High fives all around: Raiders use Tollerton’s inspiration to power past Saints and reach Class 2A state final four

Quincy Notre Dame's Jake Schisler, left, and Dalton Miller, right, celebrate along with their teammates after Schisler hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning of Monday's 13-1 victory over Bloomington Central Catholic in the Class 2A Springfield Super-Sectional. | Matt Schuckman photo

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Jake Schisler smiled and shrugged as he uncupped his left hand to reveal the baseball he had hit into the Monday twilight. He couldn’t be certain it was the actual home run ball because someone would have had to dig it out of the trees beyond the left-field fence at Lincoln Land…

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‘He threw another gem’: Raiders right-hander Dance delivers by shutting down Saints

Quincy Notre Dame senior right-hander Tyler Dance delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against Bloomington Central Catholic during Monday's Class 2A super-sectional in Springfield, Ill. | Matt Schuckman photo

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In the moments after the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players decided they’d play Monday’s Class 2A super-sectional as planned, senior designated hitter Alex Connoyer stood in front of Tyler Dance, leaned in so they were nearly nose-to-nose and delivered a strong message. “Use all the emotion,” Connoyer told his teammate. “Let it…

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Photo gallery: Memories of Tollerton vivid as QND baseball team beats BCC in super-sectional

Quincy Notre Dame senior outfielder/pitcher Mason Winking writes Tucker Tollerton's initials in the dirt in front of the QND dugout prior to Monday's Class 2A super-sectional game against Bloomington Central Catholic in Springfield, Ill. | Matt Schuckman photo

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball players decided Sunday morning to play Monday’s Class 2A Springfield Super-Sectional against Bloomington Central Catholic because Tucker Tollerton would have wanted them to play. Tollerton, the senior starting center fielder and No. 2 hole hitter, was killed in a single-vehicle accident Saturday night just outside of Hannibal,…

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Running against the wind: QND capitalizes on directional decision, buries BCC with first-half onslaught to reach state final four

Quincy Notre Dame senior forward Tanner Anderson reacts to a goal-scoring opportunity narrowly missed during the second half of Wednesday's Class 1A Chillicothe Super-Sectional against Bloomington Central Catholic in Chillicothe, Ill. | Matt Schuckman photo

CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — Mother Nature posed a challenge no matter which direction the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team chose to attack in the first half Wednesday night. Sun in the eyes or wind in the face. So Raiders coach Greg Reis asked goalkeepers coach Kasey Gerding for his opinion on which way to go.…

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Injuries, defensive pressure trip up Raiders in sectional title game as Saints shoot way to crown

Quincy Notre Dame point guard Jake Hoyt, right, gets a helping hand from teammates after getting knocked to the floor during the second half of Friday night's loss to Bloomington Central Catholic in the Class 2A sectional championship. Matt Schuckman photo

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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