Schuckman: Trail cam pictures heighten anticipation for firearms deer season for young hunter

This trail cam image of a mature whitetail buck was captured on a 100-acre property in Adams County in mid-October. | Submitted photo

PLAINVILLE, Ill. — Once a week for the better part of three months, Charlie Smith and his 14-year-old son, Trent, rode 4-wheelers across their 100-acre Adams County property to collect the SD cards from three trail cams. When they downloaded the images, nothing really grabbed their attention. An occasional whitetail doe appeared, but mostly it…

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Postseason volleyball scoreboard

QUINCY — Here are the results and schedules for the Illinois High School Association prep volleyball regionals involving area teams: Class 4A  Collinsville Regional Tue., Oct. 29 Game 1 — No. 2 O’Fallon d. No. 6 Collinsville, 25-17, 25-9 Game 2 — No. 3 Quincy d. No. 5 Belleville East, 25-22, 25-13 Thu., Oct. 31 Game…

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Muddy Night Lights Week 9 prep football scoreboard

QUINCY — Here are the scores from teams and conferences throughout West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri from Week 9 of the prep football season: Western Big 6 Conference Quincy High School 42, Capital City 31 Moline 45, Sterling 31 United Township 40, Galesburg 14 Geneseo 34, Rock Island 13 Central State 8 Conference Quincy Notre…

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Muddy Night Lights Scoreboard for Week 6

QUINCY — Here is a look at the Friday night scores from prep football games impacting the conference standings for teams throughout the Muddy River Sports coverage area: Western Big 6 Conference Quincy High School 45, Galesburg 0 (Thursday game) Moline 56, Harvey Thornton 3 (Thursday game) Sterling 13, Geneseo 6 United Township 34, Rock…

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Game Night Guide: Crucial conference showdowns highlight Week 6

Hannibal defensive end Jarren Landis and the Pirates head to Kirksville's Spainhower Field on Friday for a key North Central Missouri Conference matchup in Kirksville, Mo. | Mathew Kirby photo

QUINCY — Week 6 got a jumpstart with a pair of lopsided Thursday night affairs with the Quincy High School football team blasting Galesburg 45-0 and Brown County flattening Beardstown 57-0. The rest of the weekend provides critical showdowns in the North Central Missouri Conference, the Clarence Cannon Conference and the Western Illinois Valley Conference…

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Game Night Guide: Week 5 will start to separate playoff contenders from pretenders

The Hannibal football team returns to Porter Stadium on Friday night for the first time since the season opener and will face Mexico in a North Central Missouri Conference clash. | Shane Hulsey photo

QUINCY — Week 5 of the prep football season could be the end of the road for some team’s playoff aspirations or a renewed hope of extending their season. Here’s what to look forward to this Friday night, and remember to join us for Muddy Night Lights at 10 p.m.: Friday’s games United Township (2-2)…

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Muddy Night Lights, Episode 4: Record-breaking moments and historic victories highlight night

QUINCY — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman and a series of guests spent two hours Friday night talking high school football for this week’s episode of Muddy Night Lights, powered by Farm & Home Supply. Several area coaches — Camp Point Central’s Brad Dixon, Macomb’s Tanner Horrell, Quincy High School’s Rick Little, South Shelby’s…

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Muddy Night Lights Scoreboard for Week 4 of prep football season

QUINCY — Here is a look at conference scores from Week 4 of the prep football season throughout West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri: Western Big 6 Conference Quincy High School 43, Moline 21 United Township 35, Geneseo 16 Sterling 40, Galesburg 3 Bradley-Bourbonnais 49, Rock Island 14 Central State 8 Conference Quincy Notre Dame 37,…

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Muddy Night Lights Scoreboard for Week 2

QUINCY — Here is a rundown of the prep football scores from our area in Week 2: Quincy High School 42, Alton 13 Quincy Notre Dame 22, Richmond-Burton 10 Hannibal 57, Lutheran St. Charles 8 Calhoun 14, Camp Point Central 13 Greenfield-NW 36, Unity-Payson 12 Winchester West Central 10, Brown County 8 Elmwood-Brimfield 42, Illini…

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Game Night Guide: Week 2 features home openers and playoff-caliber matchups

The Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame football teams opened the season last Friday night with the backdrop of the setting sun. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Week 2 of the prep football scene should offer some insight into who is going to be a playoff contender and who has work to do to make it to the postseason. And join Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman for Muddy Night Lights, airing live at 10 p.m. Friday night. Alton (0-1)…

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Schuckman: Start of squirrel season allows grandfather, grandson time to bond

Squirrel hunting season in Illinois opened August 1 and runs until Feb. 15, 2025. | Photo courtesy Illinois Department of Natural Resouces

QUINCY — Most mornings, Bill Stitchcomb wakes to his labrador retriever, Gus, pawing at the side of the bed or the smell of percolating coffee now that he has learned how to set the coffee maker to kick on automatically at 6:30 a.m. “My grandkids bought me the new coffee pot for Christmas,” he said.…

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Photo gallery: All-Stars enjoy time to shine during Missouri vs. Illinois baseball game

Hannibal's Ryan Ross goes through the line during introductions prior to Saturday's 10th annual Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game. | Shane Hulsey photo

HANNIBAL, Mo. — A number of the top prep baseball players from this region were able to represent their high school and their community one final time Saturday night during the 10th annual Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game at the Veterans Sports Complex in Hannibal, Mo. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was there and…

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2024 all-area baseball team: League leaders and record-setting numbers define success

Hannibal shortstop Kane Wilson connects for a hit against Moberly during a North Central Missouri Conference game at the Veterans Sports Complex in Hannibal, Mo. | Mathew Kirby photo

QUINCY — League-leading hitters, dominant pitching performances and record-setting run producers helped define success throughout the prep baseball season. Here is a look at the 2024 Muddy River Sports all-area baseball team: Owen Rigg, Catcher, Senior, Southeastern Rigg was selected to play in the 47th annual Illinois Coaches Association All-Star Baseball Game at Hornberger Field…

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2024 Illinois all-area softball team: Mix of speed and power leads to incredible success

Pleasant Hill junior outfielder Ava Wombles led the area with a .570 batting average this spring and headlines the 2024 Muddy River Sports all-area softball team. | Shane Hulsey photo

QUINCY — Speed and power. It could be used to describe both the offensive aptitude of the players comprising the all-area softball team and the ability of those in the pitcher’s circle. Of the 15 players selected, 10 hit .400 or better and two hit .500 or better. The pitchers were just as dominant as…

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Fohey delivers perfect Father’s Day gift by joining her dad as all-star basketball game MVPs

Illinois MVP Taylor Fohey, left, shares a laugh with her high school coach, Quincy's Brad Dance, during the fourth quarter of Saturday's third annual Muddy River Showcase at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Like father, like daughter. Taylor Fohey scored 25 points and grabbed 19 rebounds Saturday afternoon to power the Illinois girls to a 78-43 victory over Missouri in the third annual Muddy River Showcase at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Dominating inside on both ends of the floor, the 6-foot Quincy High…

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Photo gallery: Illinois girls power way to victory in third annual Muddy River Showcase

Illinois defenders Allison Icenogle, left, and Leah Chevalier, right, trap Missouri's Madi Gares during the second half of Saturday's third annual Muddy River Showcase at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The Illinois all-stars used their size and strength to control the lane and pace of play in Saturday’s third annual Muddy River Showcase, letting Quincy High School forward Taylor Fohey’s 25-point, 19-rebound effort guide them to a 78-43 victory Saturday at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…

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Photo gallery: Relentless defense propels Land of Lincoln boys to victory in Muddy River Showcase

Illinois forward Melvin McMillen, left, gets pressured by Missouri's Chance Rainey during Saturday's third annual Muddy River Showcase at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Despite their struggles offensively in the first 16 minutes of Saturday’s third annual Muddy River Showcase, the Illinois boys all-stars got rolling behind an aggressive defense and parlayed it into a 92-70 victory over Missouri at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the day on…

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Illinois girls roster for Muddy River Showcase full of grit, toughness and winners

Quincy High School's Leila Dade, right, will be joined by teammate Taylor Fohey, center, on the Illinois all-star roster for the Muddy River Showcase, taking place June 15 at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Tough. It is the first word that comes to mind scanning the roster of the Illinois girls team for the upcoming Muddy River Showcase. From Brilyn Lantz’s scrappiness that propelled Central-Southeastern to a Class 2A super-sectional berth last winter to Taylor Fohey’s willingness to battle on the block in guiding Quincy High to…

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Crim: Britton turns high school hoops passion into information superhighway for fans

This is Aaron Britton's most recent Class 4A state poll, which he compiles using a mathematical formula that involves winning percentages, quality of wins and losses and strength of schedule.

QUINCY — Aaron Britton fell in love with basketball growing up on a dairy farm in southern Illinois. He remembers watching tape-delayed television broadcasts of University of Kentucky games in the 1990s when Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith were guiding the Wildcats to national championships. He was a member of the Mounds Meridian High School…

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Hawks show grit, moxie in exhibition loss to Illini

Quincy University guard Jamaurie Coakley, left, puts up a shot against Illinois forward Matthew Mayer during Friday night's exhibition game at State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. | Photo courtesy Robin Scholz, Champaign News-Gazette

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Steve Hawkins wasn’t shy about what he hoped to accomplish by traveling to State Farm Center for an exhibition game against the No. 23 University of Illinois men’s basketball team. “A lot,” said Hawkins, embarking on his second stint as the head coach at Quincy University. “It’s going to be beneficial on…

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Muddy River Showcase: Illini West girls’ record-setting season comes complete with all-stars

Illini West girls basketball coach Grant Surprenant, squatting, will lead the Illinois all-stars in the inaugural Muddy River Showcase. Matt Schuckman photo

The inaugural Muddy River Showcase is taking place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Illinois vs. Missouri format for senior prep basketball players will feature a girls game at 3 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and all seating is general…

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Muddy River Showcase: Players with postseason pedigree dot Illinois boys all-star roster

Four of the members of the Liberty state runner-up boys basketball team, including on the right Logan Robbins and Devin Klauser, will represent Illinois in the inaugural Muddy River Showcase. Photo courtesy Clark Brooks, PhotoNews Media

The inaugural Muddy River Showcase is taking place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Illinois vs. Missouri format for senior prep basketball players will feature a girls game at 3 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and all seating is general…

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Muddy River Showcase to bring back Illinois vs. Missouri all-star basketball games

QUINCY — Brad Hoyt remembers fondly going head-to-head with players from the opposite side of the Mississippi River in a summer all-star basketball game while creating long-lasting relationships with rivals he played against during the regular season. “There are stories from that game that we still share,” Hoyt said. And it’s been almost 30 years…

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Illinois boys basketball state rankings: Liberty is lone area team in top 10

Logan Robbins and the Liberty boys basketball team are ranked seventh in the first Class 1A state poll of 2022. Matt Schuckman photo

Here are the state rankings of Illinois high school boys basketball teams in each class for Jan. 5, 2022, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Glen Ellyn Glenbard West (10) 14-0 100 1 2. Chicago Kenwood 12-2 87 3 3. Glenview Glenbrook South 13-1 72 T4…

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