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QUINCY — The chatter, the comparisons and the hype the state-ranked Quincy High School boys basketball team continues creating could be a detriment if the Blue Devils allow those things to infiltrate the team-first mentality. “If we just do us, the best in us will come out,” sophomore guard Bradley Longcor III said. When the…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team enjoyed a solid first half on Saturday night against Hannibal. Then the third quarter happened. The Raiders led by 16 points at halftime, then made 10 of 11 free throws in the final four minutes of the game to hold off the Pirates 49-39 at…
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BREESE, Ill. — Unable to find her long-range shooting stroke recently, Quincy Notre Dame senior guard Blair Eftink elected to change one key component to her game. Money, it’s gotta be the shoes. Switching to her old kicks this weekend, Eftink regained her perimeter shot by burying her first five 3-point attempts Saturday afternoon. Her…
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QUINCY — On a day when Jeremiah Talton was the game’s leading scorer, it was his lone assist that cemented the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team’s victory over a nationally ranked opponent. With the ball on the baseline underneath the Trail Blazers’ basket, Milwaukee Area Technical College owning a one-point lead, and only…
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QUINCY — Andy Douglas let his ears be his guide. “If we can come out the first few possessions and our communication is great, it’s probably going to be a good night defensively,” the Quincy High School boys basketball coach said. “Tonight, it wasn’t. We didn’t talk.” So the fact Sterling opened the second half…
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BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A Blair barrage put the top-ranked Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team on the right path to another victory. Senior guard Blair Eftink opened Friday night’s game at Belleville Althoff with a 3-pointer from the top of the key and another from the left corner, setting the stage for a 57-38 victory…
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QUINCY — Darius Bolden was disappointed in the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team’s inconsistent play Friday night. The Trail Blazers sophomore guard went as far as to say JWCC’s overall performance bordered on “ragged.” It was hard to argue. Kansas City (Kan.) Community College pulled away down the stretch for an 82-73 victory…
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QUINCY — Too many turnovers and too few defensive rebounds made for way too long of a second quarter Thursday night for the Quincy High School girls basketball team. At halftime, the Blue Devils made certain to change that before the outcome was too far gone. Asia Seangmany buried a 3-pointer from the left corner…
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QUINCY — Before Ryan Oden left his house Thursday morning for a meeting with the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players, his wife, Deb, wanted to know he was comfortable with his decision to resign as the Raiders head coach. “She asked, ‘Are you sure?’” Oden said. “And I told her I am.” With his son…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Palmyra girls basketball team gets its first shot at the champs. The second-seeded Panthers marched their way into the championship game of the 98th annual Monroe City Tournament by beating third-seeded Highland 71-46 in Thursday night’s semifinals. By doing so, the Panthers (5-0) will face top-seeded and reigning Clarence Cannon…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Palmyra boys basketball team used a 12-point burst at the start Wednesday night to slingshot its way into the championship game of the 98th annual Monroe City Tournament. The South Shelby girls used stellar defense to do the same. The second-seeded Panthers rode their strong start to a 57-50 victory…
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QUINCY — Steve Hawkins knew what was necessary to give his Quincy University men’s basketball team a chance to rally. The veteran coach didn’t like it, but he did it. “I feel cheap for it because that’s not how I want to try to win a game,” Hawkins said. Still, it nearly worked. Trailing Grand…
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QUINCY — When you face the No. 1-ranked girls basketball team in Class 2A with the reigning state player of the year, the goal becomes quite obvious. Slow down Abbey Schreacke. Many try. Most fail. Tuesday night, Pleasant Plains succeeded in limiting Schreacke, Quincy Notre Dame’s all-state senior forward, to a season-low 13 points in…
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QUINCY — Let’s be honest. Brutally honest. The Quincy High School boys basketball team probably could have put 100 points on the scoreboard — and with relative ease — during Tuesday’s Western Big 6 Conference game against overmatched and outmanned Rock Island Alleman at Blue Devil Gym. Instead, state-ranked QHS settled for a 65-28 victory…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — Despite being limited to just four points in the third quarter Tuesday night, the Monroe City boys basketball team was able to fend off Marion County’s upset bid and advance to the semifinals of the 98th annual Monroe City Tournament. The top-seeded Panthers secured a 51-45 victory over eighth-seeded Marion County…
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QUINCY — A busy Tuesday night saw action taking place on the hardwood and the mats. Here’s a look at some of the area highlights … • Already leading by 14 points at halftime, the Quincy High School girls basketball team used a strong dose of Taylor Fohey in the second half to finish off…
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MENDON, Ill. — Ashlynn Arnsman sees her future with a clear view. For those whose sights are a little more murky, she has a plan to help them, too. The Unity multi-sport standout who recently signed a national letter of intent with the Quincy University women’s basketball team plans to study biology and use her…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — The opening night of the 98th annual Monroe City Tournament featured a pair of lopsided victories in the girls bracket and only of the four games played being decided in the fourth quarter. The third-seeded Louisiana boys outlasted sixth-seeded Mark Twain 60-54 behind 15 points from Jack Logan. Josh Brothers led…
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QUINCY — Owen Uppinghouse isn’t taking long to assert his dominance. The Quincy High School 160-pound senior wrestler went 6-0 last week with only two of his four matches stretching beyond the first period. Last Thursday at home, Uppinghouse pinned Fort Madison’s Emmett Kruse in 3 minutes, 37 seconds. He was even better at the…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The phone rings or the text message notification sounds on a Sunday night and Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball Eric Orne knows what it is. Abbey Schreacke wants in the gym. “Of course, I scoot down there to let her in,” Orne said. Had the 6-foot senior guard not had the desire…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Almost everything about the way Sunday played out — from the two-hour road trip to playing on a college-sized court — had the hallmark of a classic postseason matchup. All except the end result for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team. Tied at 45 with four minutes to play in regulation,…
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QUINCY — The moment required Ari Buehler to ignore, focus and follow through. Not an easy task on any front. Fouled with 14.4 seconds remaining in regulation and the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team clinging to a two-point lead, the freshman guard first had to become oblivious to the chatter from the Unity players…
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QUINCY — As the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coaching staff met in the office adjacent to the locker room at halftime Saturday night, the Raiders were engaging in their own discussion. The theme of both conversations seemed to be the same. What is the Raiders’ identity going to be? The second half — particularly…
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EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Sent to the sideline with two fouls in the first quarter of Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference boys basketball opener, Quincy High School sophomore guard Bradley Longcor III tried to talk his way back into the game. “He kept saying, ‘I’m not gonna foul. I’m not gonna foul,’” Quincy coach…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball players and coaches likely won’t watch the film of Friday night’s 66-35 loss to No. 1-ranked Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at Belz Gymnasium until Monday or Tuesday. That’s when the Raiders will delve into how to fix what the Cyclones exploited. Before then, though, comes a better-be-ready-for-this…
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CANTON, Mo. — Never underestimate the power of a deep breath. Palmyra girls basketball coach Tim Southers said his primary goal at halftime Friday night was to simply try and get his club’s emotions under control. “I just told the girls to breathe and relax,” he said. They listened. And then they responded. The end…
Read Full Article CANTON, Mo. — What a difference a year makes. At least for the Palmyra boys basketball team. “A year ago, I’m not sure we would have won a game like this,” Palmyra coach Brian Rea said. Rea was assessing Friday night’s 64-52 victory over Canton, a game that saw the Panthers pull away down the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The first full regular-season Friday night of the prep basketball season gave us a glimpse of what to expect from now until March. That’s epic individual performances, down-to-the-wire games and teams coming of age. Here’s a look at what happened … • The Southeastern boys basketball team raced to an 18-1 lead in…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Mama said there’d be days like this. Riding the high of back-to-back victories over two of the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s top three preseason favorites, the Quincy University men’s basketball team saw its momentum stifled Thursday night by another upstart crew. Illinois-Springfield, picked to finish ninth in the 13-team league, shot down…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team found itself in a precarious position once again. A one-point game with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation. In five of the seven games prior to Thursday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference showdown with Illinois-Springfield, the Hawks were within four points heading to the closing…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Wyatt Boeing saved the best for last. The Quincy High School wrestling team went into the final match of its dual with Fort Madison (Iowa) on Thursday night trailing by a point in the team score. It made the math simple — the winner of the match won the dual for his respective…
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QUINCY — Having the best small-school player in the state leading the charge has put the Southeastern boys basketball team in the crosshairs. Having an abundance of talented underclassmen has done the same for Quincy High School. The initial Associated Press state basketball rankings prove that. The Suns checked in at No. 1 in Class…
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QUINCY — The initial Associated Press state basketball rankings set up an intriguing showdown in just two days. The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team — the defending Class 2A state champion — opens the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the state. The Raiders are 5-0 going into Thursday’s game at West Hancock…
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Here is the Muddy River Sports area boys basketball preview section, delving into teams from Illinois and Missouri as the 2022-23 season gets underway. Click the link below to download the section.
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QUINCY — A Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year who played professional basketball overseas, an all-state forward who later played at Culver-Stockton College, and a distinctive radio voice are part of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Central’s Ali Schwagmeyer, Pittsfield’s Tim Fischer and Quincy’s Jeff Dorsey will…
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QUINCY — For the first time in program history, the Quincy University women’s volleyball team has two players mentioned on the All-American lists. Senior outside hitter Mattison Norris and graduate student setter Makayla Knoblauch received honorable mention on the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II All-American squad after leading the Hawks to their finest season…
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CENTER, Mo. — The Palmyra girls basketball team is showing what it takes to win convincingly. The Palmyra boys are showcasing what it takes to win tough. Tuesday night, that combination led to a doubleheader sweep. The Palmyra girls blitzed to a 23-7 lead over Mark Twain at the end of the first quarter and…
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QUINCY — The Great Lakes Valley Conference continues to shift its geographic footprint. The NCAA Division II league announced Tuesday its Council of Presidents approved admitting the University of Upper Iowa, making it the conference’s 14th member. The Peacocks will join the GLVC for the 2023-24 academic year and be immediately eligible to participate in…
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Video courtesy of Steve Looten QUINCY — For the first 39 minutes, 39 seconds of Monday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup, the Lewis men’s basketball team never wavered from playing tenacious man-to-man defense. “I think it had been that way the entire year, too,” Quincy University coach Steve Hawkins said. So after calling timeout…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The number of 50-point games fashioned by an area boys basketball player can be counted on both hands. Southeastern’s Danny Stephens moved the number closer to having to go to the toes to keep track. In the championship game of the sixth Beardstown Tiger Classic, the 6-foot-7 Stephens scored 52 points in…
Read Full Article The Thanksgiving turkey hangover has passed, and area boys and girls basketball teams are looking to find a rhythm to their seasons. Monday night revealed what is possible when teams find their groove. Here are some of the highlights … • The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team improved to 5-0 with a 73-29 victory…
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QUINCY — Kaci Bailey’s exasperation resulted in a complete overhaul of the Quincy University women’s basketball team’s lineup midway through the third quarter Monday night. “I said put five new ones in,” the second-year Hawks coach said. “I didn’t even know who was in.” All Bailey was certain of was her starters weren’t providing the…
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QUINCY — A clutch shot and a search for energy. That’s the most poignant way to describe opposite ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader for the Quincy University men’s and women’s basketball teams. Zion Richardson banked in a shot with 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation to life the QU men to a 71-69…
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QUINCY — Entering the season, it appeared the Great Lakes Valley Conference did the Quincy University men’s basketball team no favors by scheduling it to open league play against Indianapolis and Lewis, opponents projected to finish first and third, respectively. The one caveat was that both games would be in Pepsi Arena, and the Hawks…
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QUINCY — Something the Quincy High School boys basketball coaching staff noticed watching game film revealed itself even further during Saturday morning’s shootaround. The Blue Devils’ primary post players — sophomore Keshaun Thomas and senior Sam Mulherin — weren’t controlling the block. “We watched them post straight up,” QHS coach Andy Douglas said. “They were…
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QUINCY — With a never-in-doubt 58-39 victory over Springfield Lanphier on Saturday night at Blue Devil Gym, the Quincy High School boys basketball team captured the championship of the 51st QHS Thanksgiving Tournament. It is the Blue Devils’ 36th tournament title. Check out this photo gallery of images from freelance photographer Mathew Kirby and Muddy…
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ADRIAN, Mo. — Even in the wake of a hurts-down-to-your-soul kind of loss, Monroe City football coach David Kirby needed the Panthers to remember one valuable thing. “I said this all year long,” Kirby said. “We are not victims. We are victors. You make sure you hold your head high through anything.” After losing 32-16…
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QUINCY — After not enjoying a winning record in the Great Lakes Valley Conference since the 2016-17 season, the Quincy University men’s basketball team started conference play in stunning fashion Saturday with a 62-57 victory over preseason conference favorite Indianapolis at Pepsi Arena. So how long will Quincy coach Steve Hawkins enjoy giving the No.…
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QUINCY — Granted, Quincy Notre Dame’s 58-33 boys basketball victory over St. Louis Gateway STEM was not a thing of beauty. But not every performance in a long high school basketball season can come across as a Rembrandt. Every so often, there’s going to be a MAD Magazine cover show up, too. Such was the…
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QUINCY — By the midpoint of the first quarter there was only one real question surrounding the Quincy Notre Dame-Warrenton girls basketball matchup that was playing out at The Pit. Would Warrenton wind up with more points or turnovers by game’s end? If your choice had been “points” you would have been correct, but only…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Every comeback starts at a tipping point, the moment where momentum and mojo shift dramatically. Everything lined up for a Lena-Winslow punt to be just that. Having forced the defending Class 1A state champion to punt from its own 23-yard line with 7 minutes, 53 seconds remaining in the third quarter Friday…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — As they worked their way past the long line of Decatur St. Teresa faithful waiting to enter Memorial Stadium, a group of Camp Point Central football fans were abruptly stopped by some curious Bulldogs fans. “Did you get it done?” one asked. The disappointment echoed in the tone of the response. “It…
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QUINCY — Butler College Prep girls basketball coach Xaver Walton got exactly what he wanted. The Lynx returned seven players from last year’s team that lost by three points to Minonk Fieldcrest in the Class 2A super-sectional. When Walton learned defending Class 2A state champion Quincy Notre Dame was looking for a team to play…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Sam Mulherin’s soft bank shot in the waning seconds of overtime was neither a fluke nor an accident. Mulherin’s basket, a wide-open jumper just a few feet to the left of the hoop, wound up providing the margin of victory in the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s hard-earned 57-56 victory Friday night…
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QUINCY — The first 3 ½ minutes of Quincy Notre Dame’s season opener against McCluer on Friday night was … almost unwatchable. The Raiders missed their first six shots, turned the ball over twice and missed three out of four free throws to trail 6-1. “It was really bad. Really bad,” senior Jackson Stratton said.…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Central football team’s magical postseason run ended Friday with a 30-8 loss to top-ranked Lena-Winslow in the Class 1A state championship game at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium. Central finished its season with a 13-1 record and the single-season program record for victories. Here is a gallery of images from…
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QUINCY — The lights go down, the flames go up and everyone in Blue Devil Gym awaiting the Devil’s arrival feels the chills. The players aren’t immune to that, no matter how focused on the game they might be. “I would think any abnormal person would say no they don’t feel anything,” said Tyler Sprick,…
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QUINCY — What do the Three Musketeers, DJ Khaled and the Navy SEALs have in common? They each could be the inspiration for the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team this season. Start with the Three Musketeers. In the legendary novel by Alexandre Dumas, the Musketeers stick together with the motto “Tous pour un, un…
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QUINCY — The exuberant kid who tagged along every opportunity he had when Chris Harmann went to Blue Devil Gym during a decade spent as a Quincy High School boys basketball assistant coach has matured That wasn’t a good thing for Harmann’s Dixon club. Tyler Sprick, a QHS junior guard and Harmann’s cousin, turned Thursday’s…
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QUINCY — The opening night of the 51st QHS Thanksgiving Tournament had everything Quincy High School boys basketball fans want — a down-to-the-wire affair, an intriguing storyline and a victory by the Blue Devils. Quincy opened with a 65-29 victory over Dixon after Springfield Lanphier outlasted Miller Career Academy 57-54. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…
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QUINCY — As the Quincy High School boys basketball team trudged through another preseason practice, those responsible for the sound system in Blue Devil Gym tested the acoustics, the decibel levels and the clarity for pregame introductions. “They started playing everything and I got chills,” senior guard Reid O’Brien said. The Blue Devils also were…
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QUINCY — To the victor go the spoils. What exactly the spoils are Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas isn’t divulging. Thursday night, in the opening game of the QHS Thanksgiving Tournament, the Blue Devils will square off against Dixon at 7 p.m. at Blue Devil Gym. It also pits two close friends…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Come Friday, the Camp Point Central football team will walk into Memorial Stadium on the University of Illinois campus for the Class 1A state championship game to square off with Lena-Winslow, the reigning state champion who has won five state championships since 2010. Leading the way with be an experienced, stout…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football program needed a home. The Central State 8 Conference needed another member to balance its scheduling paradigm. As it turns out, they needed each other at just the right time. Notre Dame and the CS8 collaboratively announced Wednesday morning the Raiders will join the league in 2024 for…
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QUINCY — The second-half rally and fight to the finish the Quincy High School girls basketball team engaged in Tuesday night had two components. “We totally changed our mindset,” Blue Devils senior guard Leah Chevalier said. “And a few people hit shots.” It was nearly enough to topple the reigning Western Big 6 Conference champion.…
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QUINCY — Kicking off Thanksgiving week with a flurry of activity as the Illinois boys basketball season got underway Monday night and the Missouri teams joined in the fun. Oh, college basketball season is in full swing, too. Here are some of Monday’s highlights … • The Hannibal girls basketball team won Shawn Gaines’ debut…
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QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s basketball team is oh-so-close to being oh-so-successful. For the second time in four games, the Hawks went to overtime, getting a pair of clutch Beth Matas Martin baskets in the final 20 seconds of regulation to tie Sunday’s championship game of the Hansen-Spear Quincy Classic against Winona State at…
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COLFAX, Ill. — Ross Riley’s explanation for the Camp Point Central football team’s Class 1A semifinal win over Ridgeview-Lexington was a simple one. That was fitting because the Panthers’ 44-8 victory was simple domination. “We were just going, and I was just running. I don’t know what else to say,” exclaimed a jubilant Riley. “It’s…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — The bottom line? “Now we’ve got the chance to play 48 more minutes,” said Monroe City running back Ceaton Pennewell, only moments after his club had survived a grueling Class 1 quarterfinal test Saturday afternoon against Lincoln. Monroe City’s 26-12 victory at Lankford Field did not come easy. If nothing else,…
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QUINCY — When the final play produces the perfect outcome, it had to be run exactly the way it was designed in the huddle, right? “Something like that,” Quincy University women’s basketball coach Kaci Bailey said with a wry smile. When Rogers State disrupted Quincy planned off a sideline inbounds play with 6.9 seconds remaining…
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QUINCY — The scheduled had to be adjusted and delayed, but Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Arena, four NCAA Division II women’s basketball teams converged for the Hansen-Spear Quincy Classic and delivered a pair of hard-fought affairs. Winona State defeated McKendree 64-50 in the opener, and Quincy University knocked off Rogers State 58-56 as Beth Matas…
Read Full Article DES MOINES, Iowa — John Wood Community College men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt schedules games in events such as the DMACC Classic to see if the Trail Blazers can handle the physical and mental challenges. The answer is quite clear. This group is on the right path to success. After beating 20th-ranked Iowa Western by…
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QUINCY — One final wave to say thank you to an adoring, enthusiastic crowd was the Quincy University women’s volleyball team’s way to say goodbye as well. The season that changed the Hawks’ program forever was over. Yet, the bond created amongst a group of student-athletes — “incredible young women” in the words of Quincy…
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QUINCY — The lead, the energy and an enthusiastic crowd. The Quincy University women’s volleyball team had everything it seemed to want and need to dispatch Missouri-St. Louis midway through the third set of Friday night’s NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinal. Yet, it turned out that wasn’t enough. The Hawks lacked the finishing touch…
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QUINCY — The Quincy community and the Quincy University student body once again showed the QU women’s volleyball team its appreciation for an historic season, creating a loud and raucous atmosphere in Pepsi Arena for the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinals. The Hawks used the energy to give Missouri-St. Louis a tussle before suffering…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The knockout punch came quickly. Quincy Notre Dame scored early and often Friday night, opening its girls basketball season with a relatively easy 68-39 victory over Hardin Calhoun at The Pit. “I felt we played with a lot of confidence,” QND senior Blair Eftink said. “We were excited to play.” The game was…
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PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Quincy University men’s basketball team’s offense is going to give the defense time to find its way. In the second half Friday night, that seemed to happen. An 11-point halftime lead ballooned to as many as 29 points as the Hawks put the clamps on Pittsburg State, limiting the Gorillas to…
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WEST PLAINS, Mo. — Two shifts in momentum completely changed the context of Friday night’s Class 4 state quarterfinal rematch. The first gave the Hannibal football team a boost. The second spelled doom for the Pirates. After Hannibal scored on the final play of the first half to take a seven-point lead to the locker…
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Here is the Muddy River Sports area girls basketball preview section, delving into teams from Illinois and Missouri as the 2022-23 season gets underway. Click the link below to download the section.
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central football players have traded cut-off t-shirts and shorts for stocking caps and sweatshirts. When that takes place, something more significant has, too. In this case, the Panthers have reached the Class 1A state semifinals for the fourth time in program history. Central (12-0) travels for the first time this…
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QUINCY — With the third set tied at 17 and the Northern Michigan women’s volleyball team validly entertaining the idea it could extend the match, an air of optimism arose. Moments later, that hope floated away. Top-seeded Quincy University won eight of the final nine points of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional quarterfinal, moving…
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QUINCY — Makayla Knoblauch remembers the days where the echoes were as loud as any other sound in Pepsi Arena and the Quincy University women’s volleyball players knew practically every fan in the stands. “Four years ago, it was just our parents, the other team’s parents and a couple of our QU friends,” the senior…
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QUINCY — The adjustments being made to combat the Quincy University women’s volleyball team’s full-throttle attack come as no surprise to outside hitter Mattison Norris. “People are going to scout us,” she said. “People know how to shut us down.” That leaves it to the Hawks to adapt. It didn’t happen in a three-set loss…
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QUINCY — Northern Michigan women’s volleyball coach Mike Lozier used his opening statement in the post-match press conference to adequately sum up what his team dealt with during Thursday night’s NCAA Division II Midwest Regional quarterfinal. “Quincy’s really good at volleyball,” he said. “That was kind of the takeaway.” The top-seeded Hawks showed a glimpse…
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QUINCY — Malik Hardmon has listened to the Quincy University men’s basketball coaching staff harp on being detail oriented so often the words and phrases being uttered have slipped into his subconscious. “I wake up and in my dream I’ve heard, ‘Details, details, details,’” the senior forward said with a grin. He and the Hawks…
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QUINCY — The 4 a.m. alarms sounding the start of another long, tiring day were necessary, even if they weren’t always welcome. “There were days for sure where we did not want to be in the weight room,” said Makalya Knoblauch, the senior setter on the Quincy University women’s volleyball team. “What’s special about our…
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QUINCY — Every version of the national anthem is unique and different. Singers with big, booming voices tend to drag out high notes, especially at the top of their vocal range. Nervous singers hurry through it, praying they don’t forget a word or miss a note and fight just to finish. Steve Hawkins would have…
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QUINCY — No buses. No hotel rooms. No scheduling deliveries from Jimmy Johns or Papa Johns or any other ready-to-eat restaurant that would allow the Quincy University women’s volleyball team to get back on the road as quickly as possible. This week has been a study in immersion. The Hawks are immersed in volleyball and…
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QUINCY — Three area football players have been named to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association all-state teams, while seven others picked up honorable mention all-state plaudits. Central senior running back/linebacker Isaac Genenbacher, Brown County senior fullback/linebacker Colby Wort and Macomb junior wide receiver JT Jeter were first-team all-state selections. Genenbacher has been a…
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QUINCY — When Jeremiah Talton was deciding where the best college fit would be, the former Quincy High School all-state basketball player wanted to find a program with an offense tailor-made for his game. “I’m a shooter,” Talton said at the time. Opponents of the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team are figuring out…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Quincy High School girls basketball Brad Dance talked throughout the preseason about how he felt his squad was going to shoot the ball better and score at a much higher rate. When the curtain opened on a new season Tuesday night, the Blue Devils backed that up. Four players finished in double figures…
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QUINCY — Legacy Martial Arts will be the host of an ATA International taekwondo tournament on Feb. 4 at the Oakley-Lindsay Center. The “Bridge to Success Championship” is expected to bring more than 500 competitors and their families to Quincy, which is one of only three cities in Illinois to host a martial arts tournament of this size. “We are so excited that our students…
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QUINCY — Knowing it was only a matter of time before she’d see the Quincy University volleyball team’s name appear on the national tournament bracket, Mattison Norris watched with a little wide-eyed wonder as teams in other regions got their name called. “I was thinking, ‘That’s going to be insane. That’s going to be us.…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Central quarterback Nick Moore’s post-game assessment was rather poignant. And precise. “The first half was kind of rough,” Moore said in matter-of-fact fashion. Yep, pretty much much nailed it, Nick. Fortunately, there are two halves in a high school football game. The margin of Central’s 24-12 Class 1A quarterfinal playoff victory…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Shut out in the first half and trailing by two scores, the Central football team showed why it has been one of the area’s most successful programs for the past decade. The Panthers simply refuse to lose. They rallied for a 24-12 victory over Greenfield-Northwestern in the Class 1A state quarterfinals…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The transition to winter sports is gradually happening. Here’s a look at some of the action that took place Saturday: • The John Wood Community College men’s basketball team stumbled out of the gate and never fully recovered, losing 98-83 to 14th-ranked Kirkwood in the final game of the Town and Country Inn…
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CEDARVILLE, Ohio — A number of the things the Quincy University men’s basketball players have done during the first 35 minutes of back-to-back season-opening games will make this group successful in the long run. What took place down the stretch needs to change. Friday night, the Hawks squandered an 11-point lead with nine minutes to…
Read Full Article Turnovers prove costly as QU football team falters in season finale, finishes last in GLVC standings
QUINCY — Gary Bass didn’t waste time lamenting a season-ending loss. He had other plans in mind. “I’m going to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” the Quincy University football coach said. Recruiting. Fund-raising. Facility improvements. All have to be addressed immediately if the Hawks want to rebound from Saturday’s 17-7 Great Lakes…
Read Full Article HILLSDALE, Mich. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team put itself in position to rubber stamp dramatic 365-day turnaround. All the Hawks lacked was a finishing touch. Sarah Nelson’s layin with 2 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in regulation gave Quincy a six-point lead over Ursuline College in the first game of the Midwest Regional Crossover…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal football team outscored Jefferson City — and the thermometer — on a frosty Friday night at E.A. Porter Stadium. The Pirates’ potent run-first-and-foremost offense eventually wore down the Jays on an evening when the temperature never broke 30 degrees and ended with a 42-21 Class 4 District 5 championship victory.…
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