Muddy River Showcase Spotlight: Camp Point Central’s Isaac Genenbacher

Camp Point Central's Isaac Genenbacher will participate in both the Illinois Shrine Bowl and the Muddy River Showcase next Saturday. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. CAMP POINT, Ill. —…

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Muddy River Showcase Spotlight: Camp Point Central’s Breyhar Wiskirchen

Breyhar Wiskirchen will represent Camp Point Central in the Muddy River Showcase, taking place June 17 at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. CAMP POINT, Ill. —…

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Tigers’ length keeps Panthers at bay as historic season ends in sectional championship game

Illini Bluffs forward Hank Alvey goes to block a shot by Camp Point Central's Drew Paben during Friday night's Class 1A sectional championship game in Bushnell, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BUSHNELL, Ill. — Being double and triple teamed is a nightly occurrence for Hank Alvey. He’s familiar with opposing defenses pushing and pulling him in every direction.  It comes with the territory when you’re 6-foot-9 and opponents are looking for anything that may get under your skin. “It’s nothing new. That’s what teams have been…

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Photo gallery: Central fights to end in sectional championship loss to Illini Bluffs

Camp Point Central forward Carter Eyler, center, gets a shot off over the Illini Bluffs defense during Friday night's Class 1A sectional championship game at Bushnell, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BUSHNELL, Ill. — The bid to become the first team in program history to win a sectional championship fell just short. The Central boys basketball team struggled to combat Illini Bluffs’ size and lost 54-46 to end its season with a 27-5 record. Photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery from the game:

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Schuck on a Truck: Central wrestler Amber Louderback discusses historic state medal-winning season

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Amber Louderback’s determination cannot be undersold or overstated. She’s passionate, committed and tough. It’s why the Camp Point Central freshman became the first girls wrestler in program history to earn a medal at the state tournament, finishing fourth in the 125-pound class recently during the event held at Grossinger Motors Arena…

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Sound the alarms: Sizzling effort from 3-point range, stingy defense carry Panthers into sectional championship game

The Central boys basketball team's bench and crowd react to a play during Wednesday night's victory over Peoria Christian in the Class 1A Bushnell-Prairie City Sectional in Bushnell, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BUSHNELL, Ill. — Not much could delay the inevitable, but the fire alarms blaring in the Bushnell-Prairie City High School gymnasium created a significant sense of confusion in the waning minutes of Wednesday’s Class 1A sectional semifinal boys basketball game between Camp Point Central and Peoria Christian. “It just came out of nowhere,” Central junior…

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Photo gallery: Central advances to sectional title game for first time in program history

The Central boys basketball players celebrate their 51-39 victory over Peoria Christian in the Class 1A Bushnell-Prairie City Sectional semifinals on Wednesday night in Bushnell, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BUSHNELL, Ill. — The Camp Point Central boys basketball team will play for the first sectional championship game in program history Friday night, advancing to the Class 1A Bushnell-Prairie City Sectional title game by beating Peoria Christian 51-39. Photographer Mike Pritchard shared these images for a photo gallery of the game:

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Illinois boys basketball state rankings: Quincy climbs one spot in Class 4A, Camp Point Central jumps two spots in Class 1A

Camp Point Central's Drew Paben goes up for a shot during a game against West Hancock in the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament in December. | File photo by David Adam

Here are the Associated Press boys prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Lisle (Benet Academy) (14) 28-1 149 1 2. Moline (1) 28-3 134 2 3. Joliet West 25-5 115 3 4. Kenwood 24-6 101 4 5. Hinsdale Central 28-3 88 5…

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Central bounces back from last-second loss to defeat Southeastern for third place at Macomb

MACOMB, Ill. — The Central boys basketball team rebounded from a crushing last-second loss in Friday afternoon’s semifinals and defeated Southeastern 51-43 in the third-place game at the 76th annual Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. Breyhar Wiskirchen led the Panthers (10-3) with 18 points.  Isaac Genenbacher scored 12 for Central, and Drew Paben added 10. Danny Stephens scored 30…

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Moore never loses confidence, hits 3-pointer in final minute to help Central reach semifinals at Macomb

Central's Nick Moore drives to the basket while West Hancock's Gavin Grothaus defends in the second half of Wednesday's quarterfinal game in the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament in Western Hall. At left is Central coach James Barnett. | David Adam

MACOMB, Ill. — It’s a good thing Central’s Nick Moore has a short memory. His 3-pointer with 3:10 remaining in the fourth quarter cut West Hancock’s lead to 47-45. Thirty seconds later, Moore launched what could have been the go-ahead shot from the corner. Instead, the ball hit the support behind the backboard. “That wasn’t…

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Panthers use toughness, tenaciousness to finish off weekend with solid Rumble on the River victory

From left to right, Camp Point Central's Drew Paben, Gavin Blewitt and Isaac Genenbacher surround Madison's Carlis Wilson during Saturday's game in the Rumble on the River at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Camp Point Central boys basketball coach James Barnett admits the preparation for this weekend’s pair of challenges included some uneasiness. “Nervous,” Barnett said of the one word he thought of having to travel to play West Central Conference opponent Quincy Notre Dame on Friday night and then play a neutral site affair against…

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Central football team makes quick work of Dupo to start Class 1A playoff run

The Central football team put the clamps on Dupo's offense during a 66-0 victory in the opening round of the Class 1A state playoffs on Saturday in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

Camp Point was up 38-0 early in the second quarter and their second scoop-and-score defensive touchdown of the first half made it 54-0 going into halftime. The running clock made the second half a little less painful for Dupo before the 66-0 final.

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Central’s Dixon reaches coaching milestone as sixth-ranked Panthers overwhelm Wolves

Central running back Gavin Graves, left, follows the lead block of lineman Robert Gooding during Friday night's game against Pleasant Hill at Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Central football coach Brad Dixon preferred to deflect the post-game attention toward his team. But, hey, a coach only wins his 100th game one time, and Friday night it was Dixon’s turn. Central’s 46-0 victory over Pleasant Hill provided Dixon with that milestone, one that makes him just the 10th coach…

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Prairie State Profile: Youthful Panthers look to make state take notice in wrestling regional

Central sophomore wrestler Conner Griffin, left, carries a 37-7 record into the postseason. Matt Schuckman photo

The Prairie State Profile will appear each week to highlight Illinois area student-athletes. CAMP POINT, Ill. — The youth wrestling program designed to promote the sport and serve as a feeder program for Central’s high school team is working. Saturday, the rest of the state will start to see how well it works. The Central…

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QHS, Central, Palmyra wrestlers ready to vie for championships at Quincy Invitational

Quincy High School had five wrestlers finish undefeated in Friday night's action in pool format and position themselves to challenge for individual championships Saturday during the Quincy Invitational at the QHS gym. Photo courtesy Libby Phelps, Quippi staff

QUINCY — Weather may have altered the brackets and forced some teams to decline making the trip to compete in the Quincy Invitational, but Friday night’s opening rounds of the long-time wrestling tournament showed the cream always rises to the top. Quincy High School had five wrestlers go unbeaten during Friday’s action, while Central had…

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Wrestling roundup: Blue Devils’ Garrett wins individual crown as QHS takes third overall

Quincy High School wrestler Kayden Garrett shows off the team trophy the Blue Devils won Saturday at the 60th Murdale Invitational in Carbondale, Ill. Photo courtesy QHS wrestling

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Kayden Garrett’s individual championship helped the Quincy High School wrestling team finish third among 25 teams in the 60th Murdale Invitational at Carbondale High School. Garrett, a senior wrestling at 170 pounds, won his first two matches in pool play with a second-period pin and a 21-6 technical fall. In the championship…

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Camp Point Central shuts out Pleasant Hill

CPC Coach Brad Dixon talks to his team after Friday night's 34-0 win over Pleasant Hill Photo: J. Robert Gough

After rallying for the win in their season opener, the Camp Point Central Panthers didn’t need to come up with any last-minute heroics this week.  Connor Griffin and Issac Genenbacher each ran for two scores and Garrett Williams ran for 118 yards as the Panthers improve to 2-0 with a 34-0 win at Pleasant Hill. …

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