Schuckman: Great moments abound in Adams County’s rich sports history

QUINCY — When asked to come up with a list of the top sports moments in Adams County history to coincide with the bicentennial celebration, the last thing I wanted to do was make a list of state champions and professional athletes and call it good.

Moments are bigger than one game or one athlete.

Moments are magical, the kind that leave sports fans talking for days, weeks, months or years.

They stir up emotions and invite us to reminisce and remember. They hold a special place in our hearts, not for one fanbase but for all fanbases.

So that’s where I began my research.

I pulled a notebook out of a drawer on the left side of my desk and started making a list of the moments I have covered, the ones I remembered, and the ones I have gone into the Quincy Public Library’s digital newspaper archive to research.

I thought about stories I have heard, ones I have read and some I have written.

Then I started digging up facts.

Did you know the six high schools located in Adams County — Quincy, Quincy Notre Dame, Camp Point Central, Liberty, Mendon Unity and Payson Seymour — have combined to win 34 Illinois High School Association state championships and 113 state trophies?

Did you know of the 1,110 Major League Baseball players born in Illinois, according to Baseball Almanac, that 14 were born in Adams County? A handful of other MLB players have Adams County ties, whether they lived here after their career or played college baseball here.

Did you know the No. 1 volleyball player in the world in the early 1990s called Quincy home? Or a five-time winner on the PGA Tour grew up here? Or a Quincyan was a member of two of the Green Bay Packers’ NFL championship teams in the 1930s?

Did you know this county has produced international championship rowing teams, some of the best fastpitch softball teams in the country and countless golfers who have teed it up in professional events?

So how do you pare all of those things down to a list of the greatest moments spanning 200 years?

First, you cross things off the list. So I started by knocking out state championship teams. Why? I asked myself this question: Does one team’s state title mean more than any other? I’m not saying state title teams won’t be part of the greatest moments, but they don’t stand alone.

Second, I pared down individual accomplishments. It had to be something extraordinary, something no one else has accomplished to make the list. There aren’t many of those no matter which corner of the county you search.

Lastly, I thought about what made people come together. What made them cheer for each other and celebrate their sport and their spot in history?

When I was done scribbling in my notebook and making notes most people would consider illegible, I narrowed my list down to five.

So beginning Friday, I will unveil what I believe are five of the greatest sports moments in Adams County history. The series will be spread out over the course of a week to give you time to digest, consider and retort if need be.

If you have a different list or think something special was overlooked, share it with me or share it on social media. Every moment that gets discussed and remembered helps us all appreciate the county we call home and its rich athletic history.

Enjoy the series and the celebration of Adams County’s sporting past.