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QUINCY — Emotion, energy and enthusiasm converged on Blue Devil Gym on Thursday night as the Quincy High School boys basketball team opened its season with a 76-58 victory over Chicago Lindblom in the 53rd QHS Thanksgiving Tournament. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article Blue Devils expect to see different styles, different challenges during 53rd Thanksgiving Tournament
QUINCY — Starting Thursday, there’s no time to dwell on the wouldas, couldas and shouldas. That’s what Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas likes about starting the season with three games in three days, which the Blue Devils will do in the 53rd QHS Thanksgiving Tournament in Blue Devil Gym. Quincy kicks off…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the area scoreboard for Wednesday, Nov. 27: Boys basketball Pittsfield Thanksgiving Tournament Pittsfield 55, Camp Point Central 38 Liberty 55, Petersburg PORTA 47 Beardstown Tournament Brown County 77, Griggsville-Perry JV 26 Southeastern 49, Beardstown 45 Spartan Tip-Off Tournament Illini West 39, Bushnell-Prairie City 15 Illini Bluffs 48, Macomb…
Read Full Article Coverage of the QHS boys basketball team is brought to you by: QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys basketball players don’t shy away from harboring state championship aspirations. “That’s my goal every time I play,” 6-foot-3 senior guard Bradley Longcor III said. Still, becoming preoccupied with that title pursuit is the last thing the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — For nearly 28 minutes of game time, Jada Brown could not miss. The Quincy High School sophomore forward scored the Blue Devils’ first nine points, made her first 12 shots and poured in 31 points in the Blue Devils’ 64-42 victory over Rock Island in Tuesday’s Western Big 6 Conference opener at the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls basketball players are finding the comforts of home much to their liking. The Blue Devils beat Rock Island 64-42 Tuesday night in their Western Big 6 Conference opener and improved to 2-0 at the QHS gym. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and put together this…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the area scoreboard for Tuesday, Nov. 26: Boys basketball Bowling Green 61, Hannibal 56 Canton 56, Knox County 26 Monroe City 59, Moberly 45 Mark Twain 49, Paris 46 Kirksville 59, Highland 22 Pittsfield Thanksgiving Tournament Camp Point Central 33, Western 21 Petersburg PORTA 59, Payson Seymour 50…
Read Full Article Countdown to tipoff: Raiders put focus on playing physical, earning minutes in Altmix's first season
Coverage of the QND boys basketball team brought to you by: QUINCY — Greg Altmix has embraced the challenges of fitting the puzzle pieces together. Altmix’s tallest task as the first-year Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach is putting those pieces into the correct places to get the clearest picture possible. “It’s going to be…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A five-set loss in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament didn’t put the Quincy University women’s volleyball team in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament. It did make the postseason path quite a bit more difficult. The Hawks learned Monday night they had received an at-large bid to the…
Read Full Article PITTSFIELD, Ill. — When Reed Sparrow finds his groove, there is no telling where he will shoot from next. “You kind of question it a little bit with him being so far away, but you also have to give him the green light because sometimes that hoop looks like an ocean to him,” Liberty boys…
Read Full Article PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Junior guard Hayden Gratton and his Pittsfield basketball teammates want to instill fear in their opponents with their defense. “We want them to be really scared,” Gratton said. “Get them going fast and turn the ball over.” The Saukees did exactly that on Monday. Pittsfield’s full-court, high-pressure defense forced 15 Western turnovers…
Read Full Article PITTSFIELD, Ill. — A 3-point shootout, a lockdown defensive effort and a raucous crowd highlighted the opening night of the Pittsfield Thanksgiving Tournament at Voshall Gym on Monday. The Liberty boys basketball team outlasted Payson Seymour 56-47, while Pittsfield upended Western 49-36. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent his evening in Pike County and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here are the local scores from Monday, November 25: Boys basketball Pittsfield Thanksgiving Tournament Liberty 56, Payson Seymour 47 Pittsfield 49, Western 36 Beardstown Tournament Mendon Unity 76, Hartsburg-Emden 40 Spartan Tip-Off Tournament Illini West 51, West Prairie 22 Macomb 54, Bushnell-Prairie City 23 Girls basketball Hannibal 73, Bowling Green 14 Brown County…
Read Full Article Coverage of the QND girls basketball team is brought to you by: QUINCY — The smallest spark can light a fire inside Sage Stratton. “It’s easy to make me mad and make me not really like you,” Stratton said. “I try to find something not to like and that motivates me.” It’s not necessarily a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — While it remains to be seen how the University of Missouri women’s basketball team will ultimately fare this season, it’s clear Abbey Schreacke will play an important role. The Quincy Notre Dame product has been impressive off the bench for the Tigers, who ran their record to 5-2 last Friday by dismantling Arkansas-Little…
Read Full Article EDITOR’S NOTE: Aneyas Williams rushed for 62 yards on three carries, including a 58-yard touchdown, during Saturday night’s 49-14 victory over Army at Yankee Stadium. This story appeared on Blue & Gold Illustrated during the week before the Army game. SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Aneyas Williams doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve. He’s rather stoic,…
Read Full Article BELLEVILLE, Ill. — The Camp Point Central football team got in the path of a freight train, and it was wearing blue and gold. Belleville Althoff cranked out 533 rushing yards — 319 of which came courtesy of University of Oregon commit Dierre Hill Jr. — and steamrolled its way to a 58-19 victory in…
Read Full Article FAUCETT, Mo. — Had the Mid-Buchanan football team recovered an onside kick for the second time in the final two minutes of Saturday’s Class 2 state quarterfinal, South Shelby’s Cooper Elsen knows the Cardinals would have looked quite foolish. He didn’t let that happen. The All-Clarence Cannon Conference senior lineman corralled and smothered Raife Smith’s…
Read Full Article BELLEVILLE, Ill. — The Belleville Althoff football team has three players committed to NCAA Division I schools, including top-ranked Oregon, and two others receiving recruiting interest from Power 5 programs. It’s a significant reason the Crusaders are rolling through the Class 1A playoffs. Althoff pulled away from Camp Point Central in Saturday’s state semifinals, scoring…
Read Full Article SHELBINA, Mo. — Six hours on a school bus was well worth it. The South Shelby football team traveled to Faucett, Mo., on Saturday for a Class 2 state quarterfinal matchup with Mid-Buchanan, and after scoring the game’s first 20 points, the Cardinals were able to hold onto the lead in what became a 28-26…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a look at the area scores from Saturday, November 23: Girls basketball Southern Illinois Shootout Edwardsville 42, Quincy High School 29 Pana Turkey Tournament Central-Southeastern 61, Mattoon 22 Central-Southeastern 76, Pana 35 Brown County Lady Hornet Classic West Hancock 40, Rushville-Industry 37 Brown County 61, Payson Seymour 23 Beardstown 54, Mendon…
Read Full Article KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — Some changes to the Truman State University women’s basketball team’s lineup Saturday — most notably the absence of post player Maddie Niemeier — created unique challenges and opportunities for Quincy University. The Hawks finally took advantage of them over the game’s final 16 minutes. Quincy whittled an eight-point deficit to two by…
Read Full Article CANTON, Mo. — The Culver-Stockton College women’s basketball team scored 54 first-half points to take a big lead, then needed Avery Oetting to make all 10 of her free throws in the final four minutes of the game to seal an 82-72 victory over Baker in a Heart of America Athletic Conference game on Saturday…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — Jase Wallace accepted what awaited the Camp Point Central football team’s offensive line when the season began. A little bit of Inconsistency and uncertainty. “There was a lot to learn and improve on,” said Wallace, the senior right guard who was one of four new full-time starters for the defending Class…
Read Full Article SHELBINA, Mo. — Adam Gunterman needed a moment. In the wake of the South Shelby football team’s 6-0 victory over Monroe City in last Friday’s Class 2 District 7 championship game, Gunterman was headed to fulfill some postgame interview obligations when the Cardinals’ Owen Stueve stopped the head coach. Stueve wanted the district championship trophy…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Camp Point Central football team finds itself in the state semifinals for a third consecutive season with arguably its toughest test as it heads to Belleville Althoff on Saturday. Here’s a closer look at the matchup: What: Class 1A state semifinal When: 2 p.m. Saturday Where: Althoff Catholic High School,…
Read Full Article SHELBINA, Mo. — The South Shelby football team has reached the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 and is looking for its first state semifinal appearance since 2011 when it travels to Mid-Buchanan on Saturday. Here’s a closer look at what you need to know about the matchup: What: Class 2 state quarterfinal…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — The Palmyra boys basketball team showed its depth and firepower in Friday night’s season-opening 74-58 victory over Clopton. Sophomore guard Hudson Bock scored a game-high 22 points, while senior forward Mason Smith scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half in his Palmyra debut. The Panthers got to the free-throw…
Read Full Article QUINCY — When Tom Lepper stepped away from his role as an assistant coach with the Quincy High School boys basketball program two seasons ago due to health concerns, a number of people asked if a story would follow. The only way I’d write one, I continuously reiterated, was if he wanted to talk about…
Read Full Article WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Brad Hoyt isn’t naive enough to believe the Quincy University men’s basketball team will continue taking two steps forward without ever taking a step back. The Hawks just have to continue taking those first two steps. Thursday night, they navigated another one. Quincy saw a 10-point lead dwindle to two in a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Emma Wijnbergen’s record-setting season earned her recognition as the best the Great Lakes Valley Conference has to offer. Wijnbergen, a senior attacker on the Quincy University women’s volleyball team, was named the GLVC Player of the Year on Thursday, becoming the first Hawk to receive the league’s top postseason honor. Wijnbergen led the…
Read Full Article ST. LOUIS — Seth Anderson embraces the fact he never has to face anything alone. None of the Saint Louis University men’s soccer players do. “Every year, you get more people who join the team and continue making it one big family,” Anderson said. “You never feel like you don’t have someone to go and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Mackenzie Schissel hadn’t ever considered a life away from the game. “I was coaching until the day I died,” the Quincy University women’s soccer coach said. Then along came Marlee. The 1-year-old daughter of Schissel and her husband, Matt, who is the QU head baseball coach, made the coaching couple reassess everything and…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Brown County boys basketball team brought to you by: MT. STERLING, Ill. — The “40 Minutes of Hell” play style made famous by Nolan Richardson’s men’s basketball teams at the University of Arkansas — which contributed to three Final Fours in six seasons and a 1994 national championship — is seeing a…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Liberty boys basketball team brought to you by: LIBERTY, Ill. — Even though the first film in the series had already been out for three years and the second was released the year before, Dan Sparrow had not seen any of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies before choosing a name for…
Read Full Article QUINCY — At the time the Quincy High School girls basketball players went into the locker room to prepare for their varsity tilt, enough of a crowd had filtered into the QHS gym for them to know it might get a little loud. When they re-emerged, the Blue Devils had to do a double-take. The…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls basketball team never gave Jacksonville a chance. The Blue Devils scored the game’s first 18 points, didn’t allow a field goal for the first 12 minutes and rolled to a 62-20 victory Tuesday night at the QHS gym. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team is brought to you by: CAMP POINT, Ill. — Amidst the individual accolades and recognition, Lauren Miller has not fulfilled her ultimate quest. That goal seems well within reach for Miller and the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team. In 2023-24, Miller averaged 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 steals and…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Palmyra boys basketball team brought to you by: PALMYRA, Mo. — The game of hand soccer at the end of the Palmyra boys basketball team’s practice on Tuesday was not just a chance to goof off before going home. It served multiple purposes. The object of the game, which involves two teams…
Read Full Article Coverage of the QHS girls basketball team brought to you by: QUINCY — No one expects it to translate to vintage “Run, Devils, Run,” but the manner in which the Quincy High School girls basketball team plays defense suggests there is a chance the Blue Devils will score often in transition. A lanky, athletic roster…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Hannibal boys basketball team is brought to you by: HANNIBAL, Mo. — In Dezi Jones’ mind, the only thing better than coaching with Josh Pickett would have been the chance to play with him. “Imagine if we played together,” Jones said. Pickett liked the thought of that, too. “I wouldn’t mind passing…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Brown County girls basketball team provided by: MT. STERLING, Ill. — Kenzie Kassing expected her scoring prowess to translate to the high school level, but 21.9 points per game on 58 percent shooting and a school-record 43 points in a game as a freshman at Brown County? Kassing herself could not have…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Palmyra girls basketball team is brought to you by: PALMYRA, Mo. — Kelsey Stuart noticed it right away. Put Clare Williams and Sydney Compton together on a basketball court and there’s a special connection. “It’s honestly a feeling that is difficult to describe,” said Stuart, who is entering her second season as…
Read Full Article HARDIN, Ill. — Nathan Post held on to the ball as if his life depended on it. “I was not letting that thing go,” Post said. The Camp Point Central senior defensive lineman’s fumble recovery with 2:45 left helped seal the Panthers’ 16-7 win over Hardin Calhoun in Saturday’s Class 1A quarterfinals. As the Warriors…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Arguably the most anticipated season in Quincy High School football history lasted more than 14 weeks and surpassed 500 minutes of game time before coming to an abrupt halt in a matter of 12 minutes Saturday afternoon. With all of that in mind, Rick Little knew a five-minute postgame huddle wasn’t going to…
Read Full Article MAROA, Ill. — As soon as Josh Jostes saw his defense force a late game turnover on downs the Maroa-Forsyth football coach went to find his quarterback. “I pulled (Ryne Sheppard) over and said, ‘This is what legends are made of,’” Jostes said. Sheppard led the Trojans on an 11-play, 94-yard scoring drive capped off…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal High School soccer team entered the Missouri Class 3 state quarterfinals with momentum on its side. The Pirates were riding a 21-game winning streak, including a dramatic overtime victory over long-time nemesis Fort Zumwalt South to secure their first district championship since 2013. They had shut out all three postseason…
Read Full Article HARDIN, Ill. — The Camp Point Central football team is making a spot in the state semifinals a yearly occurrence. Saturday, the Panthers found their way back to the Class 1A semifinals for the third straight season with a 16-7 victory over Hardin Calhoun. Freelance photographer Mike Pritchard spent time in Calhoun County and put…
Read Full Article QUINCY — El Sieger figured out Jaden Taylor’s modus operandi. So when the Missouri Southern basketball team’s leading scorer decided to attack off the dribble and headed toward the left elbow, Sieger knew where to be and how to react. “I just recognized he had finished over a couple of people before, so likely he…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Washburn guard Peyton Sterk’s 3-pointer half a minute into the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon could have been the dagger in a winless weekend for the Quincy University women’s basketball team. Instead, it brought out the fight in the Hawks. Mariann Blass answered with a 3-pointer that ignited a 24-point burst over the final…
Read Full Article ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The challenge for the Quincy University football program moving forward will be finding a way to add the finishing touch. Lacking that Saturday cost the Hawks a shot at making history. Needing a win at Missouri Western to finish the season with seven victories — Quincy has not won more than…
Read Full Article SHELBINA, MO. — As he replayed how the game-saving fumble recovery came to be, all Aadon Magruder could see was a blur of bodies and overwhelming joy. “Oh, my,” he said. “It was a crazy one for sure.” A historic one, too. With the Monroe City football team facing second and 6 from the South…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The God-given talents are clear to see. Speed, strength, shiftiness and power give Tykell Hammers an edge against any defensive back who lines up opposite Quincy High School’s most celebrated wide receiver. Yet, it’s what Hammers refers to as his “second talent” that makes him elite. He catches the ball with his hands,…
Read Full Article WARRENTON, Mo. — Fourth-down conversions can be momentum boosters or momentum zappers. Unfortunately for the Hannibal football team, the Pirates were on the wrong end of too many of those momentum-shifting plays Friday night. Warrenton tilted the scales in their favor with five fourth-down conversions that led to 21 points in its 42-28 victory in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a closer look at the Quincy High School football team’s matchup with Chicago St. Rita: When: 3 p.m. Saturday What: Class 7A state quarterfinal Where: Doyle Stadium, Chicago Records: Quincy High School — 11-0 (6-0, first in the Western Big 6 Conference). St. Rita — 9-2 (2-1, tied for first in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is a closer look at the Quincy Notre Dame football team’s matchup with Maroa-Forsyth: When: 2 p.m. Saturday What: Class 2A state quarterfinal Where: Walter Boyd Field, Maroa-Forsyth High School Records: Quincy Notre Dame — 10-1 (5-0, first in Central State Eight Conference West Division). Maroa-Forsyth — 10-1 (7-1, second in Sangamo…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The unofficial return of collegiate summer baseball to the Gem City is finally official. Now comes the push to be ready by May. Golden Rule Entertainment, the parent company of the Quincy Baseball Club and the owner of the Prospect League’s Springfield Lucky Horseshoes, announced during a press conference Friday morning Quincy will…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Brad Hoyt wasn’t expecting to be hit by a tsunami from water bottles as he entered the Quincy University men’s basketball team’s locker room Thursday night. “I got soaked,” the Hawks’ first-year head coach said. “I think some of them refilled their bottles and got me again.” They wanted to make the celebration…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The reality of collegiate summer baseball returning to Quincy is becoming more of a reality. Friday, some of the details of how that will happen will begin to be revealed. Golden Rule Entertainment, the ownership group that plans to return a Prospect League to the Gem City, will hold a press conference at…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s basketball team allowed Hannibal-LaGrange to score just 10 points over the game’s final 10 minutes to earn a 75-61 victory Thursday night in its home debut at Pepsi Arena. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article QUINCY — Northeast Missouri is guaranteed to have one prep football team playing in the state quarterfinals next week. Will there be two? Here’s a look at the district championship games taking place Friday night: Hannibal at Warrenton What: Class 4 District 5 championship When: 7 p.m. Friday Where: Warrenton High School Records: Hannibal —…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — This isn’t about revenge. It’s about redemption. While tipping their cap to the way Calhoun played in its 14-13 victory in Week 2 — the Camp Point Central football players universally will tell you the Warriors were physical, tenacious and opportunistic — the Panthers felt they executed at a sub-par level,…
Read Full Article Coverage of the Hannibal girls basketball program brought to you by: HANNIBAL, Mo. — Zaria Reese tried to play through the pain. Now she doesn’t have to, and that is a welcomed feeling for the members of the Hannibal girls basketball team. Reese, now a senior forward for the Pirates, battled pain in her left…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The most prolific passer in the history of the Quincy High School football program and the most prolific tackler Quincy Notre Dame has ever produced share common ground. One of Camp Point Central’s most acclaimed two-way players shares it, too. They are back-to-back first-team all-state selections. QHS senior quarterback Bradyn Little received all-state…
Read Full Article CANTON, Mo. — The Culver-Stockton College football coaches and administration have decided the best way to pay tribute to freshman quarterback Tony Wrobel, who was killed in a motor vehicle crash Tuesday night, is by fighting for one more victory. So the Wildcats have every intention of playing Saturday’s home and regular-season finale against Clarke…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Same round, same foes. For the second straight season, the Hannibal and Warrenton football teams will clash for the district championship. “We expect to be in this position every year,” Hannibal coach Jeff Gschwender said. Gschwender and the Pirates hope it’s deja vu all over again. A year ago, Hannibal took a…
Read Full Article PLAINVILLE, Ill. — Once a week for the better part of three months, Charlie Smith and his 14-year-old son, Trent, rode 4-wheelers across their 100-acre Adams County property to collect the SD cards from three trail cams. When they downloaded the images, nothing really grabbed their attention. An occasional whitetail doe appeared, but mostly it…
Read Full Article PANA, Ill. — Even after a season-ending loss, Danielle White could not help but smile when thinking back on her first season as the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball coach. “That’s these girls,” White said of the source of that smile. “Our girls really set a great example, especially for my first year coaching, of what…
Read Full Article PANA, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team was one set away from its first trip to the state tournament since 2018. Breese Mater Dei had other ideas. The Knights rallied for a 22-25, 25-19, 25-19 victory Monday night in the Class 2A Pana Super-Sectional to end the Raiders’ season with a 36-3 record.…
Read Full Article MACOMB, Ill. — The winningest coach in the history of the Western Illinois University women’s basketball program reached a milestone moment two games into the season. JD Gravina, now in his 14th season coaching the Leathernecks, won his 200th game at WIU with last Saturday’s 89-83 victory at the University of Omaha. WIU is 2-0…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A record-setting weekend led to Emma Wijnbergen receiving another Great Lakes Valley Conference weekly honor. The same goes for Elena Kasavica. Wijnberegen, the Quincy University women’s volleyball team’s senior right side hitter set the program’s single-season record for kills as the No. 20 Hawks swept a pair of GLVC matches, beating No. 18…
Read Full Article QUINCY — It’s getting down to nitty-gritty time in the high school football postseason. Now that preliminary playoff rounds are out of the way, three area teams have advanced to the quarterfinals in Illinois and three Missouri teams will play for district championships this week. Reigning Illinois Class 1A champion Camp Point Central has been…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame defensive tackle Kellen Mangan has a front row seat to the weekly exploits of teammate Taylin Scott. So, it came as no surprise for Mangan to see the Raiders middle linebacker make a momentum-swinging stop on defense. “Taylin is all-state for a reason,” Mangan said. “He makes those plays.” Scott’s…
Read Full Article ST. PETER’S, Mo. — Bodie Rollins could barely recall how the ball got to his foot, but he will never forget what happened after it left it. Six minutes, 45 seconds into the first sudden death overtime of Saturday’s Class 3 District 4 title game against Fort Zumwalt South, the Hannibal senior forward scored the…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — The defending Class 1A state football champion remains alive and has a little revenge in mind. Camp Point Central was dominant in all phases in rainy, windswept conditions Saturday afternoon, scoring all five of its touchdowns on as many possessions in the first half to roll to a 40-0 victory over…
Read Full Article BOLIVAR, Mo. — An unattainable number has finally been reached. Another is now within sight. Saturday’s 34-25 victory over Southwest Baptist allowed the Quincy University football team to finish its Great Lakes Valley Conference slate with a 5-3 record, marking the first time since the league added football as a championship sport the Hawks have…
Read Full Article MT. STERLING, Ill. — Two minutes decided the outcome, but it doesn’t change what two and a half months revealed. That’s the character of the Brown County football players. And that’s why Tom Little had to pause, fight back tears and collect himself before talking about the postgame huddle with the Hornets following Saturday’s 16-0…
Read Full Article CEDARVILLE, Ohio — Game by game, the Quincy University women’s basketball team is erasing eight seasons of frustration and futility. After opening the season with a four-point victory Friday night — the Hawks hadn’t won a season opener since 2015 — they completed a weekend sweep in the GMAC/GLVC Regional Crossover by beating Cedarville 76-55…
Read Full Article FINDLAY, Ohio — The process first-year Quincy University men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt and his staff are going through involves discovering what needs immediate attention, what can be fixed over time and what gets solved in recruiting. Finding a way to finish is one of those immediate attention sort of needs. The Hawks took a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — All Bradyn Little and the Quincy High School football team’s offense could do was wait. Five minutes into the second quarter of Friday night’s Class 7A second-round playoff game, 15th-seeded Moline had chewed up more than 13 minutes of possession and limited second-seeded Quincy to one possession in a game tied at 7…
Read Full Article QUINCY — As Ben Schelp sized up the situation, he realized every Moline offensive lineman was preoccupied. “They were taking all of our defensive linemen, which left me free off the edge,” said Schelp, the Quincy High School junior linebacker. “It gave me a really easy shot at him.” That’s the last thing Moline quarterback…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Hannibal High School football fans may hereafter refer to it as “The Drive.” Taking over at their own 12-yard-line after an interception by linebacker James Wetton with 11:49 remaining and nursing a precarious seven-point lead, the Pirates methodically bled 10 minutes, 29 seconds off the clock with 16 straight running plays. The…
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — Quincy Mayfield chose his words carefully. When asked how badly he wanted to avenge the Monroe City football team’s 44-22 loss to South Shelby in Week 3, the Panthers junior running back and linebacker paused for about five seconds to gather his thoughts. What he said — or did not say…
Read Full Article SHELBINA, Mo. — When your offense does nothing but score touchdowns, you know you’re in good shape. South Shelby football coach Adam Gunterman and the Cardinals found themselves there Friday night. The top-seeded Cardinals’ starting offense scored on all seven possessions in a 48-19 victory over fifth-seeded Macon in the semifinals of the Class 2…
Read Full Article CEDARVILLE, Ohio — One of the biggest takeaways from Courtney Boyd’s first season as the Quincy University women’s basketball coach was the Hawks needed to learn to finish what they start. Friday, they finished with a flourish. The Hawks kickstarted Boyd’s second campaign by responding to a fourth-quarter surge from Ursuline College by closing the…
Read Full Article FINDLAY, Ohio — An exasperated sigh is how Brad Hoyt summed up his debut as the Quincy University men’s basketball coach. “I think it was the first game for a whole bunch of new guys trying to figure things out,” Hoyt said. What the Hawks discovered is there is plenty of work to be done.…
Read Full Article RIVERTON, Ill. — Sydney Entrup believed a little divine intervention wouldn’t hurt. So as she lined up to serve with the third set of Thursday night’s Class 2A Riverton Sectional volleyball championship hanging in the balance, the Quincy Notre Dame senior gave herself an inspirational pep talk. “I just kept going back there and saying,…
Read Full Article HARTSBURG, Ill. — The scrappiness that catapulted the Camp Point Central volleyball team to Thursday’s Class 1A Hartsburg-Emden Sectional championship match was there. The Panthers just could not translate that scrappiness into enough points. Hartsburg-Emden captured the sectional championship on its home floor by sweeping the Panthers 25-17, 25-19. “It was just too much defense…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Learn from the past, but don’t dwell on it. That’s Courtney Boyd’s approach. Entering her second season as the Quincy University women’s basketball coach, Boyd saw the Hawks limp to the finish line, losing six of their final seven games to finish with a 10-18 record. Five of those six losses were by…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The second round of the postseason is here, which means Illinois squads are vying for spots in the state quarterfinals and Missouri teams are looking to reach district championship games. Here’s a look at what’s on tap Friday night: Moline at Quincy High School What: Class 7A second-round playoff game When: 7 p.m.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Mason Wujek doesn’t consider himself a Jenga expert by any means. “I’m not very good at it,” he said. The good thing is he doesn’t have to play it alone. Now in his third season with the Quincy University men’s basketball program and experiencing his second rebuilding project in that time, the 6-foot-8…
Read Full Article QUINCY — In the days leading up to their first road trip of the season, Quincy University men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt asked each of his players to come by his office for a one-on-one chat. “It’s a good check-in,” Hoyt said. All with a purpose. Hoyt can gauge the pulse of his new team…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Seventh-seeded Mexico beating No. 2 seed and previously undefeated Kirksville in the Class 4 District 5 football quarterfinals may have looked like a significant upset on paper, but Hannibal coach Jeff Gschwender did not necessarily see it that way. “I can’t say that I was super shocked,” Gschwender said. “Mexico is a…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Conner McLaughlin helped bring the Quincy University sprint football program to life. The next coach’s challenge will be to continue the upward trajectory. Late last week, McLaughlin resigned as the Hawks’ head coach after three seasons at the helm. QU athletic director Josh Rabe said a search for McLaughlin’s replacement begins immediately. A…
Read Full Article RIVERTON, Ill. — Eva Breckenkamp was running on fumes, but she used what little fuel she had left in the tank to send the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team to the Class 2A Riverton Sectional title match. The Raiders trailed Athens 25-24 in the third and deciding set in Tuesday’s semifinal at the Hawk Center…
Read Full Article HARTSBURG, Ill. — All of the momentum the Camp Point Central volleyball team created by winning the first set of Tuesday’s Class 1A Hartsburg-Emden Sectional semifinal seemed to fade away rather quickly. It was just a momentary blip. Despite watching Decatur Unity Christian win four of the first five points of the second set, Central…
Read Full Article RIVERTON, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team showed its resolve Tuesday night, rallying for a 18-25, 25-12, 27-25 victory over Athens in the Class 2A Riverton Sectional semifinals. The Raiders will face Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at 6 p.m. Thursday for the sectional title. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside Tuesday and…
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Monroe City football team’s 39-20 loss to Lawson in Week Seven goes in the books as just that — a loss. But looking below the surface, Monroe City coach David Kirby saw a glimpse of the level to which his team is capable of playing. “That was a big eye-opener,”…
Read Full Article St. CHARLES, Mo. — Dave Musso added another Coach of the Year honor to an already extensive collection. The former Quincy University women’s soccer coach earned his first postseason honor at the NCAA Division I level when he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year after guiding Lindenwood to a third-place finish…
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