Sports Spotlight
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…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Teon Dollard may not be the leading rusher in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, but he proved last Saturday he’s the best. In a head-to-head matchup with William Jewell’s Keandre McCullough, Dollard stole the show as he churned out 160 yards rushing on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead the Quincy…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Western Big 6 Conference football coaches didn’t go as far as to say Quincy High School’s high-scoring offense deserved every starter on the all-conference team, but they certainly came close. The Blue Devils snared six of the 11 first-team All-WB6 spots offensively and had eight members of the offense honored overall. Meanwhile,…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Quincy University added six student-athletes, one team and four others to its Hall of Fame during induction ceremonies last Saturday in the Hall of Fame Room inside the QU Health and Fitness Center. The student-athletes inducted were Josh Breitbach (football), Torie Bunzell Kueker (softball), Ashley Kreis Skidmore (women’s soccer), Jessica Keller (women’s basketball),…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The longest boys soccer game in Illinois High School Association history was played 40 years ago. Performing on the biggest stage on Nov. 3, 1984 — the state championship game at St. Charles High School — Quincy Notre Dame and Palatine Fremd battled through 80 minutes of regulation and another 40 exhausting minutes…
Read Full Article QHS boys cross country team qualifies for state for first time since IHSA went to three-class system
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys cross country team has weekend plans in Peoria. For the first time since the Illinois High School Association went to a three-class system for postseason action in 2007, the Blue Devils qualified as a team to compete at the Class 3A state cross country meet at Detweiller Park…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Taylin Scott became involved in nearly eveery stop the Quincy Notre Dame football team’s defense made during Saturday’s 49-6 victory over Flora in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Scott, a senior middle linebacker, had 19 tackles, nine tackles for loss, a sack and a forced…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Highland softball program’s 2005 state championship trophy finally has company. The Cougars bested Mid-Buchanan 4-1 Saturday at the Killian Softball Complex to capture the Class 2 state title. “I’m still trying to process it,” Cougars coach Paul Scifres said. “Hard to believe, pretty surreal.” Cougars pitcher Abby Lay retired the Dragons…
Read Full Article QUINCY — In what proved to be another record-setting day for the Quincy High School football team’s offense, it was the defense that stood tall. Summit Argo was able to muster only one first down and was held to a minus-15 yards of total offense against the Blue Devils’ swarming and smothering defense through the…
Read Full Article QUINCY — It didn’t take long for Quincy Notre Dame to make a statement in its first-round Class 2A playoff football game. Only 12 seconds, in fact. Oliver Triplett returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead. “The whole plan was to jump on them early,” Triplett…
Read Full Article GREENFIELD, Ill. — There was no way Tyce Fullerton was dropping this pass, not with what was at stake. Fullerton hauled in what turned out to be the game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass from Brown County quarterback Vince Little with three minutes left in the Hornets’ 18-16 upset of fifth-seeded Greenfield-Northwestern in the first round of…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — That pass-and-catch connection between Elijah Genenbacher and Nate Peters goes way back. “Nate and I grew up playing backyard football together, and I’m sure that helps now,” Genenbacher said. Their familiarity with one another’s abilities was in full display on a wind-swept Saturday afternoon when the longtime friends each played essential…
Read Full Article To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — The Quincy High School football team improved to 10-0 with Saturday’s 49-7 victory over Summit Argo in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs at Flinn Stadium. The Blue Devils will play host to Western…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football team continued its defensive dominance on Saturday afternoon in a 49-6 victory over Flora in a first-round game in the IHSA Class 2A playoffs. QND’s defense has surrendered 78 points in its last nine games. Taylin Scott spearheaded the effort with 19 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A headfirst slide, a cloud of dust and a trip to the state championship game. With two outs in the top of the eighth in Friday’s Class 2 state softball semifinal at the Killian Softabll Complex, Highland’s Ali Lundberg scored on a passed ball to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead over…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — What leaves remain on the trees around Dr. E.A. Porter Stadium are flashing a cornucopia of color. And those evening temperatures hovering across Northeast Missouri now provide more than just a hint of the cooler weather that is coming. But Hannibal football coach Jeff Gschwender hardly needs such reminders about how deep…
Read Full Article PALMYRA, Mo. — Laden Simmons thought the Palmyra football team had snatched the game away from Clark County. The Indians snatched it right back and put the dagger in the Panthers’ season shortly thereafter to close out a 26-22 victory in Friday’s Class 2 District 7 quarterfinal. Simmons’ second touchdown of the night tied the…
Read Full Article MONROE CITY, Mo. — The proverbial cloud of dust has been replaced in most instances by a spray of rubber pellets, but regardless of the metaphor being used, it was apropos to the way the Monroe City football team began Friday night. One Quincy Mayfield burst 25 seconds into the Class 2 District 7 quarterfinal…
Read Full Article CENTER, Mo. — The chilly night got a little cooler for Macon football coach Van Vanatta after his team’s 37-0 victory over Mark Twain Friday night. The long-time coach received a cooler of water poured over his head in the middle of Mark Twain’s field as the Class 2 District 4 opening victory was also…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The first round of the Illinois High School Association football playoffs provides lengthy road trips, rematches and the start of title defenses. Six area teams qualified for the postseason with four earning first-round home games. Here is a look at each of the six games on top for Muddy River Sports area schools.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Every step Max Wires takes is one closer to leaving the past behind. Saturday may be his final stride. That’s when, for the first time in his prep football career, Wires will walk onto the Flinn Stadium turf for a playoff game. Injuries to both knees — the senior linebacker suffered a torn…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Each member of the Quincy Notre Dame football team’s offensive line has unique individual strengths, but the individuality ends there. “It’s not five different positions,” senior left guard Ryan Darnell said. “It’s one big position.” With one big goal in mind. The Raiders want to plow the road. Heading into the Class 2A…
Read Full Article WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Weston King wasn’t giving up the football, even if it was the referee who asked it. Last Saturday, with the University of Central Missouri football team trailing Washburn 28-24 at the start of the fourth quarter, King found himself in a surprising position. The senior defensive tackle and team co-captain lined up…
Read Full Article WARSAW, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team has already cleared a hurdle it couldn’t get over last season, but their quest for the ultimate prize is far from over. The Raiders swept Illini West 25-16, 25-11 in Thursday’s Class 2A Warsaw Regional championship. “This is another step in the journey,” Raiders coach Danielle…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — That vacancy in the Camp Point Central trophy case has been filled. Finally. Junior defensive specialist Agnes Genenbacher’s thoughts echoed those of her teammates following Central’s 25-14, 25-11 Class 1A regional championship victory over Mendon Unity, a memorable 46-minute match that played out in front of about 550 fans on a…
Read Full Article HAVANA, Ill. — For all of the success the Southeastern volleyball program has enjoyed over the past four decades, there are still certain historic achievements yet to be reached. Thursday night, the Suns eclipsed one of those. For the first time in program history, Southeastern won its fourth consecutive regional championship, dispatching Triopia 25-13, 25-20…
Read Full Article COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy High School volleyball team saw its season end with a 25-20, 25-18 loss to O’Fallon on Thursday night in the championship of the Class 4A Collinsville Regional in Vergil Fletcher Gym. Photographer Tim Vizer was there and put together this photo gallery for Muddy River Sports:
Read Full Article WARSAW, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team keeps rolling. The top-seeded Raiders advanced to the Class 2A Riverton Sectional by dispatching Illini West 25-16, 25-11 in Thursday’s Warsaw Regional championship match. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and put together this photo gallery:
Read Full Article LEWISTOWN, Mo. — If he were in the other dugout, Paul Scifres would not welcome the thought of facing the Highland softball team right now. He would welcome some of his wife Kendra’s breakfast casserole before a state championship game, though. In his 18th season as the Highland coach, Paul Scifres has guided the Cougars…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — When pressed, Lauren Miller will somewhat begrudgingly pick a preferred sport. “Basketball is probably my favorite, but I also enjoy volleyball a lot,” she said. “I have a lot of friends on both teams.” And make no mistake, Miller, a 5-foot-10 all-state basketball player for Camp Point Central, is pretty good…
Read Full Article CAMP POINT, Ill. — Maybe the third time will be the charm for the Mendon Unity volleyball team. The Mustangs dispatched Liberty 25-20, 24-26, 25-17 in Wednesday night’s Class 1A Camp Point Central Regional semifinals, which sets up an interesting matchup in the championship match. Unity (25-12) will challenge regional host Camp Point Central (24-7)…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here are the results and schedules for the Illinois High School Association prep volleyball regionals involving area teams: Class 4A Collinsville Regional Tue., Oct. 29 Game 1 — No. 2 O’Fallon d. No. 6 Collinsville, 25-17, 25-9 Game 2 — No. 3 Quincy d. No. 5 Belleville East, 25-22, 25-13 Thu., Oct. 31 Game…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The first phase in the renovation of the Penny Lewis Community Court is complete. Thanks to a grant from the Samantha Otte Youth Opportunity Fund, community organizations and individuals involved with youth on the northwest side of Quincy purchased and installed two sets of benches near the court, located at 818 No. Eighth…
Read Full Article WARSAW, Ill. — Even Quincy Notre Dame volleyball coach Danielle White’s most ambitious projections couldn’t have predicted the start the Raiders got off to on Tuesday. QND scorched Monmouth-Roseville in the first set by scoring 20 of the first 21 points on its way to a 25-6, 25-15 victory in the Class 2A Warsaw Regional…
Read Full Article Chargers take advantage of good fortune to close out regional semifinal, create matchup with Raiders
WARSAW, Ill. — As AJ Cook’s serve took what seemed like an eternity to creep over the net, the Illini West volleyball team held its collective breath. “I was just praying that it would hit,” Cook said. Cook was tasked with a pivotal serve in the second set of Tuesday’s Class 2A Warsaw Regional semifinal…
Read Full Article To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. WARSAW, Ill. — The seeds held true. The top-seeded Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team raced past seventh-seeded Monmouth-Roseville 25-6, 25-15, while fourth-seeded Illini West outlasted fifth-seeded Knoxville 25-21, 25-21 during Tuesday’s semifinals of the Class 2A Warsaw Regional.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The situation could have been demoralizing. The reaction to it proved otherwise. The John Wood Community College women’s soccer team, with the wind blowing in its face from the start, surrendered a goal to Parkland four minutes into Tuesday’s NJCAA Division II Great Lakes District matchup at Quincy Recycle Field on the JWCC…
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