Posts Tagged ‘Class 2A regional’
Panthers shake off sluggish start, move past Chargers in regional semifinals
CARTHAGE, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team did not have its usual explosiveness on Tuesday, but Panthers coach Matt Long was not all that shocked. “Whatever the reason was, there wasn’t a lot of intensity in the gym tonight,” Long said. Several players, including all-state forward Lauren Miller, still battling sickness could have had…
Read More‘Everything just started going downhill’: Unable to regain momentum, Titans fall to Bluejays
CARTHAGE, Ill. — The first four minutes of Tuesday’s Class 2A Illini West Regional semifinal game against Petersburg PORTA were everything West Hancock junior forward Jadyn Climer and the Titans girls basketball team could have asked for. “The energy was up,” Climer said. “We were like, ‘This is going to be a good game.’” Then…
Read MoreBruns finishes what he starts, guiding Chargers to regional semifinal victory in eight innings
CARTHAGE, Ill. — Illini West baseball coach Zack Burling told left-handed starter Nick Bruns he was only going to face Eureka’s leadoff hitter in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday before the Chargers went to the bullpen. “I just begged him to let me try to finish this game,” Bruns said. “And he did.…
Read MoreDown nine with 56 seconds to play, West Hancock throws scare at Pleasant Plains before losing in regional final
WARSAW, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team was facing near-certain defeat when it trailed by nine points with 56 seconds remaining. Thirty-six seconds later, the Titans had a chance at a miracle. Pleasant Plains’ Owen Johnson missed two free throws with 33.8 seconds, and the Wildcats had the ball trailing 60-57. Gavin Grothaus…
Read MorePoise and precision allow Bombers to go on second-half run, capture regional crown
FARMINGTON, Ill. — A three-point halftime deficit wasn’t cause for alarm, but Macomb boys basketball coach Jeremy Anderson knew everyone needed to take a deep breath. The first half of Friday night’s Class 2A Farmington Regional championship against Sherrard had been too frantic. “The first thing we had to do was be poised and be…
Read MoreWest Hancock turns to defense to grind out victory over Illini West in regional semifinals
WARSAW, Ill. — The West Hancock boys basketball team could never quite find its shooting touch from the perimeter in the season’s rubber match against Illini West. Fortunately, its defense showed up when it mattered most. Hunter Froman’s steal and layup with five minutes remaining gave the Titans their first lead since late in the…
Read MoreFive-minute drought in second quarter too much for Pittsfield to overcome in Class 2A regional setback
WARSAW, Ill. — Too many empty possessions. It was a recurring theme for the Pittsfield boys basketball team this season. The Saukees failed to score during the final five minutes of the first half and were unable to keep pace with Pleasant Plains after closing within four points early in the fourth quarter Wednesday night…
Read MoreOffensive drought in first half of regional semifinal loss to Williamsville ends QND’s season
ATHENS, Ill. — The snowball effect turned into a full-blown avalanche. It carried the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team right out of the postseason. Trailing Williamsville 10-0 less than four minutes into Wednesday night’s Class 2A Athens Regional semifinal, Raiders coach Kevin Meyer burned a timeout in hopes of settling down his time and…
Read MoreLantz’s free throws enable Central-Southeastern to fend off SHG for Class 2A regional title
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Karly Peters’ response was both euphoric and prophetic. “This feeling is amazing, and we’re not done yet,” said Peters, a 5-foot-9 junior forward for Central-Southeastern’s No. 6-ranked Class 2A girls basketball team. Peters was one of several Panthers who figured prominently in the CSE’s 44-41 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin during…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Central-Southeastern wins regional championship clash with SHG
CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team took advantage of the friendly confines of its home gym Thursday night, earning a 44-41 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in the Class 2A regional championship in front of a standing room-only crowd. The Panthers went 14-0 at home this season while advancing to the Beardstown…
Read MorePanthers see room for improvement before Thursday’s regional championship game
CAMP POINT, Ill. — From Matt Long’s perspective, Monday night was a borderline disappointment — except for the final score. From the way Lauren Miller saw things, there’s room for improvement but a win’s still a win. The bottom line? The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s 18th straight victory was a little rough around the edges,…
Read MoreSHG clamps down defensively after first quarter, knocks West Hancock out of postseason
CAMP POINT, Ill. — The West Hancock girls basketball team opened Monday night’s Class 2A regional semifinal game with an impressive 16-point first quarter against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin. Unfortunately, the Titans only scored 16 more points the rest of the game. Sacred Heart-Griffin’s defense and a ball-control offense in the fourth quarter combined to eliminate…
Read MorePhoto gallery: CSE, SHG pick up Class 2A regional semifinal victories
CAMP POINT, Ill. — The top-seeded Central-Southeastern girls basketball team and fourth-seeded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin remained on a collision course as both won Class 2A regional semifinals Monday night at Central High School. The Panthers beat Pittsfield 51-28 and the Cyclones upended West Hancock 42-32. Freelance photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery from semifinal…
Read MoreChargers showcase ability to attack from every direction in beating Irish for regional crown
CANTON, Ill. — Dakota Lafferty found herself being a spectator as much as a coach Thursday night. Sparked by a booming Josie Bryan kill down the line for the first point of the match, the Illini West volleyball team used its energy and enthusiasm to overwhelm Peoria Notre Dame in a 25-17, 25-14 victory in…
Read MoreBombers finish third at regional, advance to sectional for fifth consecutive season
MONMOUTH, Ill. — Make it five in a row for the Macomb boys golf team. The Bombers advanced to sectionals for the fifth straight season, taking third Wednesday at the Class 2A Monmouth-Roseville Regional at Gibson Woods Golf Course. Macomb posted a 329 total, four strokes better than fourth-place Galesburg. Jacksonville won the regional championship…
Read MoreRaiders’ resiliency put to test in regional title game, Kindhart’s sac fly helps knock off Saukees
QUINCY — Each time the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team seemed poised for a big inning Saturday, something went haywire. Pittsfield right-hander Brennan Tomhave played a role in that. The Raiders’ overaggressiveness did, too. It finally took a simple approach in consecutive at-bats to generate enough offense to survive and advance. After the Raiders loaded…
Read MoreLike Schis and like that: QND right-hander refuses to give in, strikes out 13 in regional title victory
QUINCY — Given the lead for a second time in Saturday’s Class 2A regional championship game, Quincy Notre Dame right-hander Jake Schisler vowed he was not giving it up. “I think those might have been my exact words,” Schisler said. He had no plans to do it alone either. “I said to myself that I…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team survives regional title tussle with Pittsfield
QUINCY — Another chapter to the Quincy Notre Dame-Pittsfield rivalry was written Saturday as the Raiders survived the Saukees’ upset bid to win the Class 2A QND Regional championship with a 2-1 victory at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. QND’s Jake Schisler outdueled Pittsfield’s Brennan Tomhave, striking out 13 and setting down the side in…
Read MoreMomentum-swinging plays send Raiders home with regional title and another chance to play at The Backyard
CANTON, Ill. — Caitlin Bunte needed one pitch to erase a threat and one swing to start an onslaught. It all took place in a matter of minutes. “It’s what she’s done all year long. She made great adjustments in the circle and then comes up and hits a blast,” Quincy Notre Dame softball coach…
Read MoreBombers bomb away, hit four home runs in regional championship victory
MACOMB, Ill. — One swing is all Sarah Stufflebeam needed to set the tone. After Kaitlyn Robinson retired the Rushville-Industry softball team in order in the top of the first inning of Friday’s Class 2A Macomb Regional championship game, Stufflebeam cracked a two-run home run in the bottom of the frame and propelled Macomb to…
Read MoreMotivated Saukees ride Allen’s bulldogged pitching into regional title game
QUINCY — The Pittsfield baseball players didn’t understand it, nor did they appreciate it. A year ago, toting a 21-5 regular-season record, the Saukees were the No. 4 seed in their sub-sectional. This season, with a 25-4 regular-season record, they were relegated to being the No. 5 seed heading to the Class 2A Quincy Notre…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Pittsfield to renew longstanding rivalry in regional title game
QUINCY — A West Central Illinois rivalry gets a postseason chapter added to it Saturday. The Quincy Notre Dame and Pittsfield baseball teams advanced to the championship game of the Class 2A QND Regional by winning Wednesday’s semifinals and will square off at 11 a.m. Saturday in the title game at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial…
Read MoreHoyt delivers on cue as Raiders beat Titans to capture Class 2A regional championship
QUINCY — Jake Hoyt made sure the playful razzing he received ended with an exclamation point. At Friday’s pregame shootaround, the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coaches ran a set play for their senior point guard to shoot a 3-pointer and Hoyt missed the first attempt. “We teased him a little bit,” Raiders coach Kevin…
Read MoreRaiders’ size, experience takes over in second half, carries them into regional championship game
QUINCY — A combination of size and experience can carry a team. It’s what helped lift the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team to a sectional championship appearance a year ago. Wednesday night’s start to the postseason showed the Raiders are banking on it again. Senior post players Jake Wallingford and Alex Connoyer dominated on…
Read MoreTitans earn chance for revenge, dispatch Bombers in regional semifinals to get shot at Raiders
QUINCY — Eight nights ago, Gavin Grothaus walked off the floor at The Pit with a bitter taste in his mouth. “That one kind of hurt,” the West Hancock sophomore said of the Titans’ 17-point loss to Quincy Notre Dame on Valentine’s Day at The Pit. Grothaus made sure he wouldn’t feel the same disappointment…
Read MoreLoud and clear: Raiders feed off crowd’s energy to dispatch Chargers and win regional championship
QUINCY — The bouncy, boisterous, energetic way the Illini West volleyball team plays can be distracting or intimidating. Quincy Notre Dame combatted that with plenty of noise of its own. Buoyed by a sizable, vocal crowd, the Raiders maintained an even-keel approach throughout Thursday night’s Class 2A QND Regional championship match at The Pit to…
Read MoreBombers hope to continue trend taking them toward sectional volleyball championship
MONMOUTH, Ill. — Each season, the Macomb volleyball team has inched closer to being a sectional champion. Monday, the Bombers hope the trend continues. Macomb will carry its 32-3 record to the Class 2A Farmington Sectional, where it will face Sherrard in the semifinals following Thursday’s 25-12, 25-19 victory over Monmouth-Roseville in the Class 2A…
Read MoreEaton guides power-hitting QND to quick victory over Pittsfield in regional semifinals
QUINCY — Annie Eaton’s smile is infectious, but don’t let that nice-girl persona fool you. She’s the quiet assassin of the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team. And she relishes that role. “I like to control things out there,” Eaton said. “I like to run the offense.” The Raiders’ floor general was at her directorial best…
Read MoreYouthful, exuberant Chargers prepare to face Raiders for regional championship
QUINCY — If pressed, Dakota Lafferty will admit, at times, it is difficult not to look toward next season. Considering her Illini West volleyball team will play Quincy Notre Dame for a Class 2A QND Regional title Thursday, what’s the deal, Dakota? “We don’t have any seniors,” she said. “We start two freshmen, three sophomores…
Read MoreGold, Geisendorfer top regional field, lead QHS girls to sixth straight regional golf championship
PEORIA, Ill. — The kinship Sophia Gold and Saya Geisendorfer share made the idea of an on-course playoff for the regional championship between the Quincy High School golfers incredibly unappealing. So they asked if they could avoid it. Gold, a sophomore, and Geisendorfer, a senior, topped the field in the Class 2A Peoria Richwoods Regional…
Read More‘Nail-biting scenario’: QND boys golf team sweats out tense finish, advances to Class 2A sectionals
FORSYTH, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys golfers realized circumstances seemed bleak. “We didn’t have a hot front nine,” senior Colin Larson said following Wednesday’s Class 2A Maroa-Forsyth Regional at Hickory Point Golf Course. “We definitely did not start off strong. On or about the 12th or 13th hole, we were four shots back…
Read MoreWatson’s strong finish helps Macomb boys golf team secure regional championship
MACOMB, Ill. — The electronic scoring system the Illinois High School Association uses for postseason golf puts the leaderboard at everyone’s fingertips. That makes it tempting to peek at where the field stands. “When you have to put the scores in on your phone, it’s hard to stay away and not hit the leaderboard button,”…
Read MoreFirst-inning onslaught propels QND softball team to Class 2A regional championship
PETERSBURG, Ill. — Heading into her first regional championship, Quincy Notre Dame freshman pitcher Caitlin Bunte admittedly was jittery. “I was really nervous,” Bunte said. “I felt pretty confident, but there were some nerves.” After recording the first two outs of the top of the first inning — the first on an amazing catch by…
Read More