QND
QUINCY — A little push in the right direction is welcome right before the Quincy High School girls tennis team chases a Western Big 6 Conference championship. Quincy Notre Dame provided that Monday. The Blue Devils won the crosstown dual 7-2 at the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park, but two of the three doubles…
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LINCOLN, Ill. — The Illinois High School Association’s decision to use the iWanamaker scoring app for postseason golf events took some of the suspense away as the Quincy Notre Dame girls chased a sectional title Monday. However, it did little to diminish the Raiders’ joy. QND posted a 360 team score in the Class 1A…
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BARTONVILLE, Ill. — The regional of death, as Quincy Notre Dame boys golf coach Brian Hendrian liked to call it, morphed into a sadistic sectional Monday at Coyote Creek Golf Course. Experience and depth led to the Raiders surviving both. But it wasn’t without some worry. “To be completely honest, when we made the turn,…
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QUINCY — A 3-mile duel was decided by a matter of seconds. Quincy High School cross country standout Olivia Schuering edged Liberty’s Arianna Neisen by six seconds Saturday, winning the Tom Oakley Invitational girls race at Bob Mays Park. The Blue Devils swept the individual crowns as Eric McClelland won the boys race. Schuering and…
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MAHOMET, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame football team’s initial offensive possession Friday night ended with Deakon Schuette’s 37-yard field goal, but it showed the Raiders could move the ball against state-ranked Mahomet-Seymour. That was a fleeting feeling. Despite a defensive effort that forced five turnovers and scored a defensive touchdown, the Raiders weren’t able…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Hana Knuffman understands the Quincy Notre Dame girls golf team doesn’t have to rely on the same golfers day in and day out to post competitive scores. It’s the kind of depth that makes postseason success possible. “We have really good chemistry with each other, which makes it that we know…
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FORSYTH, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys golfers realized circumstances seemed bleak. “We didn’t have a hot front nine,” senior Colin Larson said following Wednesday’s Class 2A Maroa-Forsyth Regional at Hickory Point Golf Course. “We definitely did not start off strong. On or about the 12th or 13th hole, we were four shots back…
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QUINCY — Everything about Senior Night is designed to bring out emotion. The swelling pride of parents. The camaraderie of classmates. The realization the end is near. It tends to make the game — no matter the sport — a secondary component to everything else. Wednesday night at The Pit, the six seniors on the…
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HAMILTON, Ill. — Back-to-back has a nice ring to it. The Quincy Notre Dame girls golf team won its second consecutive West Central Conference championship Monday at Deer Run Golf Course, placing all six golfers in the top 10 and winning by nearly 100 strokes. The Raiders posted a 386 team total. Rushville-Industry was second…
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GALESBURG, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team is heading into the postseason on quite a roll. Three days after winning the West Central Conference championship with a 291 team total, the Raiders captured the title of Saturday’s Silver Streaks Invitational at Bunker Links by placing five individuals in the top 10 and…
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QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame senior Wilson Henning has sensed a trend so far this season. “We’ve played well in the first half, but in the second half, we are just gassed out,” the Raiders offensive lineman said. Friday night’s rivalry game with Breese Mater Dei looked as if it might go down the same…
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QUINCY — Ali Entrup’s reaction spoke volumes. Her play at the net resonated even louder. During a tug-o-war portion of the first set Thursday night against Illini West at The Pit, the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team’s senior right side hitter stuffed a Chargers attack, giving the Raiders the point, the serve and the momentum.…
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QUINCY — Here is a look at the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team’s 25-15, 25-18 victory over Illini West on Thursday night at The Pit through the camera lens of Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman:
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QUINCY — The weather-related damage to Arrowhead Heights Golf Course that forced the West Central Conference boys golf tournament to be moved to Westview Golf Course proved to be a boon for Quincy Notre Dame. It was an unfortunate circumstance for everyone else. The Raiders took advantage of playing their home course Wednesday, posting five…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Playing a best-of-three or best-of-five series doesn’t seem to matter to the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team. The Raiders are dominant either way. QND rolled into Korf Gym on Tuesday night and swept Hannibal 25-17, 25-19, 25-12. Illinois teams play best-of-three series, while Missouri schools play best-of-five. Since the Raiders (18-1) traveled…
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KIRKSVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls golf team is priming itself for the postseason. Tuesday, the Raiders recorded a pair of personal-best 18-hole scores and successfully defended their championship of the Kirksville Invitational, shooting a 345 at Kirksville Country Club. Kirksville finished second at 376 and Hannibal was third at 391. Palmyra tied…
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COLCHESTER, Ill. — Samantha Carmean picked a perfect time to have a career day. The Quincy High School golfer posted a career low 90, helping the Blue Devils win the championship of the Macomb Invitational with a 330 team score at Gold Hills Golf Club. Macomb finished second at 344, and Quincy Notre Dame was…
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QUINCY — The Pit is their happy place. To see how true that is, take a gander at the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball players during warmups or pregame introductions. Smiles and laughter overtake everyone. “We love to be here,” senior outside hitter Laela Hernandez-Jones said. “We love games. We love getting to perform what we’re…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football players were engaged in their pre-practice team meeting and watching game film when Raiders coach Jack Cornell interrupted everything with some disheartening news. Saturday’s opponent — Hayti, a Class 1 school from the Missouri bootheel with an enrollment of 260 students — was forfeiting. “Silent,” senior running back…
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QUINCY — The setting couldn’t have been more picturesque. Sun splashed across South Park’s rolling hills with a cool breeze rustling leaves on the thick, old oak trees looming over the final mile of the 3-mile cross country course spanning from one end of the park to the other for Tuesday’s 21st Running Raider Invitational.…
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QUINCY — With the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles matches having wrapped up and the Quincy High School girls tennis team winning both, twin sisters Lily and Phoebe Hayes understood they could put the Blue Devils in prime position to win Monday’s dual match if they could survive. Their resiliency took the pressure off in…
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QUINCY — A progression of missed opportunities Saturday afternoon left the Quincy Notre Dame football players equally perturbed and perplexed by their mistakes. The best explanation the Raiders could summon was a failure to execute. “In all phases of the game, it really just comes down to execution, effort and technique,” said Dalton Miller, the…
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LINCOLN, Ill. — The mark of a championship-caliber team is the ability to take a punch and come back swinging. The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team won’t ever stay down for the count. The Raiders saw a 14-match win streak get snapped in the semifinals of the Lincoln Tournament on Saturday at Roy S. Anderson…
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QUINCY — A taxing seven-games-in-11-days stretch became a distant memory when the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team returned to the pitch Thursday night after a week off. Yet, the second segment of the Raiders’ schedule started the same as the first. A shutout loss to high-quality team has the Raiders looking to quickly rebound.…
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QUINCY — Abbey Schreacke figured Wednesday’s trip to Columbia, Mo., for an official visit with the University of Missouri women’s basketball program might end with giving Tigers coach Robin Pingeton a verbal commitment. “I was thinking about it a lot and just waiting for the right moment,” Schreacke said. It came when she learned her…
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QUINCY — As each Emma Hoing topspin serve befuddled the Rushville-Industry volleyball players, the Quincy Notre Dame advantage grew more insurmountable. “It’s kind of fun,” said Hoing, the junior outside hitter who enjoyed a nine-point run on her serve during the second set of Wednesday night’s match at The Pit. “I just want to keep…
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QUINCY — The styles vary from Emma Hoing’s thunderous jump serve to Faith Kientzle’s precision from the back line, but they all have the same intent. Be disruptive. The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team showcased how vital the serve is to the attack during Saturday’s triangular at The Pit, dominating a pair of matches from…
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ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame football coach Jack Cornell wasn’t pleased with his team’s physical level of play in last week’s loss to Quincy High School. His concern was addressed on Friday night when his team rushed for 277 yards in a 38-0 victory over Rock Island Alleman at Lundberg Field on the…
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QUINCY — Consider it intuition or a sixth sense if you will, but some sort of extrasensory perception enables Brock Evans to know where, when and how to get Tanner Anderson the ball. “Every time Tanner yells, I know where he’s going to be even if I don’t see him,” the Quincy Notre Dame senior…
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QUINCY — With the game tied at 3 and less than five minutes remaining in regulation, the ball found Tanner Anderson’s foot. From there, it found the back of the net. The Quincy Notre Dame senior forward scored the game-winning goal in a 4-3 victory over Quincy High School on Thursday night at Advance Physical…
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QUINCY — The first crosstown showdown of the fall provided the intrigue and competitive grit that has made the Quincy High School vs. Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer rivalry so intense for the better part of the last four decades. The Raiders won 4-3 on Tanner Anderson’s goal with four minutes remaining in regulation at…
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QUINCY — Spending five consecutive games watching from the sideline with a tweaked back is not a scenario Brock Evans wants to revisit. “It was awful,” said Evans, a senior midfielder who hadn’t played for the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team prior to Tuesday’s game against Hannibal. “Just the thought of it in my…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team refused to be denied, while the Quincy High School squad got over the hump. That made the day-long QHS Early Bird Invitational Tournament a success on all fronts. The Raiders swept five consecutive matches and overcame a five-point deficit in the second set of the title match…
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QUINCY — The tournament bookends defensively might not have been ideal, but the persistence and aggressiveness with which the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team attacked in between those moments led to a championship effort. The Raiders finished 3-0 and won the title of the 33rd annual QND/Quincy Recycle Tournament at Advance Physical Therapy Field,…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team was forced to show some wherewithal to survive its opening game in the QND/Quincy Recycle Tournament at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Trailing Ladue Horton Watkins 2-1 after Rams junior forward Dailyn Tate scored twice, the Raiders tied the game 11 minutes before halftime and scored four…
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QUINCY — Jeraius Rice plopped himself down at midfield Friday night, looking as happy as someone seeing their first snow. Rice and several of his Quincy High School football teammates made “snow angels” at Advanced Physical Therapy Field to celebrate the Blue Devils’ 21-13 victory over crosstown rival Quincy Notre Dame. Rice, a sophomore tailback,…
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QUINCY — Faith Kientzle’s smile never fades. Why should it? Volleyball season is officially here. “It’s supposed to be fun,” said the Quincy Notre Dame senior libero, who has already verbally committed to Lincoln Land Community College. “And that’s what Coach told us. Just go out there and have fun and the other stuff will…
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QUINCY — One night after being shut out in the season opener by Peoria Notre Dame, the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team found its offensive rhythm. Tanner Anderson scored a hat trick in the first half and the Raiders rumbled to a 6-0 victory over Beardstown at Advance Physical Therapy Field on Tuesday night.…
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QUINCY — It’s not where or how you start. It’s about where and how you end. So the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team will take Monday’s 3-0 loss to Peoria Notre Dame in the season opener at Advance Physical Therapy Field as a lesson learned and figure out how to make the ending better…
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QUINCY — Blake Arnold has figured out how to eliminate the chaos, keep things simple and avoid the kind of mistakes that can derail a solid round of golf. Only one player was better at it Saturday. Springfield’s Peyton Woods shot 1-under on both nines at Westview Golf Course to post a 2-under 69 and…
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QUINCY — Long before the sound of tennis balls bouncing off the hard courts or banging off the fences began echoing through South Park, Quincy Notre Dame girls tennis coach Theresa Quintero knew this would be a unique season. That hasn’t changed now that matches are underway. Raiders senior Lia Quintero, the No. 1 singles…
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QUINCY — Depth is a luxury the Quincy Notre Dame girls volleyball players appreciate. It also creates a challenge they embrace. “If you’re working hard, it makes another person work hard,” senior outside hitter Avery Keck said. “You’re pushing each other all the way. You’re competing for a spot, but you’re also supporting your team…
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QUINCY — Blustery conditions beneath a bright sun turned Spring Lake Country Club’s 18-hole golf course into a challenging track Saturday afternoon. Quincy Notre Dame’s Konnor Craven posted his second straight solid round, shooting a 2-over 74 to earn medalist honors in a quadrangular in which only three golfers broke 80. The Raiders won the…
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QUINCY — There’s an anxiousness shared by the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer players. “I wish we could play tomorrow,” senior midfielder Colin Kurk said. Knowing the season opener against Peoria Notre Dame isn’t until August 22, the Raiders have to temper their enthusiasm. “We have to get through the two weeks of practice first,”…
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QUINCY — If Blake Arnold can replicate the back nine of his first event of the prep golf season, it could turn out to be a banner senior season. The Liberty golfer posted a 2-under 33 on the back nine Thursday at Westview Golf Course, allowing him to card an even-par 71 and earn individual…
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HAMILTON, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame’s Hana Knuffman shot a 40 on the back nine Thursday at Deer Run Golf Course and posted an 83 to take medalist honors in the Lady Titan Invitational hosted by West Hancock. The QND girls golf team won the season-opening event with a 363. Macomb was second at 389…
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QUINCY — It’s only fitting the final two area baseball teams left standing in the Land of Lincoln were honored with spots on the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams. Brown County senior center fielder/pitcher Gabe Blakeley and Quincy Notre Dame junior first baseman/pitcher Dalton Miller were named to the Class 1A and…
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QUINCY — Despite a shoulder injury that now has her prepping for surgery, Eryn Cornwell remained a force in the middle of the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s lineup. Her production resulted in receiving Class 2A first-team all-state honors from the Illinois Coaches Association. QND freshman Caitlin Bunte was a second-team selection, while five area…
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QUINCY — The front-to-back, middle-of-the-field trio that carried the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team to a state championship earned some worthy postseason honors. So did Quincy High School’s dangerous sophomore connection. Raiders forward Lia Quintero, midfielder Avery Keck and sweeper Eva Dickerman — they are all juniors — received all-sectional plaudits from the Illinois…
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NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Annie Eaton’s tear-filled eyes and ear-to-ear smile told the same story. Her elation over helping the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team win the Class 1A state championship Saturday night was all-encompassing. “It’s every emotion you can think of,” Eaton said while standing in the courtyard outside North Central College’s Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium…
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NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team won the sixth state championship in program history Saturday night, beating Richmond-Burton 1-0 on Avery Keck’s goal with 2 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in regulation of the Class 1A state title game at North Central College’s Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Photographer Randy Dickerman captured the action and…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — With his Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s season on the line Saturday afternoon, Raiders coach Ryan Oden knew all hope wasn’t lost. The Raiders trailed Maroa-Forsyth by five runs going into the bottom of the seventh inning of a Class 2A sectional championship game at Reiser Field. “I knew we had…
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NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The resolve of the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team continues to be put to the test. The biggest challenge awaits. The Raiders will play for a state championship without their leading scorer and all-state candidate. “We try to come in with a good mindset and try to control the emotions,” sophomore…
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NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Sophie Gramke never figured out why. So she concentrated on the how. How does she get better? How does she regain her knack for scoring? How does she find the spark that seemed to be missing? The rest of the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer players showed her how Friday night. “Coming…
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NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team advanced to the Class 1A state championship game with a 1-0 victory over Normal U-High in Friday’s semifinals at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium on the North Central College campus. Photographer Randy Dickerman captured images throughout the contest. Check out his work in this photo gallery:
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QUINCY — Lying on the turf with athletic trainer Kyle Leapley tending to her right knee, Anna Keck could have had the “oh, no, not again” scenario running through her head. Instead, she focused on “get me back out there” thoughts. “I didn’t want to let my team down,” said Keck, a junior defensive midfielder…
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QUINCY — The newness of the state tournament experience wore off when the youthful Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team didn’t get the opportunity to play in the title game a year ago. “Disappointing,” junior forward Lia Quintero said. “I’d say it was disappointing.” So this time, it’s all business. The Raiders head back to…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The darkening clouds rolling in from the northeast mimicked the situation the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team faced. Ominous, very ominous. “I kept looking over my shoulder and seeing those clouds coming closer and closer to the point you see the line of rain at the right-field fence,” said Jack Linenfelser,…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team ran its winning streak to 23 consecutive games and improved to 32-2 — the second-most single-season victories in program history — with Wednesday’s 2-1 victory over Shelbyville in the Class 2A sectional semifinals at Reiser Field. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the Raiders’…
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COLUMBIA, Ill. — The Illinois girls state soccer championships are returning to North Central College’s Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville this weekend for the first time in three years. It’s only fitting Quincy Notre Dame returns, too. As QND coach Mark Longo put it, it is the Raiders’ “home away from home.” Figuring out how to…
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ATHENS, Ill. — Only 13 pitches into the game, Quincy Notre Dame freshman hurler Caitlin Bunte found herself in a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam. Buffalo Tri-City capitalized on it. The Tornadoes erupted for six runs on five hits in the first inning, propelling them to a 13-4 victory in the Class 2A sectional softball semifinals at…
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QUINCY — The old bully on the postseason playground threatened to derail the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s title quest yet again. That was until a tag and swing knocked Beardstown to its knees. A legendary coaching career went down with it. The Raiders escaped danger in the first inning, tagging out the Tigers’ William…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team kept the good times rolling, winning its 22nd consecutive game with a 6-2 victory over Beardstown in the Class 2A regional championship at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Took a look at how Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action through his camera lens:
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Marko Cucuk didn’t shift into cruise control just because his spot in the Illinois boys tennis state tournament field was secure. A sectional championship, a better state seed and the momentum from a string of victories mattered just as much as qualifying for the championships. The Quincy Notre Dame junior took care…
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PETERSBURG, Ill. — Heading into her first regional championship, Quincy Notre Dame freshman pitcher Caitlin Bunte admittedly was jittery. “I was really nervous,” Bunte said. “I felt pretty confident, but there were some nerves.” After recording the first two outs of the top of the first inning — the first on an amazing catch by…
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QUINCY — Aly Young couldn’t stop smiling or shaking her head. Her excitement matched her disbelief. “It’s still just really crazy,” said Young, a sophomore goalkeeper on the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team. “I keep saying, ‘What the heck just happened?’” In one sense, the improbable happened. In another, destiny did. Either way, the…
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QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Longo readily admitted Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin controlled the bulk of play Friday. “It was probably 60/40 in their favor,” he said. “It may have been 62/38 or something like that.” Even so, Longo never fully fretted. His stout defense is why. Raiders sophomore goalkeeper Aly Young…
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QUINCY — Dead red is all Ryan Oden said. It’s all Alex Connoyer needed to hear. After Athens right-hander Davis Ishmael loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday by sandwiching a hit batter between two walks, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball coach told his junior shortstop to look for nothing but…
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QUINCY — It might not have seemed out of the ordinary to any of the Quincy Gems players to have the 9-year-old son of their pitching coach running around the outfield with them shagging baseballs. Those moments, though, turned out to be priceless. Nearly a decade later, everyone sees why. Quincy Notre Dame left fielder…
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QUINCY — This time, it wasn’t so easy, even if it seemed so in the end. After scoring in the first 10 minutes of both regional matches and outscoring those two opponents 13-0, the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team discovered scoring on Piasa Southwestern in Tuesday’s Class 1A QND Sectional semifinal wasn’t going to…
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PETERSBURG, Ill. — Uncharacteristic lapses defensively didn’t cost the Quincy Notre Dame softball team a spot in the regional championship game, but it gives the Raiders a focal point to address in the coming days. Top-seeded QND committed seven errors, although none of them resulted in runs, and scratched across enough runs Tuesday to beat…
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QUINCY — Eryn Cornwell’s focus and concentration when she’s in the pitcher’s circle often robs her of the chance to appreciate Lindsey Fischer’s exuberance. Playing third base provides Cornwell an entirely different view of the show. “I kind of like playing third because I can sit there and watch Lindsey do her thing,” Cornwell said.…
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QUINCY — Fifteen hours didn’t change much. Friday night at the Backyard, the Pearl City softball team jumped on Quincy Notre Dame by scoring twice in the top of the first inning in what became a 7-2 victory. Saturday morning, the Wolves struck for two runs in the top of the first again. “There’s a…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Just in case anyone in the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional showed up Saturday at Jacksonville Routt to get a peek at what the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team is capable of doing, the Raiders provided plenty of food for thought. Namely, the Raiders made them ask: How do you stop this…
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QUINCY — Hope floats, right? Not if you’re a regional opponent of the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team. Friday afternoon, the Raiders snared the lead 10 minutes into the Class 1A QND Regional championship game and Beardstown and never allowed the Tigers to mount any sort of counterattack, ultimately posting a 5-0 victory at…
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QUINCY — The first comeback showcased the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s resiliency. The second rally never materialized. Facing Pearl City on Friday night at the Backyard, the Raiders answered the Wolves’ two-run top of the first inning with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. They couldn’t do the same when…
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QUINCY — A pitchers’ duel with the West Central Conference softball championship on the line tilted in Quincy Notre Dame’s favor in the fifth inning Wednesday. The first five batters in the bottom of the frame reached base safely, leading to a three-run outburst that carried the Raiders to a 4-0 victory over Central at…
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QUINCY — Patience is a piece of the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s arsenal that often gets overlooked. The ability to not get jumpy at the plate paid major dividends Wednesday. The Raiders capitalized on four walks from Gateway Legacy Christian Academy starter Isaac Rosario in the first inning to score three times and set…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team’s postseason plan is quite simple. Score early. Score often. Score as much as possible. Lia Quintero’s first two goals came just 40 seconds apart Tuesday and gave the top-seeded Raiders a two-goal lead just four minutes into the Class 1A QND Regional semifinal against eighth-seeded Springfield…
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QUINCY — After Brady Kindhart led off the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday with a double to deep center field, Jack Linenfelser stepped to the plate with one thing in mind. “Put the ball in play,” he said. The Quincy Notre Dame middle infielder did a little more than that. Linenfelser traded places with…
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QUINCY — Mike Terry reminded the bottom four players in the Quincy High School boys tennis team’s singles lineup just how valuable their efforts could be. “I called them in and said, ‘We need these four matches,’” the veteran coach said. “I knew we’d have a rough time at Nos. 1 and 2, not because…
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QUINCY — Mason Winking’s part-time job at Farm & Home Supply afforded him the opportunity last weekend to pick up some new home run bling for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team. Little did the Raiders know how significant the upgrade would be. Winking purchased — he used his employee discount, an important fact for…
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QUINCY — A barrage of hits and runs in the first two innings of Monday night’s crossdown showdown between the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame baseball teams ended, and the game became a battle of zeroes until the lights went out with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Sports Editor…
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QUINCY — Eric Orne’s knowledge of sports films came in handy Monday evening. The veteran Quincy Notre Dame softball coach matter-of-factly referenced Raiders left fielder Laela Hernandez-Jones to the fictional Willie Mays Hayes in the classic 1989 baseball movie “Major League.” “Laela is our fastest player, just like Willie Mays Hayes,” Orne said. “She got…
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QUINCY — It hasn’t happened often when the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team goes three consecutive innings without scoring. When it happened Saturday against Hannibal, no one fretted. “This year, we’re more mature,” Raiders junior Alex Connoyer said. “We know we can put up six in an inning. We know we can do it like…
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QUINCY — With each swing he took, Brady Kindhart sensed he was inching closer to where ball and barrel would meet in harmony. Once that happened, the Quincy Notre Dame junior third baseman has done nothing but string hits together. Friday, he bookended the Raiders’ 14th consecutive victory with sweet-spot connections. Kindhart delivered a run-scoring…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team is primed for the postseason. The Raiders picked up their third straight victory in their regular-season finale Friday at Advance Physical Therapy, using two early goals from Lia Quintero to kickstart a 6-0 victory over Burlington Notre Dame. QND (16-3-3) opens the postseason at 4 p.m.…
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QUINCY — If rain cannot slow the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s offense, what can? Opposing pitchers are asking the same thing. Thursday at the Ferd, the Raiders scored in double digits for the fourth straight game and the 13th time this season while beating West Hancock 11-0. QND has outscored its opponents 49-3 in…
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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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QUINCY — All the distractions that come with the calendar rolling over from April to May — things like prom, graduation and college commitments — are being magnified by the fact the weather is making it difficult for prep baseball and softball teams to find their rhythm. The opportunity to build postseason momentum is dwindling,…
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QUINCY — Ben Kasparie went to the plate with two outs in the top of the fifth inning Friday needing a triple to complete the cycle. He didn’t allow that to change his approach. Everything stayed simple. “Think about nothing, honestly,” the Quincy Notre Dame senior center fielder said. “A clear mind. Just seeing the…
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QUINCY — Emma Hoing and her club volleyball team saved the best for last. Playing in their fourth and final national qualifier, the Rockwood Thunder Volleyball Club, based in St. Louis, finished second in the Big South Qualifier in Atlanta two weeks ago to earn a spot in the Girls Junior National Championship. Hoing, a…
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QUINCY — A walk-off and a milestone. Not a bad way for Eryn Cornwell to end her day. The Quincy Notre Dame senior softball standout followed Caitlin Bunte’s leadoff single in the fifth inning Wednesday with a two-run home run to left field at the Backyard, finishing off a 12-1 victory over West Hancock and…
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QUINCY — Avery Keck senses it. So do her Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer teammates. Confidence is rising as the Raiders’ cohesiveness grows. “We’re just really working as a team together and we’re all working hard,” said Keck, the junior midfielder who scored two goals in Tuesday’s 8-1 whitewashing of previously undefeated Burlington (Iowa). “We’re…
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QUINCY — Haley Schertel was not always a slapper. “In eighth grade, (the Quincy Notre Dame softball coaching staff) switched me from being a right-handed hitter to a (left-handed) slapper,” Schertel said. The rest, as they say, is history. Schertel’s development as a slapper was in full view Monday evening at Quincy High School when…
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QUINCY — Less than a month exists until Marko Cucuk discovers if his dreams of returning to the Illinois boys state tennis tournament become reality. So now is not the time to relax. “There’s no stopping,” Cucuk said. “You just have to work every single day.” Monday, that meant dealing with conditions that have become…
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