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College baseball At Weber Field, St. Louis Quincy University 9, Maryville 1: The Hawks ended a season-opening 14-game road trip with one of the best performances to date and won their first series of the season in the process. Senior right-hander Jay Hammel allowed one run and struck out nine over six innings and turned…
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BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Luke Guthrie is back on the PGA Tour, at least for one week. After shooting a 4-under 68 in Monday’s qualifier for the Valspar Championship, the Quincy native found himself in a three-way tie for fourth with only the top four scores earning the chance to tee it up in this week’s…
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QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton’s senior season ranks as one of the best produced by a Quincy High School boys basketball player in the last quarter century. It’s fitting then he is only the second player in that span to receive first-team all-state honors. The 6-foot-6 Talton, who led the Blue Devils to a 28-6 season,…
Read Full Article College baseball At Weber Field, St. Louis Quincy University 8, Maryville 7: Joe Roscetti’s two-out, two-run triple in the top of the eighth inning gave the Hawks the lead, and left-hander Sam Stephens closed the door on the non-conference victory in the first game of a doubleheader. The Hawks built a 6-1 lead on the…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — The road to Liberty High School’s first appearance in a basketball state tournament championship game began in 1975, when Paul Kreke accepted the only job offer he had after graduating from Quincy College. He became the head coach of a Liberty program that posted winning records only three times the previous 20…
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The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The arena entrance was breath-taking, and the postgame exit was humbling. Yet, the welcome the Liberty boys basketball team received in its own gym from a community that raced home from the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center following Saturday’s Class 1A state championship game made the experience complete. “I wasn’t expecting…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Logan Robbins embraces playing defense. Actually, he enjoys it quite a bit. “It’s another way to impact the game,” said Robbins, a 6-foot-5 senior forward on the Liberty boys basketball team. “And if you can get the guy your guarding frustrated, it’s going to give you an edge.” It helps explain why…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Alex Altmix harbors dreams of eventually being a head coach and running his own high school basketball program. Should his brother, Jordan, want the same thing, neither will have to search far to find a blueprint for success. It’s been in front of them since the day either picked up a whistle.…
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LIBERTY, Ill. — When the two-lane state highway without a shoulder snakes past the farms and fields and reaches the eastern border of Liberty, a sign looms large on the right side of the road. “Give me Liberty” it reads, and it lists the population of this Adams County village as 600. There may be…
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QUINCY — Steve Hawkins isn’t shy about his appreciation for quality cuisine. He is loyal to the restaurants he finds reliable and appetizing. So it came as no surprise Wednesday morning, hours before he was to be introduced as the new Quincy University men’s basketball coach, Hawkins ate breakfast at the Coach House, a longstanding…
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Located in Macoupin County 7 miles southwest of Carlinville and situated in an oak/hickory woodland, Beaver Dam State Park offers a variety of recreational opportunities on its 750 acres. Fishing, picnicking, hiking, and tent and trailer camping are among the most popular activities. Although beaver are virtually gone from this area, the park is named…
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The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states and 2185 miles. Quincy has the Bill Klingner Trail on the north side of town that stretches from Bonansinga Drive to 24th Street. But the Quincy Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has introduced a new trail, just in time for Lent … The Tri-County Catfish Trail. Covering three counties…
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The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Greg Altmix was agitated, and he had no problem telling his Liberty boys basketball team why. The veteran head coach scanned the Class 1A all-state teams released Wednesday by the Associated Press and didn’t see any of his players on the first or second team despite their upcoming appearance in the final…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Part of the wisdom Liberty boys basketball coach Greg Altmix has tried to impart on his players from his more than two decades on the bench is to enjoy the journey, not just the end result. So sitting in the lobby of the team hotel Thursday afternoon, while taking time to catch…
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Breiton Klingele’s hairstyle came down to a choice. Not a bet. Not a dare. Not anything other than a conscious decision to let it grow. “I just decided it one day, so I started growing it,” Klingele said. “No other reason. I just wanted a mullet.” The Liberty senior’s long, curly locks…
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QUINCY — Steve Hawkins made the 430-mile drive from Kalamazoo, Mich., to Quincy by himself Tuesday night, but he was hardly alone. “Word started to seep out the last couple of days in the coaching world,” said Hawkins, who was introduced Wednesday as the next Quincy University men’s basketball coach. “My phone … well, it…
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QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton’s impact on the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s success went far beyond points scored and 3-pointers made. Every coach in the Western Big 6 Conference felt that. It made it easy for them to vote for Talton, the 6-foot-6 senior swingman, as the WB6 most valuable player, the first season…
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QUINCY — Muddy River Sports correspondent Ron Kinscherf captured images of the homecoming for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, which won the Class 2A state championship Saturday with a 63-56 victory over Winnebago in the title game at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena. Below is a gallery of his pictures.
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The fans of the Liberty and Southeastern boys basketball teams filled the Jacksonville Bowl on Monday night for a titanic matchup in the Class 1A Jacksonville Super-Sectional. Photographer Steve Davis captured the moments from start to finish. Below is a gallery of Davis’ images.
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Devin Klauser likely has never been in trouble for talking in class at Liberty High School. The senior is a guy of few words. Very, very few words. “He’s kind of shy,” Eagles teammate Cannen Wolf said, with the expected grin. The 6-foot-6 Klauser let his performance on the floor do his…
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NORMAL, Ill. — If you took time to actually measure the measurables — the height of the rim, the distance to the 3-point stripe, the length and width of the court — you’re bound to find both ends of the Redbird Arena court meet the same specifications.. The Quincy High School boys basketball players might…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Restless nights tend to accompany the calendar flip, when January rolls into February and high school basketball coaches worry about how to prepare for and sustain postseason success. When the nights grow shorter and sleep is a struggle in the middle of October rather than the middle of the season, something other…
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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Danny Stephens will be back for a curtain call. The 6-foot-7 Stephens’ junior year came to halt Monday night when he and his Southeastern Suns were beaten by a talented — and deep — Liberty team 49-42 in the Class 1A Jacksonville Super-Sectional at the Jacksonville Bowl. The defeat did not diminish…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured some of the action, reaction and atmosphere in photos during Monday night’s Class 4A Normal Super-Sectional between the Quincy High School and Bolingbrook boys basketball teams. Check out a gallery of his images below.
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QUINCY — Tanner Stuckman’s basketball career has been built around hard work, determination and an unwillingness to be told he couldn’t succeed. That’s why professional opportunities are coming his way. A graduate of Quincy Notre Dame and Quincy University, the 6-foot-9 Stuckman is currently playing in the National Basketball League of Canada for the Windsor…
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CANTON, Mo. — Rod Walton quietly moved back to Canton last month, a place he called home during a 30-year association with Culver-Stockton College. He spends his days visiting with old friends, some former high school basketball coaching colleagues, and other old C-SC hands he remained in contact with after retiring in 2012. He tries…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Jarvis Jennings struggled with the words that could accurately depict all the emotions tugging at his heart and soul. He didn’t need to speak. His eyes said everything. Glassed over by tears and saddened by the finality of it all, Jennings and the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team fought like…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A somber thought crossed Jarvis Jennings’ mind in the locker room Sunday afternoon. His John Wood Community College basketball career was finished. “It didn’t really hit me until I had to take my jersey off one last time,” Jennings said. “But that’s life. You take it to the chin and you have…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Blair Eftink looked down at the state championship medal hanging around her neck and shook her head from side to side, almost in disbelief. “It’s crazy,” she said. Eftink then glanced around at her Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball teammates, who were milling about in the hallway outside the media room in…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Friday morning, the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players filed into St. Augustine Catholic Church, the quaint centerpiece of a devout congregation in their coach’s hometown of Ashland. Their mission was two-fold. Say a solemn goodbye to Mary Sue Orne, the mother of Raiders coach Eric Orne who passed away in the…
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NORMAL, Ill. — The pain of slightly spraining her right ankle hobbled Abbey Schreacke for a short stretch of the second quarter Saturday. Yet, it was getting poked in the eye that brought her tears. “Once I got poked in the eye, I forgot about the feeling in the ankle, too,” Schreacke said. No one…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent Saturday at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena chronicling the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s 63-56 victory over Winnebago in the Class 2A state championship game. Here is a gallery of images Schuckman collected throughout the Raiders’ run to a sixth state championship in program…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Quincy High School boys basketball coach Andy Douglas’ heart nearly sank. Fortunately for Douglas and the Blue Devils, Normal Community’s Zach Cleveland’s potential game-tying 3-pointer with three seconds left didn’t fall either. “It did everything but go in. It hit the backboard then rimmed out. It takes a little bit of luck…
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STANFORD, Ill. — When Cole Certa caught the ball two steps beyond the volleyball spike line and almost nonchalantly dribbled forward, concern immediately spread up and down the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team’s bench. “We were talking and saying, ‘He’s pulling it, he’s pulling it,’” Raiders coach Kevin Meyer said. “Sure enough he does.”…
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WHITE HALL, Ill. — Understandably, Breiton Klingele found it difficult to keep his emotions in check. “Ever since I was little, all I have wanted to do was play in the state tournament,” he said. Well, Klingele, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, and his Liberty teammates now find themselves one step away from the Class 1A…
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ABINGDON, Ill. — Late in the first half Friday night, Danny Stephens turned to the bench and tugged at his jersey, signaling he needed a break. The breather never came for the Southeastern standout forward, but that didn’t stop him from powering the Suns to a dazzling finish and 45-34 victory over Peoria Christian in…
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The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…
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NORMAL, Ill. — Redbird Arena can’t exactly be called cavernous, but the shooting background can create a need for an adjustment. Blair Eftink didn’t seem to mind, especially when 3-pointer after 3-pointer kept falling during warmups. “Abbey (Schreacke) was telling me the depth perception was a lot different than where we normally play,” Eftink said.…
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NORMAL, Ill. — The ball ending up in Abbey Schreacke’s hands with the seconds ticking away didn’t come as a surprise. Neither did the fact she made the shot. Well, the first one wasn’t a shocker. The second made those inside Redbird Arena either jump for joy or drop their head into their hands. Schreacke,…
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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…
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STANFORD, Ill. — The first four minutes of the second half Wednesday night may have been the most energetic and engaged stretch defensively the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team has played this season. The Raiders even smiled at the suggestion they are at their best right now. But don’t read too much into that.…
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QUINCY — Abbey Schreacke has been the most dominant player on the court nearly every game this season. So it came as no surprise when she was the leading vote-getter for the Associated Press Class 2A all-state teams, which were released Wednesday. The 5-foot-10 junior guard topped a list of five first-team standouts, three of…
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ABINGDON, Ill. — Former University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal liked to say, “You dance with who brung you,” when referring to the importance of consistency — especially when his quarterback was handing the ball off to Heisman Trophy-winning running back Earl Campbell. The Southeastern boys basketball team has consistently danced with Danny Stephens…
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STANFORD, Ill. — Charlie Lavery embraced the moment with vigor. Then Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Kevin Meyer reminded him the job wasn’t complete. The Raiders led Maroa-Forsyth by 14 points with a little more than six minutes to play Wednesday night in the semifinals of the Class 2A Stanford Olympia Sectional when Lavery,…
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COTTLEVILLE, Mo. — Oh, to be in the right place at the right time. Amongst a sea of hands, Nathan DeGuentz rebounded a wild shot and put in the game-winning layup with 1.2 seconds left to give the Duchesne boys basketball team a 45-44 victory over Monroe City in Wednesday’s Class 3 sectional at Francis…
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QUINCY — Brad Hoyt is the long-time men’s basketball coach at John Wood Community College. He’s also the father of 17-year-old Jake Hoyt, a member of the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team. While Brad was coaching Wednesday night, Jake was playing against Maroa-Forsyth in a sectional tournament game at Stanford Olympia. Both enjoyed victories.…
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The Show-Me Spotlight will appear each week to highlight Missouri area student-athletes. HANNIBAL, Mo. — Aaris Stolte’s historic season isn’t over. He’s confident the Hannibal boys basketball team’s run isn’t about to be through either. A senior guard who broke Brice Scott’s single-season 3-pointer record, Stolte and the second-seeded Pirates are looking to slide past…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Reid O’Brien dared the Collinsville boys basketball team to do it again. “If you leave me open, I’m going to make it,” he said with a smirk and a shrug. The Kahoks left him wide open twice. The Quincy High School junior guard made them both times. Tied at 17 at halftime…
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The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…
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COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Any aspect of the final sequence — the split, the bounce or the bucket — could have been negated by a whistle. Ralph Wires prayed he wouldn’t hear one. With time evaporating rapidly and overtime looming, the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s sophomore point guard found himself in a now-or-never situation.…
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WHITE HALL, Ill. — The inbounds play worked the way Liberty coach Greg Altmix thought it would. Clayton Obert set a screen for Logan Robbins, who curled toward the basket. “Our first option was actually open,” Altmix said. Cannen Wolf, who was throwing the inbounds pass with 2.9 seconds left in the game, didn’t agree.…
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The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…
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KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — The Quincy University women’s basketball team ran out of steam, but it wasn’t before a valiant effort. The Hawks led Truman State by four points at the end of the third quarter Monday night in the opening round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at Pershing Arena before the Bulldogs opened…
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LEBANON, Ill. — It became dubbed the “Monday Night Massacre.” Hardly anyone in the Great Lakes Valley Conference was immune to it. Of the seven opening-round games of the GLVC men’s basketball tournament, five were decided by 26 points or more, including Quincy University’s 37-point loss at McKendree in which the Hawks shot less than…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Doubt never fully surfaced. Concern may have. Yet, no matter what level of uneasiness the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players actually felt during the course of Monday night’s Class 2A Beardstown Super-Sectional, the unshakeable belief they have in each other always prevailed. “We stuck together,” junior guard Abbey Schreacke said. “That’s…
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Eftink shrugs off off-kilter shooting to make clutch free throws, send QND girls to state final four
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Disbelief. It spread across Blair Eftink’s face. With 23.8 seconds remaining in Monday night’s Class 2A Beardstown Super-Sectional and the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team clinging to a two-point lead, Eftink had the chance to provide a little bit of separation. Instead, her first free-throw attempt in a 1-and-1 situation rattled…
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QUINCY — The Kroc Center invites area youth in grades 3-8 to participate in the Jr. Spikers Volleyball Clinic led by Maliah Blakemore, Hannibal-LaGrange University’s women’s volleyball coach. The clinic will be held from March 20-April 10 and is designed to help boys and girls build a strong foundation of volleyball fundamentals, grow and enhance…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal Parks & Recreation winter pickleball league ended last week with a single-elimination tournament in the competitive division. Collin Anderson and Jamie Nemes were the winners, with Bill Baker and Allan Atkins taking second place. Chris Hull and Elijah Hull won the intermediate division with the overall best record. There were…
Read Full Article Sometimes sports are best consumed in smaller bites. It helps a fan forget about Major League Baseball owners locking out players, Phil Mickelson making the biggest misread of his career, and the national media’s endless infatuation with everything LeBron James and Aaron Rodgers say and do. There’s only so much greed and ego a person…
Read Full Article Boys basketball At Monroe City, Mo. Class 3 District 6 championship Monroe City 69, Highland 40. Click here for the story. Girls basketball At Monroe City, Mo. Class 3 District 6 championship South Shelby 59, Palmyra 55. Click here for the story. Men’s basketball At Meyer Sports Center, Bolivar, Mo. Southwest Baptist 86, Quincy University…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — The last act deserved a standing ovation. The Monroe City faithful obliged. The final time a senior class that has set itself apart as one of the most successful in program history played at home resulted in an incredible accomplishment as the top-seeded Monroe City boys basketball team won its sixth…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — A freshman who came off the bench made the go-ahead 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the Class 3 District 6 championship game. It just didn’t happen to be one of the Palmyra girls basketball team’s talented underclassmen. South Shelby’s Belle Roush drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key…
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BOLIVAR, Mo. — The day will come when the Quincy University women’s basketball program will have a series of firsts that highlight a return to prominence within the Great Lakes Valley Conference. It takes a number of smaller firsts to get there. Saturday, the Hawks experienced a couple of those. For the first time since…
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BOLIVAR, Mo. — The Quincy University men’s basketball team ran out of steam. The challenge will be to recharge in a hurry. Trailing by one at halftime Saturday at the Meyer Sports Center, the Hawks struggled to keep it tight as Southwest Baptist went on a 20-4 run spanning nearly seven minutes of the second…
Read Full Article COLUMBUS, Ga. — The Quincy University baseball team had the chance Saturday to make a serious statement about its ability to contend for a national tournament berth. Now it has to hope for a split on Sunday. Late-inning situations did not favor the Hawks as they surrendered the lead in the sixth inning or later…
Read Full Article Boys basketball At Alton, Ill. Class 4A Alton Regional Quincy High School 56, O’Fallon 49. Click here for the story and photos. At Beardstown, Ill. Class 2A Beardstown Regional Quincy Notre Dame 48, Pleasant Plains 37. Click here for the story and photos. At Griggsville, Ill. Class 1A Griggsville-Perry Regional Liberty 59, Winchester West Central…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — Joshua Talton and the Monroe City boys basketball team made it crystal clear who the team to beat in the Class 3 District 6 tournament is. And it didn’t take long to deliver the message. Talton, the senior guard, scored 14 of the top-seeded Panthers’ 25 first-quarter points Friday night and…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — What began as a 3-point shootout morphed into a battle of wills down the stretch. When that happened Friday afternoon, the Quincy University men’s basketball team showcased its toughness. The Hawks saw Drury trim their 15-point advantage with less than six minutes to play down to three with 20 seconds remaining in…
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COLUMBUS, Ga. — Although the Quincy University baseball team scored 25 runs in three games in the season’s opening weekend, Hawks coach Matt Schissel felt they could have been more efficient and opportunistic. “We left a lot on the plate offensively,” Schissel said. Despite being stuck inside all week by wintry weather, the Hawks were…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — Why worry? That’s exactly what the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players were thinking. Alton Marquette hit the Raiders with an opening salvo Friday night, scoring the first six points of the Class 2A Waverly Sectional championship game and forcing QND coach Eric Orne to burn a timeout after only 2 minutes,…
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ALTON, Ill. — Quincy High School senior Jeremiah Talton identified the problem in a first half that saw the Blue Devils heavily outrebounded and settling for outside shots. “We were playing soft,” Talton said. “We weren’t playing our brand of basketball.” Talton put Quincy back on brand, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the…
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GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — Logan Robbins’ right knee is feeling just fine, thank you. So is that troublesome left ankle. Finally able to showcase his overall talent that had been hampered much of the season because of injuries, Robbins helped power Liberty to a 59-39 victory over Winchester-Bluffs West Central in Friday’s Class 1A regional championship…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — Pleasant Plains’ Zach Powell dribbled across the lane midway through the third quarter and tossed up a right-handed hook shot that Quincy Notre Dame’s Jake Wallingford got a fingertip on. Powell grabbed the rebound, then went back up for a second shot — only for Wallingford to swat it into a group…
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The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…
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BRIMFIELD, Ill. — Unity girls basketball coach Brad Begeman knew his team needed to play well early to prove it belonged on the same court as No. 1-ranked Brimfield and take the home crowd out of the game. The first eight minutes, however, couldn’t have gone any worse. Brimfield forced No. 7 Unity into nine…
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QUINCY — The chance to be the No. 1 seed in the NJCAA Division II Region 24 Tournament is gone. The opportunity to return to the national tournament isn’t. The John Wood Community College men’s basketball players have a pretty good grasp of what it will take to make that happen. “We learned where we…
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QUINCY — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman received two writing awards in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest and Muddy River Sports won an additional award for its digital platform. Schuckman finished in the top 10 in the long feature and breaking news categories in Division D. In the long feature category, Schuckman…
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Boys basketball At Beardstown, Ill. Class 2A Beardstown Regional Quincy Notre Dame 57, Illini West 37. Click here for the story and photos. Pleasant Plains 63, West Hancock 61. Click here for the story and photos. At Griggsville, Ill. Class 1A Griggsville-Perry Regional Liberty 61, Griggsville-Perry 47. Click here for the story and photos. Winchester…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — When he capped third consecutive undefeated high school season with his third straight state championship Saturday night at Mizzou Arena, Palmyra junior wrestler Collin Arch was the furthest thing from demonstrative. “I kind of keep my emotions to myself,” Arch said. “I’m obviously really excited for a third state title.” He captured…
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CANTON, Mo. — Four Culver-Stockton College basketball players — two from both the men’s and women’s squads — received postseason accolades from the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Senior forward Alonza Ortiz-Traylor was named second-team all-conference on the men’s side, while junior guard Jalen Blaize received honorable mention. On the women’s side, freshman forward Addison…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The rules of high school basketball call for a game to be played for 32 minutes, but the Quincy Notre Dame basketball team needed less than five Wednesday night. The Raiders dominated their Class 2A regional semifinal matchup with Illini West, scoring the game’s first 12 points and leading 30-10 at halftime…
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GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — Better late than never. Liberty withstood Griggsville-Perry’s upset bid Wednesday night in a Class 1A regional semifinal game, eventually pulling away in the final quarter to secure a 61-47 victory. The top-seeded Eagles (25-5) entered the game a huge favorite but were unable to turn back Griggsville-Perry (15-17) — a team they…
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QUINCY — The moment Ja’Veon Taylor intercepted the pass, Brandon Kracht sprinted to the right corner of the floor. But he never actually expected to see the ball come his way. “Honestly, I did not,” Kracht said. “It’s kind of like you’re going, ‘One more, one more, one more,’ hoping for that pass. It came…
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BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team appeared to be primed for a massive upset when it got within 31-30 with 5:15 remaining to play in the third quarter. Five minutes of a leaky zone defense proved costly. The Titans gave up 16 of the game’s next 18 points, and not even a…
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GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — Unfortunately, the third time was not the charm for the Payson Seymour boys basketball team. The Indians saw their postseason run come to an abrupt end Wednesday night when Winchester West Central posted a 62-49 victory in a Class 1A Griggsville-Perry Regional semifinal game. West Central’s victory was its third this season…
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MONROE CITY, Mo. — A 13-point halftime lead evaporated, forcing the second-seeded Palmyra girls basketball team to show some serious resolve in order to keep its season on the rails. The youthful Panthers played with poise when it mattered. Highland’s Ansley Bringer hit a 3-pointer in the waning seconds of regulation to force overtime, but…
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QUINCY — The jersey slipped on perfectly. It was trim and tight where it needed to be so Mike Staff had the sleek look of a basketball player, but it was loose enough for him to be able to twist, turn and attack without feeling constricted. He only wished he could do those things, but…
Read Full Article Boys basketball At Alton, Ill. Class 4A Alton Regional Quincy High School 49, Edwardsville 37. Click here for the story. At Monroe City, Mo. Class 3 District 6 South Shelby 50, Mark Twain 47: Jaaron Durbin’s 3-pointer at the buzzer pushed the fourth-seeded Cardinals into a semifinal matchup with top-seeded Monroe City on Thursday. Durbin…
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The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — The attention opposing defenses pay Abbey Schreacke is warranted. But if Blair Eftink and the rest of the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s starting five attack the basket with the kind of vengeance they did Tuesday night, opponents will find it harder and harder to double- or triple-team Schreacke. Stopping the…
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ALTON, Ill. — Presented with intel the Quincy High School boys basketball team had its two leading scorers fail to reach double figures in the same game for the first time this season, junior guard Reid O’Brien shrugged it off. The Blue Devils, in his eyes, are the epitome of a team. “We have winners,”…
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BRIMFIELD, Ill. — Unity’s masterful execution of one of basketball’s simplest plays proved to be too much for Elmwood in the Class 1A girls sectional at Brimfield High School. The Mustangs used the pick-and-roll to perfection in a 49-29 victory on Tuesday night and advanced to the sectional championship game on Thursday against the host…
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WAVERLY, Ill. — The team with a penchant for fourth-quarter magic needed to drum up another miracle moment. Shots have to fall for that to happen. Tuesday night, in the semifinals of the Class 2A Waverly Sectional, the Illini West girls basketball team couldn’t make a field goal to start a rally until the deficit…
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BRIMFIELD, Ill. — Oh, to play the first five minutes again. The Brown County girls basketball team played right with No. 1-ranked Brimfield for much of Tuesday night’s 63-49 loss in the Class 1A sectional semifinals. The Hornets, however, stumbled out of the gate, falling behind 17-4. They turned the ball over nine times in…
Read Full Article Girls basketball At Monroe City, Mo. Class 3 District 6 Monroe City 29, Mark Twain 25: Taylor Pfaff’s basket just before the buzzer at the end of the third quarter gave the fifth-seeded Panthers their first lead. Although the fourth-seeded Tigers tied the game at 19 early in the fourth quarter, Mackenzie Moss scored five…
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QUINCY — His voice quivered. His eyes glistened. And the words Andy Dougals felt best described the agony and ecstasy that bookended the past year were difficult to utter. “Damn, I didn’t know I’d get this emotional,” he said. So Douglas took off his glasses, dabbed at the corner of his eyes and took a…
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