Schuckman: IHSA eyeing target date to implement shot clock and other prep basketball notes

Zack Evans and the Winchester West Central boys basketball team won 15 consecutive games after playing in the Quincy Shootout and captured the Class 1A state championship. | Matt Schuckman photo

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,…

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Postseason 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…

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Postseason 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…

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Love of the Game: Steinway honored as Official of the Year by IHSA after 43 years on football field

Umpire Fred Steinway sets the ball during the Class 3A state championship football game between Byron and Mount Carmel in November 2023 in Champaign. Steinway learned earlier this week that he was named the Illinois High School Association’s Official of the Year for football for the 2023-24 season. | Photo courtesy of Illinois High School Association

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…

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IHSA member schools vote against district football format, but scheduling talks will continue

The Quincy High School football team won't have to worry about losing the history and tradition of Western Big 6 Conference matchups after a district scheduling proposal was voted down by the IHSA member schools. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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IHSA nullifies red card issued to QND goalkeeper, making Frericks eligible for sectional semifinal

Quincy Notre Dame senior goalkeeper Max Frericks will play in Saturday's sectional semifinal after the Illinois High School Association overturned the red card he was issued in the regional championship game against Monmouth-Roseville. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Schuckman: Rule keeping Illinois prep soccer team from playing in postseason needs to change

The Quincy High School boys soccer team received 15 yellow cards in its first 10 games, but didn't approach the threshold of 25 yellow cards that would have led to a postseason ban.

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…

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Barry, 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…

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Schuckman: IHSA fails to meet its mission by forcing basketball teams to play third-place games hours after semifinals

The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball players return to the floor following a timeout in the second half of their Class 2A third-place game against Chicago Butler College Prep on Thursday night at Illinois State University's Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Bulldogged effort in Class 1A state title tilt by Central, but momentum, mojo never shift in its direction

Camp Point Central senior lineman Cole Pracht carries the Class 1A second-place trophy in the direction of the Central crowd following a 30-8 loss to Lena-Winslow on Friday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. | Photo courtesy Clark Brooks, PhotoNews Media

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…

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Crim: Miller’s 30-point fourth quarter remains one of finest performances in state postseason history

Rusty Miller, No. 20 in the front row of the 1983 Central boys basketball team photo, scored 30 points in the fourth quarter of a regional game against Barry. Submitted photo

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…

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Illinois 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…

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Adam: What problem with high school basketball will be fixed by addition of shot clock?

The score after the first quarter of the Quincy-Lincoln game on Dec. 28 was 5-3. | Screen grab courtesy of Kahok Sports Network

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…

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Hornets 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…

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Eagles’ 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…

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Blue Devils’ Rosen and Schuering earn spots in state cross country field

Quincy High School senior Fiker Rosen leads a group of runners during the Class 3A sectional Saturday at Bob Mays Park. Photo courtesy Glenn Meyers

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…

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Class 4A playoff preview: QND hopes to set tone defensively against Civic Memorial

Quincy Notre Dame football coach Jack Cornell and the Raiders will face Bethalto Civic Memorial in the Class 4A playoff opener Friday night at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Photo courtesy Brendan Saak

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…

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Aggressive 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…

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Eftink’s series of pars, Knuffman’s steady play key to making cut at state golf tourney

Quincy Notre Dame’s Blair Eftink tees off during the first round of the Class 1A girls state golf tournament Friday at Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur, Ill. Photo courtesy Douglas Cottle/PhotoNews

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…

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Eagles’ Arnold attacks Prairie Vista course, sits tied for 10th after first round at state

Liberty's Blake Arnold watches his tee shot sail down the fairway during Friday’s opening round of the Class 1A state tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington, Ill. PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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…

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Blue Devils make cut at state tournament, ready to chase trophy in final round

Quincy High School’s Laci Novosel tracks her shot during Friday’s opening round of the Class 2A girls state golf tournament at Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth, Ill. Photo courtesy Douglas Cottle/PhotoNews

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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