Saukees demonstrate character in choosing not to play in regional, focus on grieving and healing together

By Matt Schuckman, Sports Editor | February 16, 2025
Pittsfield girls basketball coach Noah Mendenhall, left, talks with Reese Ramsey during a game against West Hancock in the KHQA/American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at Quincy Notre Dame's The Pit. Ramsey passed away from injuries suffered in a multi-vehicle accident last Tuesday outside of Pittsfield. | Matt Schuckman photo

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Pikeland Superintendent Todd Fox was in the middle of addressing the Pittsfield girls basketball team Friday morning when the door to the classroom where they had gathered cracked open.  In walked Lincoln McCartney with a simple request. “I’m paraphrasing here, but she said something like, ‘Can I join this meeting?’” Fox said.…

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‘We got up and kept working’: Even in loss, Saukees prove they belong in conversation among state’s best

By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer | January 14, 2025
Pittsfield girls basketball coach Noah Mendenhall high fives Sophie Gengler as she comes to the bench during Monday night's game against Quincy Notre Dame at Voshall Gym in Pittsfield, Ill. | Shane Hulsey photo

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Pittsfield girls basketball coach Noah Mendenhall knows one result does not define a season. But in the Saukees’ case, one game could provide a snapshot of a team’s potential. On Monday, the state-ranked Saukees rallied from a 41-30 third quarter deficit against Quincy Notre Dame, the No. 2 team Class 3A, to…

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