped his left foot, slammed his right fist into his left hand and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — There wasn’t much Quincy Notre Dame’s Beau Etink could say about the Raiders’ crosstown counterparts other than the painstakingly obvious. “It’s quite simple. They’re just really good,” Eftink said. The few words Eftink used to describe the state-ranked Quincy High School boys basketball team couldn’t have been more accurate. After a relatively back-and-forth…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Brad Dance is a proven success as a girls basketball coach. As a math wiz, however, Dance may need to sharpen his skills. Moments after his Quincy High School team had dominated Boonville 55-29 on Saturday during the final day of the week-long 17th Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball, ranked second in Class 4A, showed its well deserving of a high ranking as it steamrolled Quincy Notre Dame in the second quarter Saturday night at cruised to a 70-40 victory at Blue Devil Gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this…
Read Full Article EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Andy Douglas laughingly joked the Quincy High School boys basketball program may be financially responsible for any locker room damages that occurred Friday night, insinuating there had been an uproar at halftime. Neither the Blue Devils’ head coach nor any of his staff took out any shower heads or locker doors,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Brad Dance is finding himself in the holiday spirit, and he wants the stockings of all of the Quincy High School girls basketball players to be filled with good vibes. “I told the girls we have to start finding the positives in things,” the Blue Devils coach said. Friday night, there was nothing…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The first half was far from a masterpiece, but the final product looked significantly better. The Quincy High School girls basketball team put the pedal to the metal in the second half of Thursday’s Western Big 6 Conference tilt with United Township, outscoring the Panthers 36-10 in the final 16 minutes on its…
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 STERLING, Ill. — Quincy High School boys basketball coach Ryan Brown set forth a challenge for senior forward Keshaun Thomas heading into Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference game against Sterling. Brown implored Thomas to come away with 20 points and 20 rebounds. “When he told me, I took it to heart to go out…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The offense went silent for too long. The Quincy High School girls basketball team staked itself to a seven-point lead in Thursday night’s showdown with state-ranked Galesburg midway through the second quarter before everything went awry. The Blue Devils scored just two points over the final 5 minutes, 24 seconds of the first…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Quincy High School’s girls basketball team received the perfect wake-up call Wednesday night. A bit painful, but perfect. “We came out flat, and Macomb punched us right in the mouth,” Blue Devils coach Brad Dance said. Macomb dominated the first quarter, racing to a 16-9 lead, but those opening eight minutes wound up…
Read Full Article QUINCY — If that was the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s B — or even C — game, the rest of the Western Big 6 Conference must be shaking in their boots at the thought of the Blue Devils bringing their A game. The state-ranked Blue Devils led by as many as 50 points…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball team took care of one of its mid-week chores Tuesday night, dispatching Galesburg 82-39 in the first Western Big 6 Conference game at home this season. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article QUINCY — There were no alarms sounding, no distress flags being raised. The Quincy High School boys basketball team needed a full first quarter Saturday night for its offense to find a comfortable second gear, but once it did, it became obvious — and rather quickly — it was not a matter of if the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls basketball team executed the play. The shot just did not go in. The Blue Devils trailed Sterling 48-46 with six seconds left during Saturday’s Western Big 6 Conference clash at the QHS gym. On an inbounds play underneath the Sterling basket, Quincy sophomore guard Myley Longor got the…
Read Full Article GENESEO, Ill. — Although he has a veteran starting lineup, Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas understood the first road trip for a new varsity roster could present some challenges. “The schedule is just different and you don’t know how guys will react,” Douglas said. The Blue Devils handled it like pros. Quincy…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Once the Quincy High School girls basketball team quit trying to do too much, it proved to be too much for Geneseo. The Blue Devils scored two quick baskets before turning the ball over five times in the opening 3 minutes, 19 seconds of Thursday night’s Western Big 6 Conference game at the…
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