Top Stories
CAMP POINT, Ill. — In a perfect world for Nick Moore, he would be playing run-and-gun, playground-style basketball. And defense? That would be little more than an afterthought. Realistically, however, Moore knows that’s not how it works for a successful high school team. “Yeah,” Moore said, trying to wipe away the expected grin. “I’d probably…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team wrapped up its regular season with a 52-47 victory over Jefferson City (Mo.) Helias on Friday night at The Pit. Shortly thereafter, the QND boys earned a 66-37 West Central Conference victory over Liberty. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action sitting courtside. Here…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Asked what he hoped his team’s accomplishes on a seven-game, 11-day trip to the Sunshine State, Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel responded with his own query. “Short term or long term?” he asked. Everything Schissel does for this program is viewed through both of those lenses. In this case, the short-term answer…
Read Full Article 
The Quincy Catholic and Brown County seventh-grade boys basketball teams both captured third place at their respective Illinois Elementary School Association state tournaments on Thursday night. Quincy Catholic led from the start and rolled to a 42-22 victory over Abingdon-Avon in the third-place game of the Class 3A tournament at El Paso-Gridley High School. The…
Read Full Article 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An opportunity is all Khalen Saunders ever needed. Western Illinois University provided one. So have the Kansas City Chiefs. Because of those, Saunders is living out a dream yet again this week as he prepares to play in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. It is the 6-foot,…
Read Full Article 
Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (4) 27-2 65 1 2. Bolingbrook (1) 24-3 62 2 3. Alton (1) 27-1 56 4 4. Geneva (1) 24-3 55 3 5. Kenwood 25-4 39 5 6. O’Fallon 27-4 33…
Read Full Article 
Here are the boys prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Lisle (Benet Academy) (12) 26-1 120 1 2. Moline 25-3 106 2 3. Joliet West 23-5 94 3 4. Kenwood 22-5 85 4 5. Hinsdale Central 25-3 57 7 6. Brother Rice…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — It took six seconds to deliver a message every girls basketball team in the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional had to hear. The defending state champion isn’t in the mood to relinquish the throne. Abbey Schreacke won the opening tip, rolled into the frontcourt, took a pass from Quincy Notre Dame teammate Ari…
Read Full Article 
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Make no mistake, as the game progressed, Taylor Fohey knew how many points she had. And how many she needed. “I was aware,” Fohey said afterward, almost sheepishly. The 5-foot-11 junior forward finished with a career-best 32 points — not to mention 10 rebounds — in leading the Quincy High School girls…
Read Full Article 
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Dom Clay’s confidence in himself is matched by the confidence his Quincy High School boys basketball teammates have in him. So when his 3-point attempt from the right corner rattled out with less than three minutes remaining in regulation and the Blue Devils and Rock Island tied at 52, Quincy’s Tyler…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Although it became nothing more than a momentary blip on the way to a state championship, the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players never forgot what it was like to suffer a 24-point loss at Brimfield late in the regular season in 2022. It made Tuesday night’s 67-37 victory over the Indians, the…
Read Full Article 
MENDON, Ill. — An overloaded stretch of games came at an opportune time for the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team. Now that a four-games-in-five-days binge is complete — the Raiders won all four of those games — they’ve earned the chance to recover, regroup and re-energize themselves for another barrage of challenges heading into…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Riley Martin admits it’s been a short offseason, but that hasn’t diminished his readiness for spring training. “I feel like I’ve put in some good work this offseason,” he said. “I’m excited to get back and get started.” The former Quincy University left-handed All-American hurler will head to Mesa, Ariz., next week to…
Read Full Article 
AUGUSTA, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team could sympathize watching Southeastern all-state senior forward Danny Stephens walk to mid-court during Monday’s senior night festivities in street clothes, unable to play in the highly anticipated showdown between two of the area’s top teams. “We just went through it,” QND coach Kevin Meyer said.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University baseball players recently signed professional contracts. Right-handed reliever Graham Spraker is getting the chance to restart his career with a new organization, while slugging infielder Dayson Croes is just beginning his pursuit. Spraker signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays last week and was…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent Saturday inside Quincy Notre Dame’s The Pit watching the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout unfold. Here are some of the images he captured throughout the day:
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball Eric Orne left Abbey Schreacke with something to think about. “He told me before the game to just drop the hammer,” Schreacke said. When the Raiders won the opening tip against South Shelby in Saturday’s marquee matchup of the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at The Pit, the…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Alex Connoyer established a trend the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team needs to follow if its season is going to last another five weeks. Starting with the first time he touched the ball Saturday night through his final offensive possession in the 67-40 victory over Cairo (Mo.) Northeast at The Pit, the…
Read Full Article 
ALTON, Ill. — The Quincy High School wrestling team is going to need more than a van for its travel purposes next weekend. A bus should suffice. The Blue Devils are sending 11 wrestlers to the Class 3A Normal Community Sectional after a stellar showing Saturday at the Alton Regional. Quincy crowned three individual regional…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Matt Long is quick to point out his Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is still quite young with two sophomores and a junior in the starting lineup. “They haven’t been in the big wars,” he said. “Even if they were last year as freshmen, they don’t really understand what the big game is.” Still,…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Just give Danny the ball. “That’s pretty much what we did,” Southeastern boys basketball coach Brett Ufkes said. “He usually makes me look good.” Sure, Ufkes was having a little bit of postgame fun Saturday when discussing senior Danny Stephens’ performance in the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at Quincy Notre Dame’s The…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Unity girls basketball coach Brad Begeman was paying senior Kylee Barry a compliment. Honest, he was. “I like to call her our Rodman, after Dennis Rodman,” Begeman said. Rodman was the controversial, but oh-so-effective part of three NBA championship teams with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. Barry is hardly a controversial figure…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Dominique Clay’s fist-pumping reaction to Tyler Sprick’s 3-pointer drove the decibel level inside Blue Devil Gym to arguably its peak Friday night. The Moline boys basketball players simply ignored it. “That’s because we have a bunch of seniors,” Maroons coach Sean Taylor said. Their response screamed of experience. Despite falling behind by as…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Western Big 6 Conference championship likely won’t stay in Quincy for another year. The Moline boys basketball team’s 57-46 victory Friday night at Blue Devil Gym means Quincy High School — the reigning WB6 champion — is now two games behind the Maroons in the league standings with three games to play.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — For Abbey Schreacke, the distractions tied to individual accomplishments have officially been laid to rest. She now can fully concentrate on trying to help the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team win a second straight Class 2A state championship. The 6-foot-1 wunderkind scored 22 points Friday night to lead the Raiders to an…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The gentle giant is back. Jake Wallingford, the soft-spoken big man with an even softer jump shot, is once again an integral part of the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team. The 6-foot-8 senior made his season debut Friday night, helping QND to a 70-42 victory over Payson Seymour in the KHQA-American Family…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Gavin Grothaus has gladly accepted his role as the West Hancock boys basketball team’s sixth man. In fact, the sophomore guard relishes the role of being first player off the bench. “I’ve been the sixth man all year,” Grothaus said. “I like it because it gives me a little time to watch and…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Sitting in the bleachers of what at that moment was a relatively empty Blue Devil Gym, Camden Brown gazed around as he envisioned what Friday night’s crowd might be like. “Hopefully it’s sold out,” he said. It should be. The Quincy High School boys basketball team puts its Western Big 6 Conference title…
Read Full Article 
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — When several of the Quincy University men’s basketball players decided to shave their heads to nothing but stubble prior to Thursday’s game at Lewis, there were some skeptics. “We tried to get everyone else to do it,” QU junior guard Paul Zilinskas said. “They were a little scared.” They may not have…
Read Full Article ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — A ragged start offensively made a comeback a challenge, but the Quincy University women’s basketball team nearly pulled it off. After trailing Lewis by as many as 14 points in the first half of Thursday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference game at Neil Carey Arena, the Hawks trimmed the deficit to one…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — A pair of Quincy University baseball players have been named preseason All-Americans a week ahead of the Hawks’ season opener. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its NCAA Division II preseason All-American teams Thursday with Quincy starting pitcher Spencer Walker earning first-team plaudits and junior catcher Luke Napleton garnering a second-team nod.…
Read Full Article 
Illinois boys basketball state rankings: Quincy sits No. 8 in Class 4A ahead of showdown with Moline
Here are the Illinois boys prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Lisle (Benet Academy) (11) 24-1 110 1 2. Moline 22-3 97 2 3. Joliet West 20-5 83 3 4. Kenwood 19-5 74 4 5. Brother Rice 23-3 64 6…
Read Full Article 
Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (3) 24-2 55 2 2. Bolingbrook (2) 22-3 51 4 3. Geneva (1) 21-3 50 3 4. Alton 25-1 48 1 5. Kenwood 23-4 33 8 6. O’Fallon…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — What took place once wasn’t going to happen twice. Abbey Schreacke made that abundantly clear. By scoring six of the game’s first 12 points Tuesday night and showcasing the variety of skills that make her the best player on the floor, the all-state senior guard put the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The crosstown showdown between the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball teams returned to Blue Devil Gym on Tuesday night, and arguably one of the best players in Gem City history added to her legacy. The Raiders’ Abbey Schreacke scored 26 points to lead QND to a 57-35 victory. Muddy…
Read Full Article 
PALMYRA, Mo. — Palmyra boys basketball coach Brian Rea is contemplating a change in the Panthers’ late-season practice regimen. Shortly following Palmyra’s 48-42 come-from-behind victory Tuesday night over Clark County in Clarence Cannon Conference play, Rea was looking for a solution to why his club appeared to sleepwalk through much of the first two quarters.…
Read Full Article 
PALMYRA, Mo. — Sydney Compton insisted the game served a purpose, despite such a lopsided final score. “At times, it was more like a practice out there, but we kept concentrating, kept working on specific things,” the Palmyra sophomore said. Why such a determined attitude in a game that was decided by some point early…
Read Full Article 
CANTON, Mo. — Nariah Clay admits the college recruiting wasn’t going the way she had envisioned. Then Morton College came along. Playing with the Cross Over Hoops AAU basketball program last summer, the Canton senior three-sport standout was introduced to Morton College women’s basketball coach Jason Nichols and assistant coach Kevin McManaman during a tournament…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Mike Dade’s passionate plea to the Quincy School board last week asking for equal treatment for the boys and girls basketball programs succeeded in one important regard. It created conversation, opinion and debate. His speech also missed the mark in one very important aspect. He wasn’t a true voice for the players themselves.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Great Lakes Valley Conference baseball coaches are following the lead of their national counterparts. Illinois-Springfield is the team to beat this spring. Quincy University isn’t far behind. The Prairie Stars, who are the defending GLVC champions and coming off an NCAA Division II World Series appearance, were selected as the No. 1…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Kaci Bailey inherited 14 players on a team coming off a two-win season when she was hired as the Quincy University women’s basketball coach in April 2021. Not the ideal recipe for immediate success. “It was late in the recruiting cycle, and I told the coaches we needed to try to sign a…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Perfection, maturity and optimism. Therein lies what the Quincy High School wrestling program’s three Western Big 6 Conference individual champions put on display Saturday. Owen Uppinghouse stayed perfect, finishing the regular season with a 36-0 record as he won the 160-pound title. Bryor Newbold defeated a returning WB6 champion and reversed a loss…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Palmyra highly touted wrestler Collin Arch barely broke a sweat Saturday en route to winning the 152-pound class in the 31st annual Quincy Notre Dame Invitational. Arch, a three-time defending state champion who is ranked No. 1 in his weight class and No. 2 overall in Missouri, pinned all four opponents he faced.…
Read Full Article STERLING, Ill. — Finally, the Quincy High School girls basketball players said enough was enough. Following Thursday night’s loss at Galesburg that dropped the Blue Devils a game out of first place in the Western Big 6 Conference standings, they allowed Sterling to open Saturday’s league game at Musgrove Fieldhouse on a 16-4 run. “They…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Sitting on the bench tested Isaiah Foster’s patience. Three fouls limited the freshman guard to just 4 minutes, 35 seconds of playing time Saturday until he checked into the game with 11:40 remaining in the second half. Foster helped the Quincy University men’s basketball team go on a 10-point run to take the…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Sarah Nelson remembers the bad times, which makes it so much easier to enjoy the good times. In Nelson’s first three seasons, the Quincy University women’s basketball team had an 18-59 record and a 10-50 record in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Hawks now have won three of their last four GLVC…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The Quincy High School wrestling team finished second in the Western Big 6 Conference, having three grapplers win individual championships and five others place in the top three during Saturday’s WB6 tournament at the QHS gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent his afternoon matside and captured the action in this photo…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Collin Arch did what Collin Arch always does. He wins. And a number of area wrestlers followed the Palmyra senior’s lead and built momentum for the postseason with successful endeavors Saturday during the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational at The Pit. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat matside during the finals and captured…
Read Full Article 
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Central boys basketball coach James Barnett had a difficult decision to make. With his team obviously laboring in the midst of a third-quarter meltdown, Barnett opted to pull senior Isaac Genenbacher from the lineup. Often the heart and soul of the Panthers at both ends of the floor, Genenbacher was struggling…
Read Full Article 
STERLING, Ill. — Saddled to the bench for the duration of the second quarter Friday night, Keshaun Thomas bottled his frustration and was anxious to unleash it. The Sterling boys basketball team felt the brunt of that. Thomas, Quincy High School’s 6-foot-6 sophomore forward, scored 11 of the Blue Devils’ 14 points in the third…
Read Full Article 
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal girls basketball team set the right mood for a homecoming celebration, scoring the first 15 points of Friday night’s 49-31 North Central Missouri Conference victory over Kirksville at Korf Gym. The Hannibal boys weren’t able to seize on the momentum the girls created, falling 60-45 to the Tigers. Zaria Reese,…
Read Full Article 
CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central boys basketball team used a fourth-quarter run to pull ahead and stay ahead in a 61-48 victory Friday night over West Hancock. It’s the third time this season the Panthers have beaten the Titans. Freelance photographer Mike Pritchard shared action photos from Friday’s game. Here is a gallery of…
Read Full Article 
LEBANON, Ill. — It’s a fact as immutable as gravity — the ball must go through the hoop to win. Right now, the Quincy University men’s basketball team is struggling with that, at least from beyond the 3-point stripe. The Hawks shot just 6.7 percent from 3-point range Thursday night, making only 1 of 15…
Read Full Article 
LEBANON, Ill. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team has yet to reach February, and already the Hawks have matched the most victories they’ve enjoyed in the last seven seasons. Still, there is another significant step needed in their evolution. The Hawks must sustain success. It eluded them Thursday night. Chasing just the second three-game…
Read Full Article 
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The geographic shift of the Great Lakes Valley Conference continues westward. Thursday morning, during a press conference on the Lincoln University campus, the idea the GLVC would expand to 15 teams became reality with the Blue Tigers announcing they were leaving the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association for the GLVC. Lincoln officially…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The battle waged last season for a spot in the NCAA Division II World Series is expected to happen again, at least by those voting for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason polls. The Quincy University and Illinois-Springfield baseball teams sit atop the Midwest Region preseason poll and are nationally ranked with…
Read Full Article 
Here are the boys prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Lisle (Benet Academy) (12) 22-1 120 3 2. Moline 20-3 94 4 3. Joliet West 18-5 84 T8 4. Kenwood 17-5 83 1 5. Whitney Young 18-5 79 2 6.…
Read Full Article 
Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Alton (7) 24-0 79 2 2. Fremd 22-2 69 3 3. Geneva (1) 19-3 59 4 4. Bolingbrook 21-3 58 1 5. Normal Community 23-2 37 6 6. Whitney Young…
Read Full Article 
Men’s basketball Lincoln Land 64, John Wood Community College 58 William Penn 84, Culver-Stockton College 76 Women’s basketball Lincoln Land 68, John Wood Community College 46 Culver-Stockton College 81, William Penn 66 Prep wrestling Quincy High School 42, Galesburg 28
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The stage at which the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team found itself — both in Tuesday night’s game and its season — screamed of a need for momentum. Charlie Lavery provided it. With QND leading Illini West 24-23 with 2 minutes, 10 seconds remaining in the first half at The Pit, the…
Read Full Article ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Andy Douglas didn’t want to take the air out of the ball entirely. The Quincy High School boys basketball coach wasn’t going to play his starters longer than necessary either. The 80-35 victory over Rock Island Alleman on Tuesday night at Don Morris Gym proved to be a study in how…
Read Full Article Boys basketball Quincy High School 80, Rock Island Alleman 35 Quincy Notre Dame 58, Illini West 44 Brown County 65, Payson Seymour 64 (OT) Central 48, Pittsfield 29 Macomb 71, Bushnell-Prairie City 41 Jacksonville Routt 49, Liberty 18 Palmyra 65, Brookfield 28 Highland 57, Monroe City 51 Canton 68, Mark Twain 66 Atlanta 69, Marion…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The day is coming, and the underclassmen on the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team are keenly aware of it. Abbey Schreacke, Blair Eftink and the rest of the seniors who have engineered a remarkable run of success for Class 2A’s defending state champion and current No. 1-ranked team will graduate. That’s when…
Read Full Article 
MACOMB, Ill. — Trenton Massner felt he was due for a game like this. “I haven’t been making a shot all year,” Massner said. “It’s like if I was making my shot all year, I’d have four or five of those.” This was the one that put him in the record book. Massner scored a…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman had the opportunity throughout the two-day Quincy Shootout to visit with prep basketball coaches from teams across the country who have made Blue Devil Gym a January destination. Their overwhelming sentiment? The Shootout is a you-must-experience-this event. Here’s what they had to say:
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The fifth Quincy Shootout featured incredible basketball and incredible community support with fans filling the Blue Devil Gym stands throughout Friday and Saturday’s action. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured some of the atmosphere in this photo gallery:
Read Full Article 
QUINCY— Quincy University coach Steve Hawkins likes to compare a basketball season to an airplane flight. “There’s always going to be some turbulence,” he explained. His team is trying to navigate its choppiest stretch yet. After surprising preseason prognosticators by winning six of their first seven Great Lakes Valley Conference games to rise to the…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The difference between seniors and sophomores is so much more than two years of age. “I think our guys are starting to understand that,” Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas said. How can he be sure? He listened to several of the Blue Devils, including sophomore guard Bradley Longcor III and…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Caleb Johnson listened to what others were saying. The Elsberry boys basketball coach wasn’t going to allow Southeastern all-stater Danny Stephens to alone beat the Indians. “I talked to coaches around the area and they said if you can contain him and make others beat you then you have a chance,” Johnson said. …
Read Full Article QUINCY — For the second game in a row, the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team raced out to a 20-point lead. And for the second game in a row, a lack of focus set in. The lead never dipped below double digits as the Raiders knocked off Bloomington Central Catholic 67-51 Saturday afternoon at…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — There wasn’t a lid on the basket at Quincy University’s end of the court. It just seemed that way. The QU men’s basketball team shot just 33 percent from the field, missed 20 of 24 tries from 3-point range and made only 17 of 27 free throws Saturday afternoon to fall 72-65 to…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Beth Matas Martin scored 20 points to lead five players in double figures Saturday as the Quincy University women’s basketball team rolled to an 83-63 victory over Missouri S&T in Pepsi Arena. The victory was the Hawks’ first against the Miners, who had won the previous five meetings, since . QU made 9…
Read Full Article 
PALMYRA, Mo. — An upset? “I guess it depends who you talk to,” Canton girls basketball coach Danielle Baker said. Canton successfully defended its Tony Lenzini Tournament championship Saturday night with a surprisingly easy 74-61 victory over top-seeded Palmyra. Canton had been seeded second going into the week-long, eight-school hoopfest. The Tigers (12-6) controlled the…
Read Full Article 
PALMYRA, Mo. — Someone might just be fibbin’. Nikos Connaway, an explosive guard for the Van-Far boys basketball team, is one of the most exciting players in Northeast Missouri. That, however, doesn’t guarantee the 5-foot-10 junior will always tell the truth. Connaway split Palmyra’s late-game defense to drive the heart of the lane and lofted…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Sam Mulherin could say he’s one and done. But why do that? The Quincy High School senior forward relished making a buzzer-beating 3-pointer — the first 3-point attempt of his high school basketball career — so much so he’s ready to put his perfect shooting percentage on the line with another try. “Oh,…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — The traction gained repeatedly on defense didn’t translate to offensive efficiency, handcuffing the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team in its comeback effort Friday night. Despite holding Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton to a pair of fourth-quarter field goals, the Raiders managed just three field goals themselves, resulting in a 49-41 loss in the…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Maybe this was inevitable. Coming off a 53-point victory and riding the momentum of a double-digit win streak, the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team built a 21-point halftime lead Thursday night against Illini West. That’s when it happened. Complacency set in. The Raiders, ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, were never in…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Eric Stratman’s excitement is understandable. For the last 12 months, since the day after the fourth Quincy Shootout ended, Stratman has been tirelessly working to assemble another stellar field. A former Quincy High School athlete and coach with a passion for community events, Stratman’s role as event organizer can be challenging and stressful.…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — When asked if Quincy might just be the team of destiny in this season’s Western Big 6 Conference girls basketball championship pursuit, Taylor Fohey thought long and hard before answering. Then she smiled. “I feel it coming,” said the 6-foot junior who dropped through the game-winning basket in the Blue Devils’ 31-29 overtime…
Read Full Article 
ST. LOUIS — A tale of two halves featured an ending the Quincy University men’s basketball team would like to rewrite. A solid first half defensively Thursday night led to the Hawks owning a three-point halftime edge against nationally ranked Missouri-St. Louis in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at the Mark Twain Building. However, the…
Read Full Article Boys basketball Unity 53, Rushville-Industry 46 Louisiana 64, Pittsfield 54 Tony Lenzini Tournament Van-Far 40, Monroe City 38 Hannibal 45, Clark County 35 Girls basketball Quincy Notre Dame 44, Illini West 24 Quincy High School 31, Rock Island Alleman 29 Havana 37, Central-Southeastern 25 Louisiana 49, Pittsfield 44 La Plata 33, Marion County 25 Tony…
Read Full Article 
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Seven of the eight Western Big 6 Conference football programs suddenly have an open date on their schedules for next fall. Wednesday, at a meeting of WB6 principals and athletic directors in Galesburg, Rock Island Alleman informed the rest of the league it will not field a varsity football team in…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — While his players on the floor rotated back to play defense after Logan Robbins flushed a two-handed dunk off a nifty baseline bounce pass, John Wood Community College men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt implored his bench with a familiar refrain. “See, make it easy,” Hoyt said. For a stretch of the second half…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Lauren Bogle doesn’t dwell on the fact the John Wood Community College women’s basketball team has only six players healthy and eligible at this juncture. “You just need five on the floor, right?” the first-year Trail Blazers coach said. If the Trail Blazers can maintain the right level of defensive aggressiveness without getting…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — Bear Bock pulled no punches. He made it quite clear the Palmyra boys basketball team is on a mission. “It’s been 24 years since Palmyra won this tournament,” the 6-foot-4 junior forward said. “We want to bring the Lenzini championship back home.” Palmyra moved one step closer to that goal Wednesday night…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — Tim Southers demonstrated he knows how — and more importantly, when — to delegate authority. The Palmyra girls basketball coach opted to let his players on the floor run the early part of the fourth quarter. They called the plays on offense and the adjustments on defense. “I just sat back and…
Read Full Article 
PAYSON, Ill. — All of those running backs who were stopped dead in their tracks the past couple of seasons by Unity-Payson linebacker Bryan Dieker might find this funny. Five years ago, he didn’t know how to tackle. Those trying to defend Dieker on the basketball court might find this funny, too. Three years ago,…
Read Full Article Boys basketball Central 63, Payson Seymour 53 Illini West 42, Southeastern 41 Brown County 56, Triopia 47 Auburn 60, Pittsfield 52 (OT) West Hancock 87, Unity 36 80th annual Tony Lenzini Tournament Monroe City 42, Hannibal 41 Van-Far 49, Clark County 43 Girls basketball Quincy High School 56, Springfield 47 Unity 59, Pittsfield 27 North…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Paul Zilinskas never saw what happened after he released his shot. JJ Schwepker’s reaction told him all he needed to know. With two seconds remaining in regulation Monday night and the Quincy University men’s basketball team trailing Drury by a point, Zilinskas caught an inbounds pass while moving toward the basket. He collided…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Jamaurie Coakley’s putback of Paul Zilinskas’ miss as the buzzer sounded lifted the Quincy University men’s basketball team to an 84-83 victory over Drury on Monday night in Great Lakes Valley Conference at Pepsi Arena. It also allowed the Hawks to earn a doubleheader split after the second-ranked Drury women beat Quincy 87-49.…
Read Full Article 
PALMYRA, Mo. — Marty Smyser III was as succinct as he was accurate. After breaking the Palmyra boys basketball team’s single-game school record with 11 3-pointers in Monday night’s 79-34 victory over Highland in the opening round of the 80th annual Tony Lenzini Tournament, the sophomore guard summed up just how big the basket looked…
Read Full Article 
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Until we meet again. That’s how Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Kevin Meyer approached Monday’s 79-71 loss to Bloomington Central Catholic in the final game of the MLK Shootout at Cvengros Gym. Using history as a barometer, these two private schools could be on a collision course for another sectional showdown.…
Read Full Article Boys basketball MLK Shootout at Bloomington Central Catholic Bloomington Central Catholic 79, Quincy Notre Dame 71 Eastbay Shootout Macomb 47, Rockridge 39 80th annual Tony Lenzini Tournament Palmyra 79, Highland 34 Canton 67, Mark Twain 47 Girls basketball Pittsfield 31, Beardstown 14 Jerry Logan Shootout Quincy High School 53, Abingdon-Avon 27 Unity 58, Macomb 26…
Read Full Article 
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Charlie and John Hull were slipping on headsets and helping broadcast sporting events when most kids their age were collecting Pokémon cards. Just 10 and 13 years old, respectively, they would tag along with their dad, Jack Hull, who was working alongside the late Harry Wagy for WBBA-FM in Pittsfield. Jack soon…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Imagine Quincy University football coach Gary Bass’ surprise when a former FCS head coach expressed interest in joining the Hawks’ staff. Suddenly, one of the youngest groups of coaches in the Great Lakes Valley Conference had the opportunity for an injection of experience. Kirby Cannon will certainly provide that. A native of Alexandria,…
Read Full Article 
From top to bottom of lineup, Blue Devils pitch in to defend own invitational wrestling championship
QUINCY — The beauty of playing host to a high school wrestling tournament is the opportunity to compete in a packed-to-hilt gym full of familiar faces the way the Quincy High School gym was Saturday. “Every seat was filled,” QHS junior Owen Uppinghouse said. The drawback is what awaits in the aftermath. “I was kind…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Playing the Lincoln Railsplitters is about as entertaining for the Quincy High School boys basketball team as shaving your head with a cheese grater. “I think anybody will say that Lincoln is like the least fun team to play all year long,” junior guard Ralph Wires said. “We want to run, but they…
Read Full Article 
CAMP POINT, Ill. — It’s never over til it’s over. Somehow, the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team emerged Saturday night with the championship of the 30th Lady Panther Classic. CSE’s 36-32 victory over Brown County was fueled by a frantic final 1 minute, 47 seconds that saw the Panthers score 10 of the game’s closing 13…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Having only one day to prepare for Southwest Baptist University wasn’t enough. Playing less than 48 hours after pulling away late for a hard-fought victory over Rockhurst, the Quincy University men’s basketball team was unable to effectively defend SBU’s motion offense and was repeatedly burned by reigning Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of…
Read Full Article 
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne felt it was only a matter of time before an opponent witnessed the best his team had to offer. Rock Island can testify to how good that can be. The top-ranked team in Class 2A pitched a first-quarter shutout on its way to a one-sided…
Read Full Article 