Posts Tagged ‘Illinois High School Association’
IHSA Board of Directors to implement one-year enrollment classification cycle
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors took the first step in addressing concerns over enrollment classifications that came to the forefront following the state football championships. During its monthly meeting Monday, the board decided to implement a one-year enrollment classification cycle beginning with the 2025-26 school year. The IHSA will…
Read MoreSchuckman: ‘Broken’ IHSA system needs fixing, but finding right solution remains hardest part
QUINCY — The final word of a social media post made last Friday by Chicago Sun-Times high school sports reporter Michael O’Brien sparked debate and had a number of people conjuring up solutions. O’Brien called the Illinois High School Association football playoff system “broken.” The results of the eight state championship games seems to suggest…
Read MoreInside the IHSA playoffs: Brackets for all eight classes of Illinois prep football
IHSA alters basketball state tournament schedule, coaches praise change
QUINCY — The experience. Until Monday, this was the main concern surrounding the IHSA state basketball tournament schedule. Now, that concern is a thing of the past. At Monday’s monthly meeting in Bloomington, Ill., the IHSA Board of Directors approved a recommendation for a new state finals schedule that will ensure a two-day experience for…
Read MoreShot clock is coming to Illinois prep basketball in 2026-27 season, but coaches remain divided on its need
QUINCY — The future implementation of the shot clock in Illinois high school basketball has coaches conflicted over how the game will look and operate, especially at different levels of the sport. Monday, the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors approved using a 35-second shot clock for all varsity girls and boys basketball games…
Read MoreState Farm Center will continue to host boys basketball state tourney, format still under discussion
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The site won’t change. Will the format? Thursday, the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors announced a five-year contract extension to keep the boys basketball state tournament at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana. The contract runs through the 2028-29 season. The success of the tournament…
Read MoreSchuckman: IHSA eyeing target date to implement shot clock and other prep basketball notes
QUINCY — Follow the bouncing ball as the high school basketball season enters its final week … • The shot clock is coming to Illinois and the Illinois High School Association appears to have a target date for implementing it into the state tournament series. Kurt Gibson, the IHSA associate executive director who oversees basketball,…
Read MorePostseason scoreboard: State basketball tournament fields set for Illinois boys
QUINCY — Here are the scores from the Illinois boys basketball super-sectionals and the pairing for the state tournament: Class 4A DeKalb Super-Sectional Palatine 55, Gurnee Warren 53 Normal Super-Sectional Normal Community 53, Downers Grove North 29 Chicago Super-Sectional Homewood-Flossmoor 60, Chicago Curie 58 Hoffman Estates Super-Sectional New Trier 65, Glenbard North 41 Friday’s games…
Read MoreSchuckman: Logic seems flawed with setup of IHSA postseason basketball brackets
QUINCY — Is the Illinois High School Association postseason basketball series flawed? You be the judge. While scouring brackets and planning our coverage of this week’s boys basketball regionals, I ran across a number of scenarios that made me question the equitable nature of the setup. Because the Quincy schools are at the heart of…
Read MorePostseason scoreboard: Girls regional championship matchups set
QUINCY — Here are the pairings for the Illinois girls basketball postseason tournaments: Class 1A Mendon Regional Saturday, February 10 Game 1 — Rushville-Industry 51, Payson Seymour 38 Game 2 — Liberty 58, West Prairie 7 Monday, February 12 Game 3 — Illini Bluffs 60, Rushville-Industry 25 Game 4 — Mendon Unity 48, Liberty 30…
Read MorePostseason scoreboard: Illinois girls basketball regional pairings
QUINCY — Here are the pairings for the Illinois girls basketball postseason tournaments: Class 1A Mendon Regional Saturday, February 10 Game 1 — Rushville-Industry 51, Payson Seymour 38 Game 2 — Liberty 58, West Prairie 7 Monday, February 12 Game 3 — No. 1 Illini Bluffs vs. No. 9 Rushville-Industry, 6 p.m. Game 4 —…
Read MoreLove of the Game: Steinway honored as Official of the Year by IHSA after 43 years on football field
QUINCY — After 43 years of officiating football and 31 years of umpiring baseball, Fred Steinway hasn’t lost his enthusiasm for sports. “I’m basically out here for the kids and the love of the game,” he said. “I still feel as if I can do a good job, and all the friendships I’ve developed are…
Read MoreIHSA member schools vote against district football format, but scheduling talks will continue
QUINCY — Conference play and rivalry games will remain part of the Illinois high school football landscape for now. But for how long? Tuesday, the Illinois High School Association announced the results of the annual by-law referendum with a proposal for statewide district scheduling for football failing. Of the 727 votes cast, 379 member schools…
Read MoreIHSA nullifies red card issued to QND goalkeeper, making Frericks eligible for sectional semifinal
QUINCY — The Illinois High School Association promotes a sportsmanship program entitled “Do What’s Right!” Thursday, the IHSA followed its own motto and did the right thing. IHSA executive director Craig Anderson and assistant executive director Beth Sauser acknowledged the red card issued to QND goalkeeper Max Frericks during the second of the boys soccer…
Read MoreSchuckman: Rule keeping Illinois prep soccer team from playing in postseason needs to change
QUINCY — A 3-0 loss to Collinsville in the Class 3A regional semifinals Tuesday night brought the Quincy High School boys soccer team’s season to an end one game into the postseason. If only Mundelein Carmel could have been so lucky. The Corsairs are watching the postseason unfold instead of playing in it. Had things…
Read MoreChargers’ Bryan qualifies for state track meet in three events, Blue Devils’ Venvertloh advances
MACKINAW, Ill. — Josie Bryan decided to try tripling jumping about three weeks ago. It turns out she’s pretty good at it. State-level good in fact. The Illini West junior track standout finished second in the triple jump during Thursday’s Class 1A Deer Creek-Mackinaw Sectional, leaping 10.15 meters to qualify for the girls state track…
Read MoreBarry, Neisen each win two sectional titles, lead area athletes to state track meet
RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Unity’s Saylor Barry won two events and finished second in another, Liberty’s Arianna Neisen dominated the distance events and a bevy of area athletes punched their ticket to the state track and field championships during Wednesday’s Class 1A Rushville Sectional. The state championships take place May 18-20 at O’Brien Stadium on the…
Read MoreSchuckman: IHSA fails to meet its mission by forcing basketball teams to play third-place games hours after semifinals
NORMAL, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne listened intently as senior guard Abbey Schreacke discussed how the Raiders needed to regroup following a gut-punch loss Thursday in the Class 2A state semifinals and play the third-place game two hours later. “We’re going to have to find something deeper inside of us…
Read MoreBulldogged effort in Class 1A state title tilt by Central, but momentum, mojo never shift in its direction
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Every comeback starts at a tipping point, the moment where momentum and mojo shift dramatically. Everything lined up for a Lena-Winslow punt to be just that. Having forced the defending Class 1A state champion to punt from its own 23-yard line with 7 minutes, 53 seconds remaining in the third quarter Friday…
Read MoreCrim: Miller’s 30-point fourth quarter remains one of finest performances in state postseason history
It has been exactly 39 years and Rusty Miller still can’t explain how he managed to score 30 points in a single quarter of a high school regional tournament basketball game. “I’ve had people come up to me over the years and ask, ‘How in the hell did you do that?’ ” he said. “Wish…
Read MoreIllinois state wrestling: Three area grapplers will have to fight way through wrestlebacks
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — To reach the podium at the Illinois High School Association state wrestling championships, three area grapplers are going to have to fight their way through the Class 1A wrestlebacks. Quincy Notre Dame senior Curtis Steinkamp, Illini West senior Lance Belshaw and Pittsfield senior Mason Davis each suffered an opening-round loss Thursday at…
Read MoreAdam: What problem with high school basketball will be fixed by addition of shot clock?
The reaction was so great on Dec. 28 that it might be remembered as the game that finally helped bring the shot clock to high school basketball in Illinois. Quincy 33, Lincoln 30. The quarterfinal game at the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic certainly added kindling to the fire built by basketball fans who hope…
Read MoreWolf adds name to Liberty cross country lore with 12th-place finish at state meet
PEORIA, Ill. — Cannen Wolf’s best run of his prep cross country career left him with a place in Liberty lore. Wolf, a senior, finished 12th at the Class 1A state cross country championships Saturday at Detweiller Park, completing the 3-mile course in a personal-best time of 15 minutes, 18.91 seconds. He is the first…
Read MoreHornets seize complete control in third quarter, knock Mustangs out of playoffs
NASHVILLE, Ill. — Riker Triplett’s 5-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the first half Saturday put the Unity-Payson football team in position to challenge sixth-seeded Nashville in the second half of Saturday’s Class 2A first-round playoff game. The Hornets quickly pushed the challenger aside. Leading 21-14 after Triplett’s TD, Nashville scored three touchdowns…
Read MoreEagles’ Wolf to run at state meet
ELMWOOD, Ill. — Cannen Wolf’s determination will allow him to run his final high school cross country race where he envisioned it ending. Detweiler Park. The Liberty senior turned in one of his most controlled and complete runs of the season Saturday, finishing third at the Class 1A Elmwood Sectional to earn a berth in…
Read MoreBlue Devils’ Rosen and Schuering earn spots in state cross country field
QUINCY — The sun sparkled Saturday, which made for perfect weather to run the Class 3A boys and girls cross country sectionals at Bob Mays Park. The only problem was there wasn’t enough sun prior to Saturday to dry out the 3-mile course. Muddy conditions seemed to bog down some runners, leading to higher times…
Read MoreBy showing composure, Hornets earn chance to play at home one more time
TOLEDO, Ill. — Forced to play three straight road games in October and then having to face the No. 1-ranked team in the only home game down the stretch, Brown County football coach Tom Little sensed his players’ disappointment in not getting one last great experience at the Nest. Next week has the chance to…
Read MoreClass 4A playoff preview: QND hopes to set tone defensively against Civic Memorial
QUINCY — Swipe. Score. Celebrate. It’s a recipe for success the Quincy Notre Dame football team has discovered works wonders. Having gone 6-3 in the regular season and earned a Class 4A first-round home playoff game, the Raiders understand their defense creates opportunities. In the six victories, QND has scored its first touchdown off a…
Read MoreEagles’ Wolf gets postseason run at state medal off to solid start at regionals
LIBERTY, Ill. — Cannen Wolf positioned himself to chase a state medal. All it takes is two more quality runs. The Liberty senior cross country standout took the first step toward his goal Saturday, finishing third in the Class 1A Liberty Regional at Uhland Acres and advancing along with the rest of the Eagles to…
Read MoreAggressive attack carries Raiders into sectional title game against Trojans
CHILLICOTHE, Ill. — The effort in the two regional victories couldn’t be considered lackluster, but the pin-the-defense-back-with-an-all-out-attack seemed to be absent. Tuesday night, the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team brought it back to life. The Raiders scored three first-half goals, consistently applied pressure on the Somonauk goal and headed home with a 4-0 victory…
Read MoreSchuckman: IHSA needs to re-examine equitable treatment of golfers at state tourney
The heartache the Macomb boys golfers endured and the disappointment shared by the Bombers’ rivals resonated loudly. No one considered what happened at the Class 2A state tournament to be equitable or fair. The Bombers shot a 309 in last Friday’s opening round of the state tournament at Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Ill., leaving…
Read MoreEftink’s series of pars, Knuffman’s steady play key to making cut at state golf tourney
DECATUR, Ill. — Blair Eftink’s double bogey on the first hole after making the turn Friday put her chances of surviving to play the second round of the Class 1A state golf tournament in limbo. A series of pars changed everything. Eftink rolled in par putts on six of her final eight holes, including four…
Read MoreEagles’ Arnold attacks Prairie Vista course, sits tied for 10th after first round at state
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The difference between where Blake Arnold is and where he’d like to be can be measured by the distance of the putts he missed. He knows it’s not as far as it seems. The Liberty junior had four birdie putts inside of 5 feet miss the mark, saddling him with a 3-over…
Read MoreBlue Devils make cut at state tournament, ready to chase trophy in final round
FORSYTH, Ill. — The fluctuating leaderboard had the Quincy High School girls golf team bouncing anywhere from fifth to eighth place every couple of holes Friday afternoon. It made everyone a little leery of what was transpiring. So as Laci Novosel, one of two seniors and the only current Blue Devil with state tournament experience,…
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