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MONROE CITY, Mo. — Monroe City senior Ceaton Pennewell channeled his inner Luke Kuechly on Friday night. With temperatures in the high 20s and a wind chill in the teens, Pennewell wasn’t about to let South Shelby think he was cold. While some of his teammates were a little more dressed for the conditions, Pennewell,…
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QUINCY — Space equals pace. If the John Wood Community College men’s basketball players execute such a notion more consistently, the offense Trail Blazers coach Brad Hoyt has designed for this group will run more efficiently. The first seven minutes of the second half Friday night against Rock Valley College proved that point. Leading by…
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EAST PEORIA, Ill. — No matter the size of the challenge, the Quincy University women’s volleyball players have the utmost faith in each other to overcome it. So when Maryville dug in Thursday afternoon and won the third set of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinal matchup, the Hawks didn’t fret. They hammered back.…
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QUINCY — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman and his trusty podcast sidekick Don O’Brien tackle the start of prep boys basketball practices in Illinois, the first week for college hoops games and the shift from fall sports to winter sports in this week’s episode of the Muddy River Breakdown.
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Kevin Miles’ voice cracked as he fought back tears while discussing the reasons why he submitted his resignation as the Palmyra football coach to the Palmyra School Board during Tuesday night’s meeting. The board accepted his resignation, according to a press release from Palmyra Superintendent Jason Harper sent Wednesday morning. “It’s something…
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QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s volleyball squad is reaping the rewards of its success. Freshman middle blocker Alice Pavan was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year and was one of four Hawks named to the All-GLVC first team, the league announced Wednesday night. Quincy finished tied for the regular-season league…
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QUINCY — All-state soccer honors are family traditions in the Anderson and Venvertloh households. The youngest brothers made sure tradition didn’t falter. Quincy Notre Dame senior forward Tanner Anderson and Quincy High School senior midfielder Carter Venvertloh recently were named to the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association all-state team, becoming the second and third…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Down, but never out. That’s a mantra that could carry the Western Illinois University men’s basketball team a long way. It lifted the Leathernecks to a season-opening victory Monday night. Trailing by as many as 13 points early in the second half, WIU went on a 16-2 run to get back in…
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QUINCY — A national ranking, a spot atop the regional rankings and the No. 1 seed for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. Yeah, life is pretty good these days for the Quincy University women’s volleyball team. It could get infinitely better with success this weekend in the GLVC Tournament at the EastSide Centre in…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — A self-reported violation has led to the Palmyra football team officially forfeiting the final six games of its regular season, which included the Panthers’ lone victory against Highland in Week 8. Palmyra athletic director Brian Wosman confirmed the school submitted information to the Missouri State High School Activities Association showing a handful…
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What did we learn last weekend in college football? Defending champion Georgia is clearly the best team after throttling the high-powered Tennessee offense, Alabama is no longer invincible after losing on the road for the second time, and Illinois is not quite ready for prime time after falling at home to a struggling Michigan State…
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QUINCY — Coming out of the halftime locker room, Quincy High School football coach Rick Little and his counterpart at Lemont, Bret Kooi, had to play a bit of a chess game. Kooi’s squad led 17-10. Little had first choice and elected to receive the second half kickoff. Kooi was left to decide whether he…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Don’t kid yourself, that well-grounded approach to offense employed by Central’s football team is by no means an accident or simple happenstance. Yep, there’s a specific method to the successful madness on those wind-swept plains just outside of Camp Point. “We’ve always been a running team here,” junior two-way lineman Reese…
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MACOMB, Ill. — Emily Horrell better get used to this if she hasn’t already. A few days before the Macomb football team played host to Murphysboro in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs, the wife of Bombers coach Tanner Horrell happened to be at a local retail store when two retirement-age women began…
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PRINCETON, Ill. — The vibes created by a crisp, energetic and efficient practice Thursday afternoon failed to linger as long as anyone associated with the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball program wanted or expected. “I guess we let it all out yesterday and couldn’t save it for today,” senior middle hitter Abbey Schreacke said. At least…
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PRINCETON, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team rallied after losing the first set of Friday night’s Class 2A Princeton Super-Sectional to Genoa-Kingston, but the Raiders couldn’t sustain the momentum in the third set of a 25-19, 22-25, 25-17 loss. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action from start to finish. Check…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Not even in his wildest dreams could Aaron Daughtery have ever envisioned what would unfold Friday night. Never, ever, ever. Daughtery, a sophomore defensive back making his first start in the Hannibal secondary, intercepted three passes — returning one for a touchdown — to help the Pirates overwhelm Warrenton 62-7 in the…
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LANARK, Ill. — After falling into a deep hole to start Friday night’s Class 1A Eastland Super-Sectional, the Southeastern volleyball team looked like it had recovered and regained control of the match. But the Suns couldn’t fend off a Sterling Newman Central Catholic rally in the second set, and the Class 1A runners-up from a…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Monroe City football team can outrun almost anything or anyone. That includes the weather. With the start of the Class 1 District 6 semifinal against fourth-seeded Westran moved up 90 minutes in order to avoid impending storms, the top-seeded Panthers ran roughshod before the first raindrops fell, churning out 434…
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QUINCY — Cole Wagy saw beyond the jersey, the helmet and the foe and took note of a fellow football player’s heartache. At that moment, the Quincy High School offensive lineman walked over, knelt down and put his right arm around his ailing adversary. “I didn’t even know his name,” Wagy said. Names aren’t necessary…
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QUINCY — They didn’t want to be relegated to a forgotten footnote in the history of Quincy University athletics. Thanks to Steve Looten, they won’t. Looten, an acclaimed former sports director for WGEM-TV, has written a book on the QU women’s field hockey program. Although the 127 women who played for QU, then known as…
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FARMINGTON, Ill. — Five points. No more. Certainly no less. Forced to a decisive third set in Wednesday night’s Class 2A Farmington Sectional championship after Macomb staved off four match points, Quincy Notre Dame volleyball coach Courtney Kvitle convinced the Raiders to concentrate on winning five points at a time. “We knew we had to…
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FARMINGTON, Ill. — Certain moments cannot be forgotten. Try October 5 for example. With the Quincy Notre Dame cheering section split between two major events — the boys soccer team played at Quincy High School, while the volleyball team played host to Macomb — the Bombers brought a sizable, boisterous crowd to The Pit. A…
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BRIMFIELD, Ill. — The Southeastern volleyball team’s cardiac kids made a comeback. More than one comeback, to be precise. Down 10 points in the decisive third set Wednesday night, the Suns staged an epic rally to defeat Hartsburg-Emden 25-11, 21-25, 28-26 in the Class 1A Brimfield Sectional final. To Southeastern coach Tim Kerr, his team’s…
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WHITE HALL, Ill. — The Unity volleyball team just couldn’t put it together on Wednesday night. Unforced error after unforced error piled up for the Mustangs in their Class 1A sectional championship match against Springfield Lutheran. The Mustangs made 10 unforced errors in the first set and followed that with four service errors in the…
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EVANSTON, Ill. — Quincy University men’s basketball coach Steve Hawkins was happy with the way his team battled back from a 19-point first half deficit to Northwestern. Then came the second half. After taking care of the basketball before halftime with only four turnovers, the Hawks had 10 turnovers in the second half and fell…
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QUINCY — B.J. Wilson’s invitation to play in the 98th East-West Shrine Bowl isn’t some run-of-the-mill honor tossed around to whoever might be available to play. This is a direct path to the NFL. The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Quincy University left tackle accepted an invitation this week to play in college football’s most elite all-star game…
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QUINCY — Greg Reis replaced his silver, postseason beard with a dapper, clean-shaven look in time for a celebration fit for champions. The veteran Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer coach allowed his facial hair to grow throughout the Raiders’ postseason run, which culminated with last Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Belleville Althoff in the Class 1A…
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FARMINGTON, Ill. — The trick was to treat the Orion volleyball team to a false sense of hope. Giving up seven of the first 11 points in Monday’s first semifinal match of the Class 2A Farmington Sectional seemed to do that. It didn’t take long, though, for Quincy Notre Dame to dash that hope. A…
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FARMINGTON, Ill. — Taking the court under the watchful eyes of a rival and future foe could have been slightly unnerving. Facing an opponent looking for retribution could have, too. The Macomb volleyball team ignored it all and delivered a prime in-the-moment effort Monday night, dispatching Sherrard 25-15, 25-14 in the semifinals of the Class…
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FARMINGTON, Ill. — The sectional championship showdown prep volleyball fans have anticipated for the past month is about to happen. Quincy Notre Dame and Macomb sidestepped their sectional semifinal opponents Monday night and will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday for the title of the Class 2A Farmington Sectional. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman took…
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WHITE HALL, Ill. — The senior members of the Unity volleyball team have been to the sectional three times during their prep careers. The first two times, the Mustangs were shown the door in the semifinals. Ashlynn Arnsman, one of four Unity seniors, is intent on making this final ride a long one. “It was…
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EAST PEORIA, Ill. — Four days ago, Tanner Anderson sat his bag down on the grass, laid the super-sectional plaque on top of it and stopped to oblige a media request. Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer coach Greg Reis suggested he’d take the plaque to the bus to expedite the Raiders’ departure, but Anderson intervened.…
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EAST PEORIA, Ill. — Be phenomenal or be forgotten. Such an easy choice. “No one wants to live their life forgotten,” said Jake Hoyt, a senior center back on the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team. “Doesn’t everyone want to be phenomenal?” When Raiders coach Greg Reis posed that challenge to his team on the…
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — An ominous beginning couldn’t darken the Canton softball team’s mood. It certainly didn’t ruin the Tigers’ mojo either. Under cloudy skies and dealing with windy conditions Saturday afternoon, Canton was forced to wait through an epic Class 3 state championship game in which Fatima defeated Chillicothe 16-14 and not start the Class…
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EAST PEORIA, Ill. — They grew curious — possibly more concerned — whether the suspension on Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman’s pickup truck could hold the weight of the entire Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team piled into the truck’s bed. Much like the Raiders throughout the postseason, Schuck’s truck held up just fine.…
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MACOMB, Ill. — Macomb football coach Tanner Horrell could only shake his head Saturday night. “That’s a pretty good 5-4 team, huh?” Horrell asked, referring to a Quincy Notre Dame team that gave his undefeated Bombers all could they handle before coming away with a 28-14 victory over the Raiders in an opening-round Class 4A…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Dupo football team was barely off the bus after the long trip from the southern part of St. Louis Metro East area before Central had three touchdowns on the scoreboard Saturday. Frustrated Dupo fans who made the 115-mile trip had to be escorted from the visitor’s side track to behind…
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Canton softball team is back to being the undisputed best. The Tigers defeated previously undefeated Polo 4-2 Saturday in the Class 1 state championship at the Killian Softball Complex, capturing the second state title in program history. The Tigers won the state title in 2017 and have six state trophies in…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — One of the best defenses throughout the state in Class 1A lived up to that billing Saturday as the Central football team steamrolled Dupo 66-0 in a first-round playoff matchup. Check out this photo gallery of images from Central photographer Mike Pritchard:
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EAST PEORIA, Ill. — Opportunity may have passed Tanner Anderson by once. He vowed it wouldn’t happen twice. Belleville Althoff may want to take note of that. Anderson, a senior forward on the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team and the Raiders’ career leader in goals scored, missed his chance to play for a state…
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CHATHAM, Ill. — It’s not supposed to look that easy, especially in the playoffs. The Quincy High School football team racked up 585 yards of total offense, and sophomore quarterback Bradyn Little threw for a school-record 428 yards and four touchdowns as the Blue Devils won a playoff game for just the second time in…
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Even when trailing Marion C. Early by two runs in the fifth inning of Friday’s Class 1 state semifinal, the Canton softball players showed confidence. “I thought we were gonna win it from the beginning,” sophomore shortstop Kadee Guilfoyle said. That faith was rewarded with a 3-2 victory at the Killian Softball…
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EAST PEORIA, Ill. — An ongoing problem throughout the boys soccer postseason has been the inability of public address announcers to pronounce Deakon Schuette’s last name correctly. During the Class 1A Mendota Sectional, the Quincy Notre Dame senior defensive midfielder was referred to as “Shoot.” In the second half of Friday’s Class 1A state semifinal…
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Canton softball team is one victory away from winning the second state championship in program history after beating Marion C. Early 3-2 on Friday in the Class 1 state semifinals at the Killian Softball Complex. Check out this gallery of images from the Tigers’ come-from-behind victory:
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QUINCY — The nerves and excitement have been tempered some by contributing to the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team’s postseason run, but freshman defender Channing Trevino won’t soon forget the day he got his first start. “It was pretty exciting when against Normal U-High they said I was going to be starting,” Trevino said.…
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QUINCY — The bouncy, boisterous, energetic way the Illini West volleyball team plays can be distracting or intimidating. Quincy Notre Dame combatted that with plenty of noise of its own. Buoyed by a sizable, vocal crowd, the Raiders maintained an even-keel approach throughout Thursday night’s Class 2A QND Regional championship match at The Pit to…
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QUINCY — For the seventh time in the last eight seasons, the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team can call itself a regional champion. This time, the Raiders gave their seniors a lasting memory in their final game at The Pit. QND beat Illini West 25-13, 25-17 to advance to the Farmington Sectional, where the Raiders…
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QUINCY — Quincy High School senior libero Carley Owsley wasn’t about to go down without a fight. “I was prepared for them to be all over the place and to make me move,” Owsley said Thursday night. “I wanted every ball.” And Owsley was able to dig a lot of them as the sixth-seeded Blue…
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MENDON, Ill. — Maybe, just maybe, the Unity volleyball team needed a wake-up call. The Mustangs, who won the first set against Brown County with relative ease Thursday night, eventually needed a fast-and-furious finish in round two to deliver a knockout punch. “I think we got a little ahead of ourselves after that first game,”…
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BIGGSVILLE, Ill. — Tim Kerr willingly accepted the blame. Ahead of Thursday night’s Class 1A Biggsville West Central Regional championship match, the Southeastern volleyball coach searched through some stats and realized senior Abbey McMillen had missed only eight serves all season and was serving at a 98-percent clip. He never should have looked it up…
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MONMOUTH, Ill. — Each season, the Macomb volleyball team has inched closer to being a sectional champion. Monday, the Bombers hope the trend continues. Macomb will carry its 32-3 record to the Class 2A Farmington Sectional, where it will face Sherrard in the semifinals following Thursday’s 25-12, 25-19 victory over Monmouth-Roseville in the Class 2A…
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QUINCY — The pressure to get pressure lies squarely on the Quincy High School football team’s defensive front. “And we have to pressure all night,” defensive lineman Caron Banks said. Otherwise, Chatham Glenwood quarterback Jack Knudson gains the edge. “We know he’s really good in the pocket and doesn’t scramble much,” QHS linebacker Ty Douglas…
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CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team clamped down on Bloomington Central Catholic’s attack and limited the Saints to one shot in the first half of Wednesday’s 5-1 victory in the Class 1A Chillicothe Super-Sectional. That effort is carrying the Raiders to the final four in East Peoria, where they will play…
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CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — Mother Nature posed a challenge no matter which direction the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team chose to attack in the first half Wednesday night. Sun in the eyes or wind in the face. So Raiders coach Greg Reis asked goalkeepers coach Kasey Gerding for his opinion on which way to go.…
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CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team earned a spot in the state final four for the eighth time in program history, beating Bloomington Central Catholic 5-1 Wednesday night in the Class 1A Chillicothe Super-Sectional. The Raiders (17-6-2) advance to face Elmhurst Timothy Christian (16-9) at 7 p.m. Friday at the EastSide…
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MENDON, Ill. — The Unity volleyball team launched its pursuit of a Class 1A state tournament berth with a flurry. Brown County did the same. Now the two must go head-to-head to see who survives. The Mustangs and Hornets won Class 1A Unity Regional semifinals Wednesday night in straight sets, propelling them to the regional…
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QUINCY — Annie Eaton’s smile is infectious, but don’t let that nice-girl persona fool you. She’s the quiet assassin of the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team. And she relishes that role. “I like to control things out there,” Eaton said. “I like to run the offense.” The Raiders’ floor general was at her directorial best…
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QUINCY — If pressed, Dakota Lafferty will admit, at times, it is difficult not to look toward next season. Considering her Illini West volleyball team will play Quincy Notre Dame for a Class 2A QND Regional title Thursday, what’s the deal, Dakota? “We don’t have any seniors,” she said. “We start two freshmen, three sophomores…
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QUINCY — Quincy High School volleyball coach Kate Brown collected herself, looked out on the court at the QHS gym and broke into a wide smile. “This was a team we haven’t seen all season,” Brown said of her sixth-seeded Blue Devils, who moments earlier pulled off an upset of fourth-seeded Pekin in the Class…
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AUGUSTA, Ill. — Tuesday’s steady rain didn’t cause Danny Stephens or his father, Jeremy, any delays in getting the fields on the family farm worked over. “We finished them (Monday),” Stephens said. “So it was good timing.” And for as much as Stephens, the Southeastern senior, feels at home on the basketball court, he feels…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Maura Gottman’s return to the Missouri Class 1 state tournament came with a twist. Her sister was along for the ride. The Palmyra girls tennis team’s No. 1 doubles pairing featuring the Gottmans — Maura is a senior and Molly is a sophomore — made program history by finishing third, defeating Mt.…
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Around the horn … Former Quincy University men’s basketball coach Ryan Hellenthal has landed a new job as director of basketball development and basketball administration at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, the school announced last week. At SIUE, he is reunited with Cougars coach Brian Barone. Both were assistants on the coaching staff at Garden City (Kan.)…
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The time to rebuild begins now for the Quincy University men’s soccer program. QU wrapped up its season Sunday with a 3-0 loss to Rockhurst in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at Bourke Field. It punctuated the second worst season in the tradition-rich program’s history as Quincy finished 3-11-3 overall. Only…
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MENDOTA, Ill. — Everything Greg Reis observed Saturday morning left him convinced the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer players had the right disposition to run down a sectional championship. “We had a special energy when we went to mass and then went to breakfast,” the QND coach said. Yet, the tone seemed to change when…
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MENDOTA, Ill. — Gusting winds blowing right in the face of the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer players did little to diminish the Raiders’ pursuit of a state championship. QND moved one step closer to that goal with a 7-1 victory over Mendota on Saturday in the Class 1A Mendota Sectional championship. Check out this…
Read Full Article QUINCY — When the team bus rolled into the Quincy Notre Dame parking lot at around 7 p.m. Saturday, Raiders football coach Jack Cornell didn’t know which road his team would be taking in the postseason. As soon as Cornell knew, he told the players he’d spread the word. But there was a more important…
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CANTON, Mo. — Canton catcher Kinsey Biggerstaff said Emma Hultz has one pitch in particular that stands out in her nasty repertoire of off-speed offerings. “It’s her changeup,” Biggerstaff said matter-of-factly. And Hultz, a junior right-hander, doesn’t disagree with her battery mate’s assessment. “The change is my No. 1 pitch,” she said with absolutely no…
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LADUE, Mo. — Explosive is how senior running back Jackson Stratton labeled the Quincy Notre Dame football team’s offensive performance Saturday afternoon. “This is,” Stratton said, “the best we’ve been all season.” The Raiders picked the ideal time to peak. With its offense dominating the line of scrimmage and constructing big plays, QND was able…
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QUINCY — The plan for the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team usually centers around feeding their front line players so they can hammer home kills. The Raiders had to alter that plan a smidge in Saturday’s championship match of the QND Volleyball Bash inside Quincy University’s Health and Fitness Center. Staring the Raiders’ front line…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Neither the Quincy High School boys nor the Quincy High School girls had any trouble Saturday morning of qualifying out of the Class 3A regional cross country meet held at Bob Mays Park. Quincy had fourth-place finishers in each race. The QHS boys finished third as a team behind senior Eric McClelland. He…
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QUINCY — Down 28-0 to Rock Island on Senior Night at Flinn Stadium, Quincy High School senior linebacker Kory Fletcher tried to keep a good attitude. “I kept thinking, ‘What if magic happens?’ ” Fletcher said. “And magic happened.” The Blue Devils rallied from that first-half deficit to pull out a thrilling 47-42 Western Big…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — On a field where history grows with every blade of grass, the Illini West football team was intent on keeping history from happening. For nearly eight minutes, that seemed possible. Then in a blink, it became clear history wouldn’t be denied. Facing undefeated, state-ranked Macomb in the regular-season finale Friday night at…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — At Central High School, the postseason has become an annual rite of passage once the calendar reaches deep into October. And it’s time — for the 14th straight year — for the Panthers to turn their attention to another playoff pursuit. Central, No. 4 in the latest Class 1A rankings, punctuated…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Markahl Humphrey ran for a career-high 193 yards and scored three touchdowns Friday night, triggering the Hannibal football team’s hard-fought 27-21 victory over Columbia Battle at Porter Stadium. The spotlight was thrust on Humphrey, a senior running back, following a first-quarter injury to junior all-purpose back Aneyas Williams, a major NCAA Division…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — For all of the big-play capabilities Class 1’s top-ranked team possesses, the ability to grind out a drive and control the clock could be what separates the Monroe City football team from the rest of the field. It separated the Panthers from the rest of the Clarence Cannon Conference. Monroe City…
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QUINCY — Bradyn Little deliberated before answering, and even then the Quincy High School sophomore quarterback struggled to give a single response. So which one of his wide receivers is the best at making the tough catches? “Caeden (Johannessen) has had a few tough catches. And Jack (Mettemeyer). And Tykell (Hammers),” Little said. “Really, it’s…
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What’s at stake Friday night? For some high school football teams, it’s the chance to play another day. For others, history beckons. And there are those who want to finish with a flurry. Quincy High School wraps up the Western Big 6 Conference slate by playing host to Rock Island. With a victory, the Blue…
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MENDOTA, Ill. — There will come a time when the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer players will appreciate and yearn for the opportunity to take an afternoon nap. It might happen Thursday. Following Wednesday night’s 9-2 shellacking of Serena in the Class 1A Mendota Sectional semifinals, the Raiders embarked on a four-hour charter bus ride…
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LA PLATA, Mo. — Redemption and revenge came with a full-fledged offensive assault. Now, the Canton softball team sits just one victory away from a return to the final four. The Tigers capitalized on a bounty of scoring opportunities in the first three innings of Wednesday’s Class 1 sectional, building an insurmountable 11-run lead and…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Carter Venvertloh gave the Quincy High School boys soccer team a chance for an epic rally. It just never materialized. Venvertloh, the senior forward, scored with 4:40 remaining in regulation to cut into top-seeded Collinsville’s three-goal lead in Wednesday night’s Class 3A regional semifinal at Kahok Stadium. However, the Blue Devils couldn’t…
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MENDOTA, Ill. — For a fleeting moment in both halves of Wednesday night’s Class 1A Mendota Sectional semifinal, the Serena boys soccer team saw a glimmer of hope. Quincy Notre Dame extinguished it each time before it ever got bright. The Husker trailed 2-0 nine minutes into the game, but a counterattack allowed them to…
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MENDOTA, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team looked like the team to beat in the Class 1A Mendota Sectional on Wednesday night, dispatching Serena 9-2 in the sectional semifinals. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman made the four-hour trek to Mendota to capture images of the Raiders’ third postseason victory. Check out…
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QUINCY — Jake Hoyt doesn’t have an explanation for how he ended up in such unfamiliar territory. “Honestly, I still really don’t know,” the senior said of being moved from forward to center back to fill a void in the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team’s defense. There’s really only one viable reason. A master…
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CANTON, Mo. — The circumstances suggested the Canton softball team was doomed. The Tigers never believed that. And when they escaped a controversial, fingernail-biting seventh inning in last Saturday’s Class 1 District 9 championship game unscathed, they embraced the belief nothing was going to stand in their way. “We definitely felt that in our huddle,”…
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Prep volleyball is in the final week of the regular season, while college and prep soccer teams are heading toward the postseason. Here’s the rundown of Tuesday’s action: • The Macomb volleyball team showcased the ability to rally in an 18-25, 25-18, 25-21 victory at Unity. Kennedy Adair and Kathryn Lukkarinen had 10 kills apiece…
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QUINCY — The outcome matters. It has to, otherwise the sweat equity put into practice and the commitment to be at your best wouldn’t matter so much. Still, there are nights where the final score takes on secondary importance, where winners aren’t determined solely by the numbers on a scoreboard but more by the integrity,…
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QUINCY — Monday night’s crosstown showdown continued the mission to find a cure for breast cancer, and the atmosphere in the QHS gym as the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame girls volleyball teams squared off proved to be electric. Here is a look at the images captured by Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…
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QUINCY — Tionne Harris kept slinging the football. His receivers kept catching it. And the Quincy University football team kept scoring. What it all added up to was one of the best single-game passing performances in program history, an epic comeback in an overtime victory, and another Great Lakes Valley Conference Offensive Player of the…
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QUINCY — Rack ’em. The American Cue Sports Illinois State Billiard Championships are returning to Quincy. A highly successful event in 2022 in which Quincy’s own Kelsey Bockenfeld won the women’s state championship, the five-day billiards extravaganza will take place March 15-19, 2023, at the Oakley-Lindsay Center. In a press release from the American CueSports…
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Notes, quotes and great thoughts from a sports weekend that, for the first time in a month, did not include my alma mater turning a winnable college football game into an excruciating loss: OK, so Missouri was on a bye. No game, no angst. Surely the Tigers won’t lose on Saturday to Vanderbilt, the only…
Read Full Article QUINCY — An early goal didn’t alleviate the problems plaguing the Quincy University men’s soccer team. The Hawks simply surrender too many gut-punching goals. Another occurred in the 88th minute Sunday. Off a free kick, Truman State’s Luke Payne headed in a goal from the back post to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 Great Lakes…
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LEBANON, Ill. — Gary Bass had a simple wish for his 39th birthday. “All I wanted was a victory,” the Quincy University football coach said. First, he had to endure some stress-filled moments before blowing out the candles in historic fashion. Trailing by as many as 21 points on three separate occasions Saturday afternoon, the…
Read Full Article ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Quincy High School football coach Rick Little wants to see the Blue Devils play with an edge — no matter the opponent. If not, he knows it can prove costly. That will be a point of emphasis this week in preparation for the regular-season finale at home against Rock Island following…
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QUINCY — Evie Schuetz’s leadership proved invaluable for the Quincy Notre Dame girls tennis team throughout the fall. Her persistence and preparation is why the fall season isn’t over just yet. The QND senior earned a spot in the Class 1A state tournament, finishing fourth in singles in the QND Sectional on Saturday at the…
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SHELBYVILLE, Mo. — Some confusion about the rules regarding pitching circle visits put the Canton softball team in a precarious position with the season on the brink Saturday afternoon. Yet, the Tigers never flinched. With the Class 1 District 9 championship game tied at 2 in the bottom of the seventh and North Shelby having…
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QUINCY — More than two decades have passed since Steve Hawkins last walked into Pepsi Arena to coach the first official practice of the college basketball season, but his expectations for the Quincy University men’s basketball players aren’t any different. The Hawks better be prepared to tirelessly work to get better. Saturday morning, the Hawks…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — Waylon DeGrave and Ceaton Pennewell give the Monroe City football team two entirely different looks in the backfield. DeGrave, a junior, provides the flash, while Pennewell, a senior, counters as the Panthers’ punisher. Both proved to be hard to stop on Friday night at Lankford Field. DeGrave broke off two long…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football team led 18-0 at halftime, but senior Connor McDowell knew things weren’t right Friday night. The Raiders compiled just 92 yards in the first half and turned the ball over three times against a Granite City team that had won just one of seven games and had lost…
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MARSHALL, Mo. — The defense gave the offense a rest Friday night, all while putting the finishing touches on another undefeated run through the North Central Missouri Conference for the Hannibal football team. Owen Andrews returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession, and following a safety, Jack Parker returned the…
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