State tournament notebook: Raiders to take advantage of extra day to prep for title game

NORMAL, Ill. — A dramatic change in the way the Illinois High School Association schedules the boys and girls state basketball tournament games has completely altered the weekend plans.

It’s a blessing in disguise for Quincy Notre Dame.

After beating Pana 56-44 Thursday afternoon in the Class 2A girls state semifinals at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena, the Raiders earned a day off before facing Winnebago in the championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s critically important,” QND coach Eric Orne said. “We’re exhausted. Today took a lot out of us, both mentally and physically. Tomorrow is going to be nice for us to find a groove, find a gym to practice and get ourselves focused in.”

Pana had to turn around and play Minonk Fieldcrest in the third-place game at 8:45 p.m. Thursday, a little more than four hours after the semifinal ended.

“I can’t imagine playing tonight,” QND guard Blair Eftink said. “I’d be really worn out.”

Luckily, she and the Raiders will get the chance to rest and cheer on the QND boys basketball team in the sectional championship game. The QND boys face Bloomington Central Catholic at 7 p.m. Friday in the Class 2A Stanford Olympia Sectional, which is roughly a 25-minute trip from the Bloomington-Normal hotels.

“It gives us the chance to make sure we are ready for Saturday,” QND junior guard Abbey Schreacke said.

Carthage imprint on Fieldcrest program

Anyone well versed in the Carthage Bluegirls heyday and the way coaches like Dick Biery, Jerry Logan and Bill Lapp ran the program likely noticed a fair amount of similarities in Minonk Fieldcrest, one of four teams playing Thursday in the Class 2A state semifinals.

It’s understandable since a Blueboy is on Fieldcrest’s sideline.

Mitchell Neally, a 2004 Carthage graduate, is in his seventh season running the Knights’ program and led them to the state tournament for the first time ever. Fieldcrest (34-4) finished in fourth place after losing 49-45 to Pana in the third-place game.

“You can see a lot of the principles and the values that made the Bluegirls successful in our program here,” Neally said.

He grew up in the Blueboys/Bluegirls culture.

“There are things that I say to these girls that I remember (Coach Logan) telling me back when I was in camp,” Neally said. “He was a guy who went to my church and had a very big impact on me. Not just Coach Logan, but Coach Lapp, too. A lot of the key things we do here are things I learned through them.

“I saw going through there the type of impact those coaches had on their players. That’s the same kind of impact I’ve tried to make on my players.”

In seven seasons at Fieldcrest, Neally has compiled a 151-51 record, while also serving as an assistant football coach. Sounds quite familiar to the path Lapp led at Carthage, and it was Lapp who was an administrator at Fieldcrest when Neally was hired.

“It changed my life,” Neally said. “It’s something I will forever be grateful for. It’s given me a chance to reach kids in ways I didn’t know or didn’t think I could. Seeing what kind of impact he had on me is something I wanted to do with the kids I coached and taught.”

It all comes from his roots.

“My Carthage days have a big piece of my heart,” Neally said.

Celebration of basketball hotbed

The impact of West-Central Illinois on the high school basketball scene is well-documented.

This weekend added another chapter.

Not only will Quincy Notre Dame be playing for a state championship, but the coaches of two other Class 2A teams have area ties. Neally is a Carthage native who played on back-to-back state runner-up football teams as a junior and senior and was a productive basketball player.

Neally went on to play at Illinois College before getting into education and coaching.

Pana coach Brent McKinney, who is in his second season coaching the Panthers, is a Culver-Stockton College graduate who played baseball for the Wildcats and served as an assistant coach at Illini West previously in his coaching tenure.

Unselfish play critical for Raiders

QND finished the state semifinal victory over Pana with 12 assists on 18 field goals and five players scoring seven or more points.

The balance and unselfish nature of the Raiders made the offense run efficiently.

“It gets our energy going,” Eftink said. “It’s a lot more fun when everyone’s playing really well and we’re working together and moving the ball.”

Schreacke dished out nine assists, one shy of recording a triple-double as she had 13 points and 15 rebounds. The fact she gave the ball up and others emerged to knock down shots — Eftink and freshman guard Sage Stratton combined to make the Raiders’ first three field goals — made the Raiders tough to defend.

“Everybody knows Abbey is the best player on our team,” said senior forward Eryn Cornwell, who finished with seven points and five rebounds. “You can’t deny it. But when everybody contributes, there’s no way anybody can handle us because they have to double her. That’s always going to leave another good player open.”