Sports Spotlight
QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Friday, March 28: Prep baseball Kirksville 5, Quincy High School 4 Illini West 15, Clark County 3 Liberty 12, West Hancock 2 Mendon Unity 12, Southeastern 0 Prep softball Pittsfield 2, Camp Point Central 1 Payson Seymour 10, North Greene 0 Rushville-Industry 13, Illini West 0 Girls…
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WAUKESHA, Wis. — Maddie O’Brien figures she better start saving her dollar bills now. Come August, her Carroll University women’s golf teammates expect her to spend them freely. That’s when the Quincy High School graduate turns 21 years old and can legally partake in one of the game’s unwritten but widely embraced rules. If you…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Dalton Barnes could sympathize with what the Pittsfield community was enduring. In turn, the Saukees empathize with what Barnes and his family were going through. In the wake of the tragic auto accident that took the life of Pittsfield freshman basketball standout Reese Ramsey and hospitalized two of her teammates, Barnes and…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Thursday, March 27: Prep baseball Illini West 4, Mercer County 3 Brown County 17, Abingdon-Avon 1 Palmyra 11, Canton 1 Prep softball Camp Point Central 16, South Fulton 5 Mercer County 8, Illini West 1 Girls soccer Hannibal 6, Kirksville 0 Women’s lacrosse Culver-Stockton College 18, Midland…
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CANTON, Mo. — Following his team’s Class 2 state championship victory over Canton, Eugene boys basketball coach Brian Wilde suggested Canton senior forward Preston Brewer should be the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 2 Player of the Year. How prohetic. The 6-foot-8 Brewer, who led the Tigers to their state runner-up finish, which was the…
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QUINCY — Some of the most prolific scorers in the history of their respective high school boys basketball programs showcased their talents throughout the winter, rewriting record books and forcing historians to dig into the archives for “when did that last happen” moments. It created an all-area team jam-packed with talent and all-state plaudits. Here…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Justin Hutchings hails from Minooka, Ill., just southwest of Joliet and about four hours away from Palmyra, and he has lived in Charleston, Mo., also four hours away from Palmyra, for the last 14 years. But in a way, the new Palmyra High School head football coach is returning home. Hutchings, who…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Wednesday, March 26: Prep baseball Arlington Heights Hersey 10, Quincy Notre Dame 2 Camp Point Central 18, Rushville-Industry 11 Prep softball Camp Point Central 17, Mendon Unity 2 Liberty 5, Rushville-Industry 4 Pittsfield 12, New Berlin 1 Beardstown 7, Payson Seymour 5
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QUINCY — Standing in the hallway leading from the locker room to the gym in Illini West High School, Sage Stratton experienced a moment that set her up to be a leader, a contributor and arguably one of Quincy Notre Dame’s all-time greats. The Raiders had just beaten Illini West 40-38 in a battle of…
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QUINCY — The old guard is giving way to burgeoning talent. That’s the theme the Muddy River Sports 2024-25 girls basketball all-area team seemed to follow. Seniors such as Quincy Notre Dame’s Sage Stratton, Central-Southeastern’s Lauren Miller and South Shelby’s Callie McWilliams piled up postseason plaques and accolades throughout their career. Brown County’s Kenzie Kassing…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Piper Henry put pressure on her older sister, Grace, to come through in the clutch to make a historic moment complete. The senior delivered. With the Pittsfield softball team on the verge of finishing off its 24-7 victory over Southeastern on Tuesday, Grace Henry came to the plate with one out in…
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QUINCY — Eventually, AJ Stewart was going to be out of position, out of time or out of luck. It’s what Bella Brown, Leah Knudson and the rest of the Quincy High School girls soccer players were banking on. Stewart, the Rock Island junior goalkeeper, made six saves in the first half of Tuesday night’s…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Nick Bruns did not think his first career walk-off hit was meant to be. “I thought it was foul off the bat,” Bruns said. Stephen Sparks initially believed the same thing. “I thought it was definitely foul,” Sparks said. Thankfully for Bruns, Sparks and the Illini West baseball team, those inclinations were…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Tuesday, March 25: Prep baseball Quincy High School 7, Belleville West 4 Pleasant Plains 9, Quincy Notre Dame 8 Illini West 2, Sherrard 1 Mendon Unity 28, Payson Seymour 9 Brown County 16, Pleasant Hill 1 Francis Howell North 3, Hannibal 1 Palmyra 10, Elsberry 0 Monroe…
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QUINCY — Talk about a grand entrance. After the Pittsfield softball team’s first three batters of Monday’s game against Quincy High School reached base, Saukees sophomore pitcher and cleanup hitter Emma Wombles jumped on the first pitch she saw from Blue Devils hurler Carlee Gilker and hit a towering grand slam to left field. “It…
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QUINCY — The momentum the Pittsfield softball team felt it created in a season-opening loss to tradition-rich Carrollton carried the Saukees to a 14-4 victory over Quincy High School on Monday at Avenue of Lights Field. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils, who won their season opener last week against West Hancock, have a week to rekindle…
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PAYSON, Ill. — For one night at least, Liberty owns Adams County bragging rights. The Liberty baseball and softball teams swept matchups with Payson Seymour on Monday as the baseball team picked up four hits and two RBIs from the bottom three batters in the order to secure a 6-0 victory, while the softball team…
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CANTON, Mo. — Four individual student-athletes and one team comprise the latest class of inductees into the Culver-Stockton College Hall of Fame and will be enshrined during ceremonies planned for Saturday. The inductees include football standout Steve Altmix, volleyball standout Laure (Crone) Klipsch, soccer standout Luke Schneider, baseball standout Greg Modica and the 1984 softball…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Monday, March 24: Prep baseball Liberty 6, Payson Seymour 0 Mendon Unity 15, Monroe City 3 Brown County 5, Macomb 3 Beardstown 6, Camp Point Central 3 Rushville-Industry 17, West Hancock 7 Brookfield 8, South Shelby 5 Scotland County 15, Highland 0 Prep softball Pittsfield 14, Quincy…
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QUINCY— The Doggy Paddlers. Raise your hand if you had that in the office pool as the new name for Quincy’s Prospect League baseball team. Anyone? Golden Rule Entertainment, the company that owns the Quincy Baseball Club and engineered the return of summer baseball after a one-year hiatus, announced the team nickname and unveiled its…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Sunday, March 23: College baseball Quincy University 8, Rockhurst 6 Mount Mercy 9, Culver-Stockton College 6 Mount Mercy 14, Culver-Stockton College 3 College softball Truman State 5, Quincy University 1 Truman State 6, Quincy University 3 Peru State 4, Culver-Stockton College 3 Peru State 3, Culver-Stockton College…
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QUINCY — Bradi Lahr had no doubt Abram Wiewel would make the play. “It’s Abram Wiewel,” said Lahr, a junior right-handed pitcher for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team. “He’s the best ballplayer I’ve been on a team with. I had trust in him the whole time.” With the Raiders leading Quincy High School 5-4,…
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QUINCY — Opening day for the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame baseball teams showed what fans have come to expect from both programs — grit, tenacity and tight games in the city series. After both teams dropped their season openers to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, QND took the upper hand in the city rivalry…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Junior High School eighth grade girls volleyball team finished third at the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 4A state tournament, while the Liberty eighth graders took fourth at the Class 2A state tournament. QJHS split its matches Saturday at Morton Junior High School, losing 25-15, 25-21 to Frankfort Hickory Creek in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Saturday, March 22: Prep baseball Quincy Notre Dame 5, Quincy High School 4 Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 12, Quincy Notre Dame 4 Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 7, Quincy High School 5 Pittsfield 13, Havana 3 Pittsfield 14, Havana 12 Payson Seymour 6, North Greene 5 Southern Boone 15, Palmyra…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — Luckily for Liberty senior right-handed pitcher Jack Sparrow, his bullpen session before Friday’s start against Winchester West Central was not a harbinger of things to come. “My warmups weren’t very good,” Sparrow said. “With the wind, it was knocking me everywhere. (Liberty catcher Evan Sims) had to go run after one that…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The next time Quincy Notre Dame softball coach Eric Orne tells his team good things happen when you put pressure on the opposing defense, he has a prime example to use to back that up. The Raiders opened their season Friday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over East Dubuque in which they…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Junior High School and Liberty eighth grade girls volleyball teams will be bringing trophies home from their respective state tournaments. QJHS beat Shorewood Troy in straight sets Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 4A state tournament at Morton Junior High School and will play in…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Friday, March 21: Prep baseball Illini West 14, Bushnell-Prairie City 0 Liberty 12, Winchester West Central 4 Peoria Heights 8, Mendon Unity 5 Mendon Unity 5, Macomb 3 Camp Point Central 9, Payson Seymour 3 Monroe City 5, Sliex 3 Marion County 8, Mark Twain 7 Fort…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A new era of summer baseball has a new brand and a new name. The Quincy Doggy Paddlers. Golden Rule Entertainment, the company that owns the Quincy Baseball Club and made the decision to bring Prospect League baseball back to the Gem City, announced the team name and unveiled its logos Friday afternoon.…
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QUINCY — Madalyn Boyer used to fear facing Caitlin Bunte. “I’ve always struggled hitting off of her,” Boyer said. “Everybody struggles hitting off of her.” Now there is no need to fear. Boyer, a senior pitcher and third baseman who transferred from Illini West to Quincy Notre Dame prior to this school year, will combine…
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QUINCY — A mix of young talent and veteran leadership will shape the success of Quincy Notre Dame’s collection of teams this spring. Baseball A young, speedy QND baseball team will take the field for the first time at the QHS Slam on Saturday against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Quincy High School at QU Stadium.…
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QUINCY — It’s that time of year. March madness, bay-bee. No, not THAT kind of March madness. Instead of basketballs and bracketology, it’s eight balls and billiards this week at the Oakley-Lindsay Center, which is hosting the 28th edition of the American CueSports Alliance (ACA) state tournament. This marks the fourth consecutive year the tournament…
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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — Everything Ryan Hellenthal experiences this week during the SIU-Edwardsville men’s basketball team’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament is connecting his past to his present and so many of the things that have happened in between. The Cougars, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since becoming an NCAA Division I program in 2008,…
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QUINCY — As mangled as his right shoulder was, Kade Parkhill’s determination to get back on the baseball field far outweighed the pain. “I’ve grown up in baseball,” Parkhill said. “It’s filled up all my summers growing up. It’s filled up my past five years of spring and fall with junior high. It’s the game…
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QUINCY — Spring will be a season of change for the Quincy High School athletic program. Several teams have experienced heavy graduation losses and will look to younger athletes to fill the void, while a coaching change comes with having an experienced group to lean on. The storylines are just beginning to unfold. Softball The…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Tuesday, March 18: Prep baseball Liberty 3, Brown County 0 Pittsfield 15, West Hancock 0 Prep softball Liberty 22, Brown County 0 College baseball John Wood Community College 10, Spoon River 0 Spoon River 5, John Wood Community College 4 College softball Columbia College 12, Culver-Stockton College…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The state runner-up Canton boys basketball team is reaping the rewards of its success. The Tigers had three players named to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 2 District 6 all-district team with senior forward Preston Brewer being named the District 10 Player of the Year and Tigers coach Dalton Armontrout receiving…
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QUINCY — A pair of eighth grade girls volleyball teams are headed to their respective Illinois Elementary School Association state tournaments. Quincy Junior High School beat Taylorville 13-25, 25-22, 25-11 in Monday night’s sectional to advance to the Class 4A state tournament. The Comets (27-1) will face Shorewood Troy (12-9) in the state quarterfinals at…
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Sisters act: Three sets of siblings provide Hannibal girls soccer team with depth, deeper connection
HANNIBAL, Mo. — From kicking the ball around on the field at halftime of their older siblings’ games to playing together on the same team on that same field, Aly and Marissa Falconer’s soccer journey has come full circle. The youngest two of five siblings, Aly and Marissa attended their fare share of Hannibal soccer…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — New standards for spring success were reached last year throughout the Hannibal High School athletic department with the baseball team winning the most single-season games in program history and Quinn Thomas winning his second state golf championship. What’s in store this spring? The chance for more history exists. Here’s a look at…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the area scoreboard for Monday, March 17: Prep baseball Illini West 16, Triopia 2 Jacksonville Routt 10, Quincy High School 6 Mercer County 10, West Hancock 0 Prep softball Triopia 2, Illini West 1 College baseball Davenport 18, Quincy University 7 Davenport 9, Quincy University 7 Central Methodist 11, Culver-Stockton College…
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QUINCY — And just like that, the local basketball season is over. The final buzzer sounded Friday evening when top-seeded Grand Valley State, the No. 2-ranked team in the country, eliminated the Quincy University women in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. Coming off eight straight losing seasons and picked to…
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QUINCY — A trio of Quincy High School boys basketball players received all-state honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and led a brigade of nine area players overall to receive plaudits. Quincy senior guard Bradley Longcor III received first-team honors in Class 4A, while Blue Devils senior forward Keshaun Thomas was a third-team selection…
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QUINCY — Three area players earned first-team honors and six others received mention on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association girls all-state teams. Central-Southeastern senior forward Lauren Miller and Pittsfield freshman guard Reese Ramsey were first-team picks in Class 2A, while Brown County sophomore guard Kenzie Kassing was a first-team selection in Class 1A. Receiving second-team…
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QUINCY — Blair Eftink is taking more than her 3-point prowess across town. A handful of accolades are going with her. The John Wood Community College sophomore guard, who has committed to play at Quincy University next season, recently received All-Region 24 honors and second-team All-Mid-West Athletic Conference plaudits. Eftink, a 5-foot-8 guard who was…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Prep spring sports are ready to kick off with the first scheduled competitions coming this week. To be prepped, area Missouri baseball teams took part in jamborees Saturday with Hannibal playing host to Palmyra and Bowling Green at the Veterans Sports Complex. Photographer Mathew Kirby spent time at the diamond and put…
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BRIMFIELD, Ill. — The Carthage seventh-grade girls volleyball team finished as the Illinois Elementary School Association runner-up at the Class 2A state tournament. The Bluegirls beat Peoria Christian 25-17, 25-13 in the state quarterfinals at Brimfield High School and took down Springfield Christian 25-18, 25-22 in the semifinals. In the championship match, Morrisonville ended Carthage’s…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Here is the local scoreboard for Saturday, March 15: College baseball John Wood Community College 16, Spoon River 5 John Wood Community College 17, Spoon River 9 Central Methodist 5, Culver-Stockton College 2 Culver-Stockton College 4, Central Methodist 3 College softball Culver-Stockton College 10, Hannibal-LaGrange 7 Culver-Stockton College 8, Hannibal-LaGrange 0
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The 2025 Illinois spring trout fishing season will open April 5 at 58 ponds, lakes and streams throughout the state. An early opportunity at select trout sites — the spring catch-and-release fishing season — will take place March 22. No trout may be kept during the catch-and-release period, but anglers can keep…
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ALLENDALE, Mich. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team found itself where it wasn’t expected to be Friday night. Still playing. Hawks coach Courtney Boyd wanted her players to take note of that. Their season ended with a 108-72 loss to top-seeded Grand Valley State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional…
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ALLENDALE, Mich. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team discovered a direct correlation between the number of turnovers it committed and the size of the deficit it faced. As one increased, so did the other. Grand Valley State was responsible for both. The Lakers, the No. 2-ranked team in NCAA Division II and the top-seeded…
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QUINCY — Isaiah Fudge senses the Quincy University baseball team is close to turning a corner. “We know we have it in us,” said Fudge, a sophomore infielder. Quincy’s battles with Central Missouri, the No. 3 team in the NCBWA poll, on Friday provided Fudge with his most recent pieces of evidence. The Hawks had…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Canton boys basketball team was eight minutes away from glory. They just could not keep the monster under the bed long enough. Canton led top-ranked Eugene 49-45 entering the fourth quarter of Thursday’s Class 2 state championship game at Mizzou Arena, but back-to-back impact plays by Eagles senior guard Justice Allen…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Preston Brewer’s final words were heartfelt. “Thank you, Canton,” he said. That’s how the Canton boys basketball team’s senior all-state forward ended his final interview, which took place in the tunnel looking out into a then-mostly empty Mizzou Arena after Canton’s 72-61 loss to Eugene in Thursday’s Class 2 state championship game.…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Canton boys basketball team’s deepest postseason run in program history ended with a state title game appearance Thursday night. The Tigers led Eugene 49-45 heading to the fourth quarter at Mizzou Arena, but the Eagles rallied for a 72-61 victory. The second-place finish marks the third state trophy the Canton boys…
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QUINCY — Jake Wallingford continues to show what he is capable of doing when fully healthy. The 6-foot-9 forward battled injuries his senior season with the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team and his freshman season at John Wood Community, but he played in 26 games this past season and averaged more than 23 minutes…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — The Palmyra Youth Wrestling Club had 15 grapplers earn medals, including four who won championships, at the 2025 Missouri USA Folkstyle Youth State Championships held at the Wilson Logistics Arena in Springfield, Mo. Winning championships were Cooper Nicholson in the 8U/80-pound open division, Kinsley Rife in the 12u/90-pound girls division, Ava Rife…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — How much of an advantage did the Canton boys basketball team have on the interior during Wednesday’s Class 2 semifinal game against Puxico? “A lot,” Tigers coach Dalton Armontrout said. As the game progressed, that edge became more and more apparent. All the Tigers had to do was recognize it. “We did…
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QUINCY — A remarkable turnaround in the second year of Courtney Boyd’s tenure as the head coach of the Quincy University women’s basketball program means the Hawks are back on the national stage. After winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship, the Hawks are returning to the NCAA Division II national tournament for the…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Preston Brewer tamed his excitement. As the Canton senior forward exited Wednesday’s Class 2 semifinal game against Puxico for the final time with the Tigers 1:12 away from securing the program’s first ever trip to a state title game, Brewer kept saying to his teammates, “One more.” Brewer did not want to…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Canton boys basketball team overcame a third-quarter deficit by dominating the interior in a 65-50 victory over Puxico in Wednesday night’s Class 2 state semifinals at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers shot 61.7 percent from the field and outrebounded the Indians 40-16. The Tigers will face Eugene at 8 p.m. Thursday in…
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QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s basketball team is making its 11th NCAA Division II national tournament appearance this week and first since the 2015-16 season as it heads to Allendale, Mich., for the Midwest Regional. The eighth-seeded Hawks will face top-seeded Grand Valley State at 4 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals on the Lakers’…
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CANTON, Mo. — Whatever you want to call it — superstition, continuity, routine — it has worked. The Canton boys basketball team hasn’t changed anything about its approach, from the pregame meal to coach Dalton Armontrout’s outfit to the mode of transportation, during its run to the Class 2 state semifinals. “It’s important just to…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Reality hit Bradley Longcor III all at once as he took a seat on the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s bench. With 19 seconds remaining in regulation Monday night in the Class 4A Normal Super-Sectional at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena and the Blue Devils trailing by five points, Longcor fouled…
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QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s basketball team’s roster is getting an overhaul. Since the Hawks’ season ended March 1 with an 89-77 victory over Indianapolis at Pepsi Arena, six players on the 16-man roster have entered the transfer portal. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 750 men’s college basketball players had entered the transfer…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Andy Douglas didn’t remember what he said in the locker room because he didn’t know what to say when he walked in there. Tasked with offering some sense of comfort to his Quincy High School boys basketball team following its 58-50 loss Monday night to Lisle Benet Academy in the Class 4A…
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NORMAL, Ill. — A scoring droiught that lasted more than five minutes at the start of the game put the Quincy High School boys basketball team in catch-up mode for the entirety of Monday night’s 58-50 loss to Lisle Benet Academy in the Class 4A Normal Super-Sectional at CEFCU Arena on the Illinois State University…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The recipe for winning this weekend at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament was uncommon but successful for the Quincy University women’s basketball team. The ingredients were a poor shooting first half, a halftime deficit, a re-dedication to pounding the ball inside, physically taking over the second half on defense and…
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QUINCY — Each time Kamren Wires stood up to walk, the pain surged through his left foot and ankle, and that cast further doubt on the possibility he’d play anymore this postseason. “The doctors said I was out for three or four weeks, and I believed them,” said the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — A broadcaster with the Great Lakes Valley Conference Sports Network who made less-than-flattering remarks about Quincy University during the broadcast of a women’s basketball game in the GLVC Tournament on Saturday issued an apology before QU’s appearance in the GLVC title game on Sunday. John Edwards, listed as the “Voice of…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — As the Quincy University women’s basketball players began to pull on their championship T-shirts on the Hyland Arena court after Sunday’s 64-60 victory over Maryville in the title game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, reserve guard Sydney Runsewe looked at Hawks coach Courtney Boyd and asked, “What time is…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team trailed at halftime to Missouri S&T, Drury and Maryville but outscored those three opponents 136-101 in the second half to win all three games at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo. Muddy River News Editor David Adam captured…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Champions Wrestling Club had two grapplers reach the podium at the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation state tournament, held last weekend at the Peoria Civic Center. Aubree Murphy finished second in the girls senior division 130-pound weight class, winning each of her first three matches by pinfall. She pinned Sandwich’s Alexia Caither…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team was on the brink of seeing its season end Saturday night when Makaiya Brooks scored from the baseline with 4:47 left in the third quarter to put Drury ahead 50-42. “I was not worried at all, really,” Hawks senior Cymirah Williams said. Apparently, neither were…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Karsyn Stratton hasn’t been much of a scorer for much of her college basketball career, so it would be considered surprising to many who are seeing her carrying so much of the scoring load lately for the Quincy University women’s basketball team. Hawks coach Courtney Boyd thinks she has an answer…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — No over-the-counter remedy could help those associated with the Quincy High School boys basketball program overcome the gnawing disappointment which had lingered for the equivalent of a calendar year. This wasn’t heartburn. This was heartache. “We know what it feels like to be one inch away,” said senior point guard Kamren Wires,…
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NORMAL, Ill. — It was not the happy ending Sage Stratton had envisioned, but even as the tears streamed down her face as she watched the Washington girls basketball team celebrate Friday night’s 60-51 victory over Quincy Notre Dame in the Class 3A third-place game at CEFCU Arena, the QND senior guard had no qualms…
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CANTON, Mo. — The Harrisburg boys basketball team was determined Preston Brewer would not beat it Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Class 2 state tournament. So, Kaden Oliver and Drew Gottman stepped up to keep Canton’s magical season alive. Oliver buried four of his five 3-pointers in the second half — all…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — It didn’t matter that Mikayla Huffine had missed eight of nine shots. She never lost her confidence. “I mean, they were leaving me open because obviously I wasn’t hitting the three,” said the Quincy University junior guard, who had missed all four of her 3-point shots in Friday night’s quarterfinal game…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Eric Orne is still not numb to the feeling. “You still get chills when you walk through the tunnel,” Orne said. That tunnel leads you into CEFCU Arena, the home of the IHSA state basketball tournament, a destination Orne has reached nine times in 23 seasons as the Quincy Notre Dame girls…
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NORMAL, Ill. — The trips to CEFCU Arena — traditionally known as Redbird Arena — have been fruitful for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, which won its ninth state trophy since 2008 this weekend. The Raiders finished fourth in Class 3A, losing 60-51 to Washington in Friday night’s third-place game. Muddy River Sports…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team probably ought to be in consideration for an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional next week. Surprisingly, they’re not. Friday night’s 74-69 victory over Missouri S&T at Hyland Arena in the quarterfinals of the Great Lakes Valley Tournament improved the Hawks’ record…
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NORMAL, Ill. — In a game of punch-counterpunch, Lombard Montini’s return blows proved too powerful for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team to recover from. The silver lining for QND is a chance for atonement on Friday. The Raiders took a 26-20 lead on a Jenna Durst 3-pointer with 4:41 left in the third…
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QUINCY — Initially, Taya Stevenson tried to ignore everyone’s urging. Late last spring, just before the Quincy University women’s basketball players headed into their semester finals, Stevenson couldn’t get herself physically or mentally right. She randomly passed out and was treated in Blessing Hospital’s emergency room, yet continued to feel something was amiss. Doctors couldn’t…
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NORMAL, Ill. — CEFCU Arena has become quite the familiar place for Sage Stratton, but the significance of playing in three state tournaments in four years is not lost on the Quincy Notre Dame senior guard. “I wish everybody could have this experience,” said Stratton, who helped the Raiders win a Class 2A state championship…
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NORMAL, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s third state tourament appearance in the last four years hit a snag in the fourth quarter Thursday night as Lombard Montini pulled away for a 50-41 victory in the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and…
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MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Griffin Kirn’s transition to the NCAA Division I level has been smooth. The Quincy Notre Dame graduate and former Quincy University ace is 2-0 in three starts with a 2.04 ERA at West Virginia. Earlier this week, the left-hander was named the Co-Big 12 Pitcher of Week after his shutout of…
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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Amy Eagan is turning around the Lindenwood women’s basketball program in short fashion. The Lions went 20-9 in the regular season — a 13-win improvement over Eagan’s first season as head coach — and 16-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference to earn the No. 2 seed for this week’s OVC Tournament.…
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WHITE HALL, Ill. — As the minutes ticked off the clock and the goose egg stayed on the scoreboard, the frustration for Jackson McNeff and the Brown County boys basketball team continued to mount. “It just felt like we couldn’t shoot the ball in the ocean,” said McNeff, a sophomore forward. For the first 9…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — The injection of life Dalton Hill put into the Palmyra football program was noticed by administrators around the state. Waynesville is hoping he can do the same for its program. Hill, a Mark Twain graduate who spent the past two seasons as the head coach at Palmyra, recently accepted an offer to…
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WHITE HALL, Ill. — An abrupt ending to a resurgent season did not prevent Brown County boys basketball coach Jeff Bottorff or his players from recognizing what they accomplished. When Bottorff addressed his team in the locker room following the Hornets’ 59-40 loss to Edwardsville Metro-East Lutheran in Wednesday’s Class 1A North Greene Sectional semifinal,…
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QUINCY — Courtney Boyd believes the phrase “Coach of the Year” is a misnomer. “To be honest with you, I wish it wasn’t a singular award,” she said. The second-year Quincy University women’s basketball coach knows she can’t do everything alone, including engineering one of the best turnaround stories in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.…
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QUINCY — Max Booher announced his presence with a bang. A freshman guard on the Quincy University men’s basketball team, Booher came off the bench in collegiate debut and made 5 of 7 3-pointers and scored a team-leading 21 points in the season-opening loss to Findlay. After that, he kept right on shooting. Booher made…
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QUINCY — The Muddy River Sports staff received three honors in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest for writing, photography and content production. Editor Matt Schuckman received a top-10 recognition in column writing and an excellence in video distinction for “Schuck on a Truck,” while the staff received a top-10 honor in the digital…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Milton Whitfield had yet to experience playing in historic Vergil Fletcher Gym prior to Tuesday night. “All I wanted was a chance on this floor,” the Quincy High School junior guard said. For good reason. “It’s very beautiful, very big, very spacious,” Whitfield said. “The kind of floor you want to run…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — As they filed out of Vergil Fletcher Gym on Tuesday night, the Quincy High School boys basketball players weren’t aware of who their opponent would be in Friday’s Class 4A Collinsville Sectional title game. “Either one, I’m excited to play,” senior guard Bradley Longcor III said. He knew there would be motivation…
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CLARKSVILLE, Mo. — Having played for the Canton girls basketball team in the 2000s and coached the Tigers for the last 10 seasons, Danielle Baker knows how much of a perennial power Clopton has been for the better part of the last two decades. “Even when I was in high school, it was either you…
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DES PERES, Mo. — The South Shelby girls basketball team was unable to counteract a third-quarter scoring burst from Principia on Tuesday night. The end result was Principia, the state’s No. 2-ranked Class 3 team, eliminated South Shelby 46-28 in a sectional game played before a standing-room-only crowd of 800-plus at Simon Field House. Principia…
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QUINCY — Here is the postseason scoreboard for high school basketball. This will be continually updated: Illinois girls Class 4A Granite CIty Regional Monday, Feb. 17 Game 1 — No. 1 Alton 77, No. 8 Granite City 17 Game 2 — No. 5 Quincy 42, No. 4 Edwardsville 36 Friday, Feb. 21 Game 3 —…
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