Illini West High School
QUINCY — Abram Wiewel’s Tuesday couldn’t have gone much better. Not only did the recent Quincy Notre Dame graduate catch a foul ball while attending a game at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., but he became the third QND baseball player in the past four years named to the Illinois High School Baseball…
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The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase takes place June 21 at John WoodCommunity College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game will tip at 2 p.m.with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. General admission is $10. CARTHAGE, Ill. — Reagan Reed had her college plans set. Then came a curveball. John Wood Community College…
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MACOMB, Ill. — The Macomb baseball team figured out how to wriggle out of a pair late-inning jams to maintain its lead and keep its season alive with a 5-2 victory over Illini West in the Wednesday’s semifinals of the Class 2A Macomb Regional at Phil Bradley Field. The fifth-seeded Bombers will face top-seeded Eureka…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — The Illini West baseball team is getting used to battling until the end. Thursday’s 6-5 victory in 11 innings over Jacksonville Routt at Jake Burling Field marked the second straight day the Chargers won a game in their last at-bat and the second time this week they’ve played extra innings. This time,…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — The Illini West baseball team got back to its winning ways on Tuesday, and a big third inning was the catalyst in doing so. Trailing Beardstown 4-3 entering the bottom of the third, the Chargers cashed in six runs to take a 9-4 lead and never looked back, tacking on five more…
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LEWISTOWN, Ill. — The Illini West baseball team had its chances to push across the go-ahead run in extra innings Monday. After the Chargers failed to do so, Lewistown took advantage. The Indians loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 13th inning and used Brett Pasley’s sacrifice fly to score the…
Read Full Article CARTHAGE, Ill. — One big outburst was enough to carry the Macomb baseball team to victory. The Bombers trailed Illini West 2-0 in Saturday’s game at Jake Burling Field before erupting for six runs in the third inning. The Chargers scored twice in the sixth inning and got the leadoff hitter on base in the…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — With the tying runs in scoring position and no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday, Izzy Weppler showed her moxie. The Quincy High School softball team’s left-handed sophomore hurler left both runners stranded as she struck out two of the final three batters to preserve a 5-3 victory over…
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PAYSON, Ill. — Megan Kirby shined at the plate and Bryn Buescher starred in the pitcher’s circle for the Payson Seymour softball team on Tuesday. Kirby hit two home runs, and Buescher tossed a four-hit shutout in a 4-0 victory over Illini West. Buescher, a senior right-hander, completed all seven innings on just 66 pitches,…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Illini West baseball team’s lineup has no easy outs, and Monday’s game against Pittsfield provided the most recent evidence. The bottom three in the Chargers’ order — Ethan Carlisle, Carson Purdy and Grady Blue — went a combined 8 for 10 with five RBIs and scored four runs in a 10-4…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Illini West senior catcher Shawn Watkins Jr.’s home plate collision with Quincy Notre Dame’s Oliver Triplett did not faze him. Watkins, a two-time state qualifying wrestler, welcomed the physicality. “It’s not the first one of the year, and it probably won’t be the last one,” Watkins said. “I feel like wrestling toughens…
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Illini West starting pitcher Ethan Carlisle carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning of Friday’s baseball game against Quincy Notre Dame, which the Chargers eventually won 10-2. Carlisle gave up just one baserunner before Bradi Lahr’s single leading off the fifth. Carlisle exited after five innings after striking out six and walking just one on…
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CANTON, Mo. — Preston Brewer continues to show that his prowess on the prep sports scene is not limited to the basketball court. The 6-foot-8 senior right-hander struck out eight and did not give up an earned run in 6 ⅔ innings as the Canton baseball team stymied Illini West 6-1 on Tuesday. Brewer reached…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Illini West baseball team was up to the challenge, helping Chargers coach Zack Burling exact 15 years worth of revenge in the process. In the first game of Saturday’s triangular, Illini West defeated Pleasant Plains, the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2A according to MaxPreps, 3-1. “They emailed us Tuesday…
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QUINCY — Saturday’s Quincy High School track and field invitational at Flinn Stadium featured a photo finish, dominant team performances and several personal records. The Quincy boys and girls teams took home team titles by 55.5 and 151.5 points, respectively. Macomb’s Kylan McMillen and Camp Point Central’s Curtis Rigg provided the closest race of the…
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QUINCY — Four teams provided a day full of action at Saturday’s Quincy Notre Dame Softball Slam at The Backyard. The finale provided plenty of drama with QND squeaking out a 1-0 victory over Hardin Calhoun. Here is a recap of the three games preceding that showdown: Archer’s timely hits give Indians lift Corin Robinson…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Nick Bruns did not think his first career walk-off hit was meant to be. “I thought it was foul off the bat,” Bruns said. Stephen Sparks initially believed the same thing. “I thought it was definitely foul,” Sparks said. Thankfully for Bruns, Sparks and the Illini West baseball team, those inclinations were…
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PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The slight fadeaway. The tired legs from playing every minute of the game. Any number of factors could have contributed to the shot coming up just short. While the outcome was not what Tre Neiderman or the Illini West boys basketball team wanted, Neiderman accepted the result. “The fact that the last…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Twenty-two. Tre Neiderman and the Illini West boys basketball players have had that magic number in their sights since setting a goal during summer workouts to eclipse the program’s single-season record for victories. “We knew that we could get it,” Neiderman said. Now the Chargers have it. With a 57-40 victory over…
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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…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — The stage is set for the Class 2A Illini West Regional championship as top-seeded Central-Southeastern advanced with a 49-34 victory over Illini West on Tuesday, while fourth-seeded Petersburg PORTA moved on with a 47-31 victory over West Hancock. The regional championship will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at Illini West High…
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CLINTON, Ill. — Ryan Darnell and Shawn Watkins Jr. will end their prep wrestling careers on the state’s biggest stage. It took some tenacity and resilience to get there. Darnell, the Quincy Notre Dame senior wrestling at 215 pounds, finished as the runner-up in the Class 1A Clinton Sectional, pinning his first two opponents before…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — It all started with a piece of paper. Shawn Watkins Sr. will never forget the day his then 5-year-old son, Shawn Watkins Jr., returned home from Dallas City Elementary School with a flyer advertising the Little Chargers wrestling club — a youth wrestling organization in Carthage — and showed it to his…
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QUINCY — The Quincy High School wrestling team qualified six grapplers for sectionals, while Quincy Notre Dame will be sending five wrestlers forward after top-three finishes Saturday as the postseason got started with regional action. Overall, five area wrestlers won individual regional titles and 24 advanced to sectionals. The Blue Devils, competing in the Class…
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QUINCY — With a chance to leave zero doubt, the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team instead gave its opponent a slither of hope. It nearly erased the best stretch of basketball the Raiders had played in quite some time. “We got complacent,” Raiders junior forward Jackson Connoyer said. “Took our foot off the gas.”…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team scored eight of the game’s first 10 points Tuesday night and never trailed in a 61-48 victory over Illini West at The Pit. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman sat courtside and put together this photo gallery:
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QUINCY — Fresh off a much-needed four-day break following an 11-day gauntlet that saw it face five state-ranked teams, the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team was eager to get off to a good start Thursday night against Illini West. A little too eager, as it turned out. “We didn’t start out the best,” admitted…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Monmouth-Roseville girls basketball coach Scott Weber knew how dangerous Reagan Reed — Illini West’s career points leader — would be. It was a matter of stopping everyone else. “Reed is going to get her points,” Weber said. “She’s a really good player who knows how to score. We knew she would get…
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WARSAW, Ill. — Hunter Froman did not mince any words. “We thought it was going to be a cakewalk,” said the 6-foot-3 West Hancock sophomore, who was openly relieved once his club had managed to escape Saturday night with a hard-earned victory. West Hancock’s 47-39 win over Illini West in the game that decided the…
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WARSAW, Ill. — Nothing has changed in the past week. Saturday night’s matchup between the Illini West and West Hancock boys basketball teams will decide the championship of the 104th Hancock County Invitational Tournament at Warsaw High School. From the start, that was the most anticipated pairing of the week-long, round-robin event. Both schools won…
Read Full Article WARSAW, Ill. — The Illini West boys basketball team was missing its leading scorer and rebounder Tuesday night, but did not miss a beat. The Chargers kept their record spotless in the 104th Hancock County Tournament, turning back West Prairie 61-42 at Warsaw High School. Wesley Robertson, a 6-foot-1 junior guard averaging team highs of…
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MACOMB, Ill. — It was only fitting that Ethan Carlisle stepped to the free-throw line in the final seconds of overtime and put the finishing touches on a fifth-place finish for the Illini West boys basketball team at the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. His heroics at the end of regulation were the reason the Chargers were…
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MACOMB, Ill. — As the shots kept falling, all Tre Niederman could do was tip his cap. “There’s really nothing you can do when they don’t miss,” said Niederman, a senior guard on the Illini West boys basketball team. Rockridge put on a shooting clinic in the third quarter of Friday’s second round matchup with…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Lexi Niekamp has only played eight games for the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team, but the freshman guard already understands the Panthers’ standard. Niekamp also knew that despite leading 27-13 at halftime against Illini West on Monday, the Panthers did not meet that standard for a significant portion of that first half,…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball team, ranked ninth in the Class 2A state poll, outscored Illini West 21-6 in the third quarter and pulled away for a 55-27 victory Monday night in the Central old gym. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was on hand and put together this photo gallery:
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QUINCY — The first round of the Illinois High School Association football playoffs provides lengthy road trips, rematches and the start of title defenses. Six area teams qualified for the postseason with four earning first-round home games. Here is a look at each of the six games on top for Muddy River Sports area schools.…
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WARSAW, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team has already cleared a hurdle it couldn’t get over last season, but their quest for the ultimate prize is far from over. The Raiders swept Illini West 25-16, 25-11 in Thursday’s Class 2A Warsaw Regional championship. “This is another step in the journey,” Raiders coach Danielle…
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WARSAW, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team keeps rolling. The top-seeded Raiders advanced to the Class 2A Riverton Sectional by dispatching Illini West 25-16, 25-11 in Thursday’s Warsaw Regional championship match. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and put together this photo gallery:
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Chargers take advantage of good fortune to close out regional semifinal, create matchup with Raiders
WARSAW, Ill. — As AJ Cook’s serve took what seemed like an eternity to creep over the net, the Illini West volleyball team held its collective breath. “I was just praying that it would hit,” Cook said. Cook was tasked with a pivotal serve in the second set of Tuesday’s Class 2A Warsaw Regional semifinal…
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To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. WARSAW, Ill. — The seeds held true. The top-seeded Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team raced past seventh-seeded Monmouth-Roseville 25-6, 25-15, while fourth-seeded Illini West outlasted fifth-seeded Knoxville 25-21, 25-21 during Tuesday’s semifinals of the Class 2A Warsaw Regional.…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Brian Hendrian has come to learn one bad day for the Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team rarely if ever devolves into two. That’s why the QND coach believed the Raiders could erase a 12-stroke deficit and play themselves into contention for a top-three finish on the second day of the Class…
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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Beau Eftink’s state title pursuit and the Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team’s trophy dash both will need a charge Saturday. Eftink, the QND junior who finished second individually a year ago, finds himself tied for fifth in the Class 1A state tournament following Friday’s opening round at Prairie Vista Golf Course.…
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HAMILTON, Ill. — Friday was a light day in weight training class for Illini West senior wide receiver and defensive back Tre Niederman, but his thoughts weighed heavily on him. As Niederman walked the track at Fuzz Berges Field during that class — Illini West football assistant coach Michael Lafferty, who teaches the class, was…
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QUINCY — Why wait to be great? Throughout the prep golf season, with the Quincy Notre Dame and Illini West boys golf teams battling for supremacy and the QND girls team consistently showcasing its depth, comments regarding each team’s youthful lineup focused on the future instead of the present. One of the more common refrains…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Saturday was exhausting. Monday was relieving. After the Hannibal volleyball team played five matches in a nine-hour span at Saturday’s Quincy High School Invitational, a three-set victory in a match that took a little more than an hour was just what the doctor ordered 48 hours later. The Pirates made quick work…
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QUINCY — Olliver Hendrian never expected his tee shot on the par-3 second hole at Spring Lake Country Club to wind up 15 or so yards behind the green. “Apparently I have too much muscle,” the Quincy Notre Dame sophomore golfer said with a sarcastic sideways grin. “I have to stop going to the gym.”…
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To purchase digital downloads of prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team took advantage of playing at home. The Raiders had four players shoot 77 or better Monday at Spring Lake Country Club, leading to a 296 total and the championship…
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HAMILTON, Ill. — The Illini West boys golf team won three consecutive Class 1A regional championships from 2020 to 2022, only to have Quincy Notre Dame throw up a roadblock with a 23-stroke victory last fall. That made winning Wednesday’s Class 1A Hamilton Regional at Deer Run Golf Course extra satisfying. “It’s definitely a big…
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'It's good to go out with a bang': QND's Eversman steady on back nine to win Class 1A regional title
HAMILTON, Ill. — Maybe Meredith Eversman found the magic elixir to evening out a topsy-turvy round of golf. Switch your balls. Having posted a 7-over 43 on the front nine Tuesday at Deer Run Golf Course, the Quincy Notre Dame senior pulled a different sleeve of balls from her bag when she went to the…
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QUINCY — Madalyn Boyer’s trepidation made sense. “I was nervous about it all day,” she said. Danielle White could relate. “It was a little emotional for me,” she said. When your hometown team becomes your nemesis for one night, it’s challenging. Boyer, a senior middle hitter on the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team, and White,…
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QUINCY — Kourtney Keck wasn’t aware how close she was to a career milestone until the public address announcer mentioned it prior to announcing the lineups for Thursday night’s volleyball match at The Pit. “I had no idea,” the Quincy Notre Dame senior libero said. She needed only two digs to reach 500 for her…
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To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame and Illini West volleyball teams, with a combined xx-xx record prior to Thursday night, went head-to-head at The Pit. The Raiders’ energy remained infectious and limitless in a 25-14, 25-15 victory. Muddy…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Even though the Macomb volleyball team won the first set of its Prairieland Conference match Tuesday against Illini West, Bombers coach Briana Rexroat knew they could play a cleaner second set. The Bombers committed 11 combined service and hitting errors in the first set, and Rexroat gave her team a benchmark to…
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Schuckman: Prep football teams lining up to chase playoff bids at crucial juncture of regular season
QUINCY — It takes five. To be considered for one of the 256 high school football teams to qualify for a postseason berth in Illinois, five victories are needed. Six wins guarantees a spot. Seven likely gets a favorable draw. Eight almost always results in a first-round home game. And nine means you’re perfect and…
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AUGUSTA, Ill. — Amanda Stephens knows the Southeastern volleyball team has bigger fish to fry, but that doesn’t diminish the excitement of winning a tournament on their home floor. “This is only the beginning,” Stephens said. Southeastern went 5-0 and didn’t lose a set en route to a Lady Suns Classic title. The Suns swept…
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AUGUSTA, Ill. — Kennedy Gunning’s reaction said it all. In a rematch of a three-set roller coaster that took place just nine days ago, Gunning delivered the game-winning kill for the Illini West volleyball team in a 20-25, 25-18, 15-11 victory over Camp Point Central in Lady Suns Classic pool play Thursday. Her subsequent celebration…
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Bombers sweep way to championship MACOMB, Ill. — The Macomb volleyball team rolled to the championship of its own tournament, capturing five consecutive matches in straight sets. The Bombers went 3-0 in pool play, beating Monmouth United 26-24, 25-14, Geneseo 25-16, 25-19 and Kewanee Wethersfield 25-11, 25-21. In the semifinals, Macomb beat Bartonville Limestone 25-23,…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Volleyball is often a game of momentum, but in Claire Huston’s eyes, the pivotal moment in Tuesday’s match between Camp Point Central and Illini West didn’t happen in the flow of play. After the Panthers cruised to a 25-18 first set victory, the Chargers punched back with a commanding 25-12 effort in…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — The moment hit Sawyer Johnson as soon as she stepped into the gymnasium at Illini West High School on Tuesday. She was about to coach her first-ever high school volleyball game. “It was crazy,” Johnson said. “Stepping into that varsity game, seeing everybody and seeing the girls, it was like ‘OK, this…
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Coverage of the Illini West football program brought to you by: CARTHAGE, Ill. — The desire to return to the playoffs and bring postseason action back to Fuzz Berges Field is driving the Illini West football players this fall. Chargers quarterback Max Kinnamon joined Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman to discuss how the Chargers…
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Coverage of the Illini West football program brought to you by: CARTHAGE, Ill. — The Illini West football program is stuck in the middle, and Chargers coach Jacob Calvin senses the urgency to change that. “These kids are tired of it,” Calvin said. The Chargers head into this season looking to snap a playoff drought…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Four months ago, Sawyer Johnson was finishing up her animal science degree at Iowa State University. Now, she is the head coach of an Illini West volleyball team that won a regional championship and set a school record with 35 victories in 2023. “It’s been a challenging step for sure, but we’re…
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Chargers win Pittsfield Invitational PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Illini West boys golf team won the Pittsfield Invitational on Saturday by shooting a 325 at Old Orchard Country Club. Pittsfield took second with a 327. Rushville-Industry was third at 332. Chargers senior Nick Bruns finished second individually with a 76, while freshman Bryson Grotts took sixth…
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QUINCY — If the scores from Thursday’s season-opening D.A. Weibring Invitational are any indication, the area boys golf scene is going to be highly competitive for years to come. Three sophomores and a freshman claimed four of the top five individual spots and a pair of freshmen posted scores that helped Illini West capture the…
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QUINCY — The flag officially dropped Thursday on the start of the high school sports season. The traditional boys golf lidlifter — the D.A. Weibring Invitational — took place at Westview Golf Course with Illini West winning the team title with a 322 total and Pittsfield sophomore Isaac McGlauchlen taking individual medalist honors with an…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Like millions of other football fans, Roan Jackson anxiously awaited a new college football video game. “I had a PlayStation 3 and I played NCAA Football 14 for the last five years,” Jackson said. “One of my friends had NCAA 14, and that’s how I started playing. I got it for my…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — If the best is yet to come, Wesley Robertson will rewrite the Illini West baseball program’s entire record book. What he did during his sophomore campaign was pretty impressive as a starting point. The third baseman set the Chargers’ single-season record for RBIs, driving in 50 runs as Illini West went 28-5…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — A record-setting season earned Wesley Robertson an all-state accolade. The Illini West sophomore third baseman/pitcher was one of 24 players named to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A all-state team and one of just two sophomores to make the list. The IHSBCA names only one all-state team per class.…
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PALMYRA, Mo. — Illini West’s Ian Bentzinger and Liberty’s Keegan Sunde spent all season as rivals. On Friday, they were teammates, and they made sure to have some fun. During the Illinois/Missouri Senior All-Star Track Meet at Palmyra High School, the state-qualifying sprinters made up the first two legs of the Illinois boys 4×100 meter…
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CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — Jack Livengood did what no one else could. The Peoria Notre Dame junior right-hander quieted the Illini West baseball team’s attack. Livengood retired the Chargers in order the first time through the lineup, didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and authored a three-hit shutout in Saturday’s Class 2A Chillicothe IVC…
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CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — Sometimes putting the ball in play is enough to get the job done. The Illini West baseball players took that approach to heart. The Chargers continually applied pressure to Rockridge’s defense during Wednesday’s Class 2A Chillicothe IVC Sectional semifinal, using a mix of hard ground balls, solid liners and strategically timed bunts…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Ethan Carlisle is only a sophomore, but he had the composure of a veteran on Saturday. Carlisle tossed six shutout innings as the Illini West baseball team defeated Macomb 5-0 to capture the Class 2A Illini West Regional title at Jake Burling Field. Carlisle’s poise was put to the test in the…
Read Full Article TREMONT, Ill. — The Illini West softball team’s start against Tremont on Saturday was everything the Chargers could have asked for, but a seven-run fourth inning led to a 9-7 victory for the Turks in the Class 2A Tremont Regional championship game. The Chargers scored five runs in the top of the second. Payton Downs…
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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.…
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FARMINGTON, Ill. — Ian Bentzinger is sprinting his way toward a shot at a state championship, and the Illini West senior will have four chances at that. Bentzinger qualified for the Class 1A state track and field championships in four events during Wednesday’s Farmington Sectional, winning both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and running a…
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GENESEO, Ill. — The Quincy High School boys tennis team made its lead last at the Western Big 6 Conference championships despite the continued dominance of Rock Island Alleman junior Nick Patrick. The Blue Devils placed two singles players in top four and the doubles tandem of Anderson Knapp and Jason Derian finished third, giving…
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QUINCY — The seniors on the Quincy Notre Dame softball team celebrated Senior Night before Friday’s victory against Camp Point Central, but Saturday was their final game at The Backyard. That’s what made it such a bittersweet day. “It’s just a memory I’ll hold forever,” senior outfielder Marah Becks said. “This is just a place…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Ian Bentzinger sees his motivation staring back at him every day. The Illini West senior sprinter currently holds the fifth fastest time in the 100-meter dash in Class 1A across the state with his school-record 10.82 seconds, which he ran at the Lee Calhoun Invitational on April 5 in Macomb. At the…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Waiting a couple of extra days to be able to run, jump and throw under sunny skies brought out the best in many of the area’s top track and field athletes. The Mark Twain/Becky Thatcher Relays were moved to Tuesday at Porter Stadium after last Friday’s deluge made it impossible to compete.…
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QUINCY — On the first pitch Ethan Rose saw, he knew he shouldn’t swing. On the second pitch, he knew he couldn’t pass. He made the right call on both. With one out in the bottom of the second inning Friday and runners on second and third after Gavin Doellman’s double, Rose jumped on a…
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QUINCY — Four pitchers — two each from the Quincy Notre Dame and Illini West baseball teams — combine to strike out 14 batters and allow just five hits during Friday night’s showdown at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. The Raiders won 4-2 on the strength of Ethan Rose’s three-run home run and Evan Kenning’s…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Dakota Lafferty’s investment in her players, her program and her sport is nearly impossible to match. Finding someone who can is the challenge the Illini West administration faces. Illini West athletic director Grant Surprenant confirmed Lafferty submitted her resignation Tuesday night and the players were informed of the decision Wednesday afternoon. Lafferty…
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Blue Devils able to overcome Chargers' success in sprint events to win Quincy Invitational boys meet
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys track team’s strength in the distance events and overall depth enabled it to overcome Illini West’s sprinters and win the team title at the 73rd Quincy Invitational on Saturday at Flinn Stadium. The Blue Devils’ Cameron MacDonough won the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 6.59 seconds and Thomas…
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QUINCY — Lauren Miller’s ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her Central-Southeastern girls basketball teammates elevated her game to that of a first-team all-stater. The 5-foot-10 junior forward was named to the Class 2A all-state first team by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, one of three CSE players to be honored by the…
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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…
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WARSAW, Ill. — A pair of Hancock County rivals made their third meeting of the season a memorable one. The West Hancock boys basketball team outlasted Illini West 44-39 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Warsaw Regional on Wednesday night. It gave the Titans a 2-1 edge in the season series. MRN Editor David…
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QUINCY — The Illinois state wrestling tournament begins at noon Thursday with five area wrestlers having qualified to grapple at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign. Wednesday, they had the opportunity to visit the Illini wrestling facility in Huff Hall, get a workout in and prepare for the pursuit of…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — In the eyes of Aden Genenbacher and Noah Lunt, it’s time to start focusing on the postseason. Following the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team’s 51-41 victory Tuesday night over Illini West, both Genenbacher and Lunt were looking into the not-too-distant future. “We’d like to put together a run before the postseason…
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — A slow start didn’t translate to a sluggish finish for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team. Defense turned everything around. Trailing Illini West 9-7 at the end of the first quarter Thursday night, the state-ranked Raiders shut out the Chargers in the second quarter, then scored 23 points in the third…
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CAMP POINT, Ill. — Brilyn Lantz preferred to look at the big picture following the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team’s 48-38 victory over Illini West. Sure, she posted team highs of 19 points and five rebounds Thursday night during the final game of pool play in the 31st CSE Classic, but she was most concerned with…
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QUINCY — The Rumble on the River rumbled on Saturday with eight games being played at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was there for half of the slate and put together this photo gallery:
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CARTHAGE, Ill. — Karly Peters did not offer any excuses. Nor did she try to sugarcoat the first-half performance turned in by the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team. “We weren’t working hard enough on defense in the first half, but we kind of locked it down in the second half,” said Peters, a 5-foot-9 junior. That…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — A record-setting season needed one final rally. The Pleasant Plains volleyball team didn’t let that happen. Illini West led the second set of Wednesday night’s Class 2A sectional championship game 13-12 and was in the process of overcoming losing the first set, just as it had in Monday’s semifinal victory over…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Only four times in 37 matches leading up to Monday night’s Class 2A sectional semifinals had the Illini West volleyball team engaged in a three-set marathon. And only once had the Chargers won. “I was kind of worried about that,” Illini West coach Dakota Lafferty said. So when the Chargers lost…
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PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — Madalyn Boyer said every play gives the Illini West volleyball team confidence, and throughout Monday night’s Class 2A sectional semifinal against Petersburg PORTA — especially the final two sets — confidence grew. The Chargers outlasted the Bluejays 22-25, 25-21, 25-18 to advance to the sectional title match against Pleasant Plains at…
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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…
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AUBURN, Ill. — As the Quincy Notre Dame boys golfers made the turn Monday, the situation seemed pretty cut and dry. Beat Bloomington Central Catholic head-to-head and win a sectional championship. Raiders coach Brian Hendrian didn’t shy away from telling his golfers that. “We went out there and played it like a Ryder Cup format…
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QUINCY — The number of strokes Beau Eftink needed to get up and down from behind the 18th green was going to determine just how pleased he would be with his final score. The moment he hit his chip shot from above the green’s collar, the Quincy Notre Dame sophomore golfer felt a twinge of…
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QUINCY — Beau Eftink went low, the Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team took advantage of playing on its home course and three teams that had been in the mix all season advanced to the Class 1A Auburn Sectional at Edgewood Golf Course. It turned out to be a remarkable day at Westview Golf Course.…
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QUINCY — The postseason is nigh, and it could be an eventful one on the links. Here are five things to keep in mind as regional play for Illinois boys begins Wednesday and girls Thursday and district play for Missouri girls tees off next week: Minor success, major results for Pirates The growth of the…
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