Beau knows: Up-and-down for par on No. 18 caps impressive regional round by QND sophomore

Quincy Notre Dame sophomore Beau Eftink sizes up his putt on the par-3 ninth hole Wedesday during the Class 1A QND Regional at Westview Golf Course. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The number of strokes Beau Eftink needed to get up and down from behind the 18th green was going to determine just how pleased he would be with his final score. The moment he hit his chip shot from above the green’s collar, the Quincy Notre Dame sophomore golfer felt a twinge of…

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Photo gallery: Westview Golf Course plays host to Class 1A Quincy Notre Dame boys regional

Quincy Notre Dame's Michael Venvertloh hits out of the bunker on the 10th hole at Westview Golf Course on Wednesday during the Class 1A QND Regional. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Beau Eftink went low, the Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team took advantage of playing on its home course and three teams that had been in the mix all season advanced to the Class 1A Auburn Sectional at Edgewood Golf Course. It turned out to be a remarkable day at Westview Golf Course.…

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Prairie State Profile: Saukees’ Tomhave embraces traditions, bonds born from playing sports

Pittsfield senior Brennan Tomhave is a three-sports athlete who envisions himself as a physical therapist or working a similar job in the sports medicine field one day. | Matt Schuckman photo

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Brennan Tomhave is a Saukee through and through. It would be difficult not to be when you grow up sitting on the bench. Tomhave had a front-row seat to one of the best seasons in Pittsfield boys basketball history in 2011, riding the bus and hanging out in the locker room as…

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Raiders’ resiliency put to test in regional title game, Kindhart’s sac fly helps knock off Saukees

Quincy Notre Dame principal Mark McDowell, right, hands the Class 2A regional championship plaque to the Raiders' Dalton Miller, left, and Jake Schisler following Saturday's 2-1 victory over Pittsfield at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Each time the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team seemed poised for a big inning Saturday, something went haywire. Pittsfield right-hander Brennan Tomhave played a role in that. The Raiders’ overaggressiveness did, too. It finally took a simple approach in consecutive at-bats to generate enough offense to survive and advance. After the Raiders loaded…

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Like Schis and like that: QND right-hander refuses to give in, strikes out 13 in regional title victory

Quincy Notre Dame right-handed starter Jake Schisler delivers a pitch in the first inning of Saturday's Class 2A regional championship game against Pittsfield at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Given the lead for a second time in Saturday’s Class 2A regional championship game, Quincy Notre Dame right-hander Jake Schisler vowed he was not giving it up. “I think those might have been my exact words,” Schisler said. He had no plans to do it alone either. “I said to myself that I…

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Photo gallery: QND baseball team survives regional title tussle with Pittsfield

Quincy Notre Dame catcher Michael Stupavsky receives a strike from starting pitcher Jake Schisler during Saturday's Class 2A regional championship game against Pittsfield at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Another chapter to the Quincy Notre Dame-Pittsfield rivalry was written Saturday as the Raiders survived the Saukees’ upset bid to win the Class 2A QND Regional championship with a 2-1 victory at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. QND’s Jake Schisler outdueled Pittsfield’s Brennan Tomhave, striking out 13 and setting down the side in…

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Motivated Saukees ride Allen’s bulldogged pitching into regional title game

Pittsfield junior right-hander Konner Allen delivers a pitch during Wednesday's Class 2A QND Regional semifinal victory over Warrensburg-Latham at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The Pittsfield baseball players didn’t understand it, nor did they appreciate it. A year ago, toting a 21-5 regular-season record, the Saukees were the No. 4 seed in their sub-sectional. This season, with a 25-4 regular-season record, they were relegated to being the No. 5 seed heading to the Class 2A Quincy Notre…

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Photo gallery: QND, Pittsfield to renew longstanding rivalry in regional title game

Quincy Notre Dame first baseman Dalton Miller completes the force out of Pleasant Plains leadoff hitter Charlie Severino in the first inning of Wednesday's 9-1 victory in the Class 2A QND Regional semifinals. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — A West Central Illinois rivalry gets a postseason chapter added to it Saturday. The Quincy Notre Dame and Pittsfield baseball teams advanced to the championship game of the Class 2A QND Regional by winning Wednesday’s semifinals and will square off at 11 a.m. Saturday in the title game at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial…

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Raiders rack up hits in six-inning victory over Saukees

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team just keeps hitting. The Raiders collected 12 hits, scored in four of the six innings played Wednesday and rolled to a 14-4 victory over Pittsfield. The Raiders have scored 10 or more runs in eight of their 12 games this season and have collected 10 or…

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Saukees capitalize on new life in seventh, score three times to upend Blue Devils

QUINCY — An overturned call gave the Pittsfield baseball team new life, and the Saukees took advantage of it. With the game tied and two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Pittsfield’s Justin Pennock was called out at first base after hitting a ground ball to Quincy High School shortstop Blake Bunch. However,…

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Raiders continue to zero in on letting defense dictate success, quiet Saukees’ offense

Quincy Notre Dame guard Charlie Lavery positions himself defensively during the first half of Friday's game against Pittsfield at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The scoreboard lacked the zero the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball players yearned to see. A goose egg in the scorebook sufficed. The Raiders held Pittsfield without a field goal in the first quarter Friday night at The Pit, allowing only a single Adam Musgrave free throw while building a 13-1 advantage. The…

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Photo gallery: QND boys basketball team faces Pittsfield at The Pit

Quincy Notre Dame's Jackson Stratton, left, prepares to fight through a screen to stay in front of Pittsfield's Brennan Tomhave during Friday night's game at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team won its fourth straight game Friday night, beating Pittsfield 52-30 after allowing the Saukees just 15 points through the first three quarters. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action through his camera lens. Check out his photo gallery:

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Determined to dominate: QHS wrestlers lose only one match in sweeping duals from QND, Pittsfield

Quincy High School junior Owen Uppinghouse, left, works to pin the shoulders of Pittsfield's Ethan Thompson to the mat during their 160-pound match Wednesday night at the QHS gym. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Owen Uppinghouse understands most of the Quincy High School wrestling team’s duals can’t compare to a crosstown showdown when it comes to energy and enthusiasm. “When you’re wrestling people from down the street, it tends to be different,” he said. Wednesday night was different, except in one regard. The Blue Devils’ determination for…

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Photo gallery: QHS, QND, Pittsfield grapple at QHS gym

Quincy High School's Bryor Newbold, right, gets in position to take down Quincy Notre Dame's Talin Scott during their 182-pound match in Wednesday night's triangular at the QHS gym. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The Quincy High School wrestling team showcased the strength of its lineup from top to bottom during Wednesday night’s triangular with Quincy Notre Dame and Pittsfield at the QHS gym. The Blue Devils beat the Saukees 83-0 and the Raiders 68-6, while QND upended Pittsfield 54-24. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured…

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Crim: Shields’ impact felt in area athletic circles for decades

Jim Shields

NEW SALEM, Ill. — Jim Shields retold the story of a reporter once asking him about the difference between coaching boys and coaching girls in high school basketball. “I said the boys never gave me a state championship,” Shields laughed. It was a vintage answer by a career coach, a straight shooter, a man who…

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QJHS, Brown County to play for eighth grade girls basketball state titles, Pittsfield to vie for third

Two area eighth grade girls basketball teams will play for Illinois Elementary School Association state titles, while a third will battle for third place. Quincy Junior High School and Brown County advanced to their respective championship games by winning twice Saturday, while Pittsfield suffered a five-point loss in the semifinals. QJHS opened with a 39-10…

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Pittsfield seventh grade girls win IESA state championship, Liberty takes second

The Pittsfield seventh grade girls basketball team won the Class 3A state championship Thursday with a 44-11 victory over Paris Mayo. | Photo courtesy Pikeland schools

AUBURN, Ill. — By the end of the first quarter of the Illinois Elementary School Association seventh grade Class 3A girls basketball state championship, the intrigue was mostly gone. The Pittsfield Lady Braves saw to that. Pittsfield overwhelmed Paris Mayo 19-2 in the first quarter, went on another 12-2 run in the third quarter and…

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Liberty, Pittsfield seventh grade girls basketball teams to play for state championships

The Liberty seventh grade girls basketball team will play for a state championship. So will the Pittsfield seventh graders. The Brown County and Quincy Junior High School eighth grade teams may, too. Liberty reached the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 2A title game by beating Altamont 31-19 in the quarterfinals and Nokomis 36-19 in the…

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The Rundown: Solid debut for Hannibal girls, Pittsfield boys win opener, WIU women earn first victory

Hannibal girls basketball coach Shawn Gaines talks to the Pirates during a timeout in Monday's season opener against Bowling Green at Korf Gym in Hannibal, Mo. | Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

QUINCY — Kicking off Thanksgiving week with a flurry of activity as the Illinois boys basketball season got underway Monday night and the Missouri teams joined in the fun. Oh, college basketball season is in full swing, too. Here are some of Monday’s highlights … • The Hannibal girls basketball team won Shawn Gaines’ debut…

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Eaton guides power-hitting QND to quick victory over Pittsfield in regional semifinals

The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball players celebrate winning a point during Tuesday's Class 2A QND Regional semifinal match against Pittsfield at The Pit. | Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

QUINCY — Annie Eaton’s smile is infectious, but don’t let that nice-girl persona fool you. She’s the quiet assassin of the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team. And she relishes that role. “I like to control things out there,” Eaton said. “I like to run the offense.” The Raiders’ floor general was at her directorial best…

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College football notebook: Brock hits 100-yard mark, Personett and Boyer contribute to Scots’ blowout, Griffith scores TD for Bulldogs

Former Quincy High School all-stater Jirehl Brock looks for running room during Saturday's game against Iowa. The Iowa State junior running back finished with 100 yards rushing in the Cyclones' 10-7 victory in Iowa City, Iowa. | Photo courtesy Roy Dabner

QUINCY — For the first time since Jirehl Brock stepped on the Iowa State University campus and the first time in Matt Campbell’s coaching tenure, the Iowa State football team took the Cy-Hawk Trophy back to Ames. Saturday’s 10-7 victory over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, ended the Hawkeyes’ six-game win streak…

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Golf roundup: Saukees win own invitational, Blue Devils third in loaded field, Bombers take second

The Pittsfield boys golf team captured the championship of the Pittsfield Invitational on Saturday at Old Orchard Country Club. | Submitted photo

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Pittsfield boys golf team took advantage of playing on its home course Saturday, posting three scores in the 80s to capture the team championship of the Pittsfield Invitational at Old Orchard Country Club. The Saukees shot a 345, followed by Illini West at 351 and Rushville-Industry at 381. Illini West’s Nolan…

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Crim: Signing with WWE’s ‘Next In Line’ program helps Pittsfield’s Hayden conquer more stereotypes

University of Tennesee thrower Chandler Hayden, who is a 2019 graduate of Pittsfield High School, recently signed a name, image and likeness agreement with WWE to be part of the "Next In Line" program. | Photo courtesy Tennessee athletics/Andrew Ferguson

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Chandler Hayden has always defied stereotypes. “Doing things out of the norm builds confidence,” she explained. The 2019 graduate of Pittsfield High School is anything but typical. And perhaps her boldest move yet came last month when Hayden, a University of Tennessee track and field thrower, was one of 15 college athletes…

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Muddy River Showcase: Scranton helps Saukees add another layer to Pittsfield’s rich tradition

Pittsfield guard Nate Scranton wore the same number his uncle, Matt Elledge, wore when he played for the Saukees. Submitted 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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JWCC Prairie State Profile: Pittsfield’s Cox carries on family tradition with integrity and confidence

Pittsfield's Katie Cox clears a hurdle in the 110-meter hurdles race at the Class 1A state championships last year in Charleston, Ill. Photo courtesy Clark Brooks, PhotoNews Media

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Steve Smith became known throughout West-Central Illinois as one of the region’s most influential and impartial basketball referees. For Katie Cox, he was simply grandpa. “He truly always wanted me to be the best,” said Cox, a senior three-sport athlete at Pittsfield High School. “With everything I did, he was pushing me.…

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Raiders strike first knowing potential regional rematch with Saukees looms

Quincy Notre Dame coach Ryan Oden waves home Tucker Tollerton with the only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning Monday against Pittsfield. Tollerton scored on on a two-out single to left off the bat of Harry Oden. David Adam photo

QUINCY — The gamesmanship is officially underway. There’s a good chance Quincy Notre Dame and Pittsfield could meet again in the Class 2A baseball postseason. That’s what made Monday’s matchup between the longtime rivals that much more interesting. QND pulled out a 1-0 victory on a crisp April afternoon at wind-swept Ferd Niemann Memorial Ballfield,…

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JWCC Prairie State Profile: Saukees’ Davis keeps focus on task at hand in pursuit of state wrestling berth

Pittsfield wrestler Mason Davis holds his medal after winning the Class 1A regional championship at 170 pounds. Submitted photo

The Prairie State Profile will appear each week to highlight an Illinois area student-athlete. PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Mason Davis refuses to get caught daydreaming. Sure, his goal is clear cut: Become a state wrestling qualifier. After that, there’s the hope of wrestling well enough to earn a medal and a spot on the podium at…

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Regional wrestling: Saukees’ Davis captures crown at 170 with dominant effort in title match

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — By not wrestling the final weekend of the regular season to rest an aching shoulder, Pittsfield senior grappler Mason Davis put himself in prime position to vie for a regional championship. Smart move. Davis was the Saukees’ lone regional champion and one of three Pittsfield wrestlers to advance to sectionals with top…

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Liquor Booth Shot of the Game: Pittsfield’s Ronne Thelander exits after first career field goal

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Pittsfield boys basketball team gave Ronne Thelander a fitting goodbye. The Saukees sophomore manager was in the starting lineup for last Friday’s game against Quincy Notre Dame at Voshall Gym, and after Pittsfield won the opening tip, Thelander was given the opportunity to take the first shot. His initial attempt fell…

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Wrestling roundup: Blue Devils’ Garrett wins individual crown as QHS takes third overall

Quincy High School wrestler Kayden Garrett shows off the team trophy the Blue Devils won Saturday at the 60th Murdale Invitational in Carbondale, Ill. Photo courtesy QHS wrestling

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Kayden Garrett’s individual championship helped the Quincy High School wrestling team finish third among 25 teams in the 60th Murdale Invitational at Carbondale High School. Garrett, a senior wrestling at 170 pounds, won his first two matches in pool play with a second-period pin and a 21-6 technical fall. In the championship…

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Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament roundup: Saukees return from lengthy break, celebrate coach’s birthday with victory

MACOMB, Ill. — Brad Tomhave’s birthday wish was quite simple. All he wanted was a victory. Five minutes into Monday’s first-round game of the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament against Monmouth-Roseville, the Pittsfield boys basketball team didn’t look like it had anything gift-wrapped for the veteran coach. The Saukees allowed the Titans to score the game’s first…

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Pittsfield announces first class of Saukee Hall of Fame inductees

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The inductees in the inaugural class of the Saukee Hall of Fame were announced Friday with a nod to the history that has made Pittsfield High School athletics special for so many decades. The class features one team, two athletes, one coach and a handful of others whose impact on the school…

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Scoreboard for Tuesday, August 17

Boys Golf Alton Redbird Invitational at Spencer T. Olin Golf Course Quincy High School finishes fifth at 313. Breese Mater Dei wins the title with a 306, followed by Edwardsville (307), O’Fallon (311) and Springfield (312). Cameron Bergman leads the Blue Devils with a 76 to finish 10th individually, and Brady Walker posts a 77.…

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