College notebook: Arnold leads charge for Danville golfers, Stratton sees first action, changes happening at JWCC

The Danville Area Community College men's golf team has been on a roll with three top-three finishes this season with a lineup that includes four West-Central Illinois products. | Photo courtesy DACC men's golf program

DANVILLE, Ill. — The influx of talent from West-Central Illinois is giving the Danville Area Community College men’s golf team a competitive edge. Liberty product Blake Arnold is at the forefront of that. Arnold tied for the individual low score at the Vincennes Invitational last weekend, shooting 4-under 140 over 36 holes at Country Oaks…

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College football tracker: Former area prep gridiron standouts ready for season openers

Quincy Notre Dame graduate Jonny Bottorff, left, will be the starting center when the Northern Arizona football team opens its season Saturday at Arizona. | Photo courtesy Northern Arizona athletics

QUINCY — The first weekend of the college football season puts familiar faces in new places, new roles and new positions. Here is a look at some area football products as their seasons get underway:  • A pair of Clarence Cannon Conference products are expected to play a role in the Truman State football team’s…

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Double the fun: QND’s Stratton, Central’s Genenbacher take on challenge of playing in two all-star games in same day

Quincy Notre Dame's Jackson Stratton will pull off a rare double-double when he plays in both the Illinois Shrine Game and the Muddy River Showcase on Saturday. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Jackson Stratton and Isaac Genenbacher had the same initial thought when they received invitations to play in the Muddy River Showcase. How can I make this work? The Quincy Notre Dame and Camp Point Central multi-sport athletes had committed to play in the Illinois Shrine Bowl, an all-star event for prep football players…

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Muddy River Showcase Spotlight: Quincy Notre Dame’s Jackson Stratton

Quincy Notre Dame guard Jackson Stratton will represent the Illinois all-stars in the Muddy River Showcase, being played June 17 at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. QUINCY — The fact…

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Raiders get back to who they are in ending three-game skid with 13-point victory

Quincy Notre Dame guard Jackson Stratton, left, knocks the ball away from a Monmouth-Roseville player during Tuesday night's game at The Pit. | Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team’s search for its identity seems to be over. All the Raiders had to do was rediscover who they really are. “Play tough defense, get in our offense fast, run in transition, and do the little things right,” senior guard Jackson Stratton said Tuesday night after a…

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‘I can fully say I had a blast out there’: Despite loss, Raiders’ effort changes team’s entire vibe

Quincy Notre Dame's Jackson Stratton puts up a free-throw attempt during the second half of Saturday's game against Quincy High School at Blue Devil Gym. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — For one night at least, and probably a couple of days to follow, the angst was eased. No one associated with the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball program is going to accept losing, not even to a state-ranked Class 4A squad on its home floor, but the positive vibes felt after Saturday night’s…

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Raiders finish perfect opening weekend by easily dispatching Jaguars

Quincy Notre Dame senior forward Alex Connoyer finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in Saturday night's victory over Gateway STEM at The Pit. | David Adam photo

QUINCY — Granted, Quincy Notre Dame’s 58-33 boys basketball victory over St. Louis Gateway STEM was not a thing of beauty. But not every performance in a long high school basketball season can come across as a Rembrandt. Every so often, there’s going to be a MAD Magazine cover show up, too.  Such was the…

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Raiders survive ugly start, use defense to tighten screws on McCluer

Quincy Notre Dame's Josh Bocke, left, tries to make a move to the basket while being guarded by McCluer's Martavious Miller. | David Adam

QUINCY — The first 3 ½ minutes of Quincy Notre Dame’s season opener against McCluer on Friday night was … almost unwatchable. The Raiders missed their first six shots, turned the ball over twice and missed three out of four free throws to trail 6-1. “It was really bad. Really bad,” senior Jackson Stratton said.…

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Ingredients in place for unified Raiders to continue winning ways as season opener looms

Quincy Notre Dame seniors Alex Connoyer, left, and Josh Bocke are part of an experienced class looking to lead the Raiders to another 20-win season. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — What do the Three Musketeers, DJ Khaled and the Navy SEALs have in common? They each could be the inspiration for the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team this season. Start with the Three Musketeers. In the legendary novel by Alexandre Dumas, the Musketeers stick together with the motto “Tous pour un, un…

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Explosive finish to regular season ensures QND football team returns to state playoffs

Quincy Notre Dame senior running back Jackson Stratton rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's victory over John Burroughs in Ladue, Mo. | Submitted photo

LADUE, Mo. — Explosive is how senior running back Jackson Stratton labeled the Quincy Notre Dame football team’s offensive performance Saturday afternoon. “This is,” Stratton said, “the best we’ve been all season.” The Raiders picked the ideal time to peak. With its offense dominating the line of scrimmage and constructing big plays, QND was able…

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SuperFan Shootout: Stratton fuels Raiders’ stretch drive, spearheads fourth-quarter rally

Quincy Notre Dame's Jackson Stratton, right, played a pivotal role in the Raiders' fourth-quarter rally against Northeast Cairo (Mo.) on Friday night in the SuperFan Shootout. David Adam photo

QUINCY — The analogy offered by Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Kevin Meyer was spot on. “In NASCAR terms, it was a splash and go,” Meyer said. Meyer was recounting the fourth-quarter contribution of 6-foot-1 guard Jackson Stratton, who scored 18 of his 23 points over the final eight minutes — including 14 at…

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Three for Three: Hoyt keeps attacking basket in overtime to give Raiders victory

Quincy Notre Dame's Jake Hoyt goes up for a shot in the fourth quarter while McCluer's Brandon Johnson tries to block it during Saturday night's game at the Pit. | David Adam

QUINCY — Each time Jake Hoyt darted to the basket, he knew punishment was coming. “That was pretty much the thought process,” he said. “I knew I had to try to score.” Hoyt completed one old-fashioned three-point play in the fourth quarter, then made two more in overtime and finished with a career-high 24 points…

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State-ranked Raiders showcase multiple weapons in rout of Marceline, Mo.

Quincy Notre Dame running back Ben Kasparie attempts to avoid three tacklers from Marceline during Friday night's game at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Pattie Paxton

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football team is developing an offense that can attack opponents in all sorts of ways. Calvin Lavery threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns, Elliott Maas and Ben Kasparie combined for 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns, Jackson Stratton caught five passes and two touchdowns, and six other receivers…

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Saturday rewind: Stratton continues delivering special teams plays for Raiders

Quincy Notre Dame's Jackson Stratton, right, has returned a blocked punt and a fumbled punt snap for touchdowns in the Raiders' first two games. Photo courtesy Brendan Saak

QUINCY — Jackson Stratton understands there is an expectation now. The Quincy Notre Dame junior linebacker scored on an opponent’s punt attempt for the second consecutive week when he scooped up Rock Island Alleman’s botched punt and returned it 2 yards into the end zone as part of a 59-0 whitewashing Friday night at Advance…

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