Raiders’ effort against Cardinals is sign they’re ready for postseason challenges

Quincy Notre Dame's Addie Flesch, left, battles Pleasant Plains' Miley Crow for possession during Monday night's game at Advance Physical Therapy Field. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Mark Thomas has never concerned himself with which side of the ledger the higher number exists, but he understands the preoccupation with wins and losses. In the postseason, wins are all that matter. Leading up to the postseason, they aren’t always the measure of progress. “Sometimes when you look at a bigger perspective,…

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Trusting process carries Central-Southeastern past Pleasant Plains and to sectional title

The Central-Southeastern girls basketball players celebrate winning the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional championship following Thursday night's 43-37 victory over Pleasant Plains at Beardstown High School. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — There were quite a few blue T-shirts with white lettering scattered across the Central-Southeastern stands Thursday night. The message the shirts carried was a simple one: “Trust the Process.” CSE girls basketball coach Matt Long’s explanation of that phrase was not particularly complicated, but still rather poignant — even more so following…

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Photo gallery: Central-Southeastern shows resiliency in winning sectional championship

Central-Southeastern coach Matt Long gives the Panthers instructions during a timeout in the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional championship game against Pleasant Plains on Thursday night in Beardstown, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Central-Southeastern girls basketball players never lost faith in each other or the belief the sectional championship would be theirs, fending off Pleasant Plains 43-37 to win the Class 2A Beardstown Sectional on Thursday night. Photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery of the Panthers’ victory:

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Illini West’s record-setting volleyball season ends with loss in sectional title game

The Illini West volleyball team won a program-record 34 matches this season. | Matt Schuckman photo

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — A record-setting season needed one final rally. The Pleasant Plains volleyball team didn’t let that happen. Illini West led the second set of Wednesday night’s Class 2A sectional championship game 13-12 and was in the process of overcoming losing the first set, just as it had in Monday’s semifinal victory over…

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Pleasant Plains capitalizes on momentum shifts, knocks Macomb out in sectional semifinals

Macomb's Madeline McClure hits a shot through the block of Pleasant Plains during Monday night's Class 2A sectional semifinal in Pleasant Plains, Ill. | Matt Schuckman photo

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The Pleasant Plains volleyball team figured out how to continually stem the tide. During Monday night’s Class 2A sectional semifinal against Macomb, the Cardinals strategically used timeouts to stall scoring runs by the Bombers, putting the brakes on a four-point swing late in the second set that enabled Pleasant Plains to…

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Photo gallery: Strong starts in both sets not enough as Macomb falls in sectional semifinal

The Macomb volleyball players wait for the officiating crew to discuss a call during the second set of Monday night's Class 2A sectional semifinal against Pleasant Plains in Pleasant Plains, Ill. | Matt Schuckman photo

PLEASANT PLAINS, Ill. — The momentum the Macomb volleyball team created by winning the Class 2A regional title last Thursday night seemed to linger with a stellar start to Monday’s sectional semifinal until Pleasant Plains took it away. Behind the program’s all-time leading hitter in Sydney McFee, the Cardinals stopped each Bombers’ run and earned…

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Adapt and overcome: Raiders’ Dance responds to one big swing by shutting down Cardinals in complete-game regional semifinal victory

Quincy Notre Dame's Mason Winking congratulates starting pitcher Tyler Dance after he finished a complete-game effort in a 9-1 victory over Pleasant Plains in the Class 2A regional semifinal Wednesday. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Tyler Dance threw 34 innings during the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s regular season without allowing a home run. One inning and 18 pitches into the postseason, that changed. Pleasant Plains’ Zach Ponce led off the top of the second inning by driving a two-ball, two-strike curveball to left field for a home…

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Inspired by pregame chat, Stratton carries scoring load for top-ranked Raiders in victory over Cardinals

Quincy Notre Dame sophomore guard Sage Stratton scored 23 points to power the Raiders past Pleasant Plains on Tuesday night at The Pit. | Muddy River Sports file photo

QUINCY — When you face the No. 1-ranked girls basketball team in Class 2A with the reigning state player of the year, the goal becomes quite obvious. Slow down Abbey Schreacke. Many try. Most fail. Tuesday night, Pleasant Plains succeeded in limiting Schreacke, Quincy Notre Dame’s all-state senior forward, to a season-low 13 points in…

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First-inning onslaught propels QND softball team to Class 2A regional championship

The Quincy Notre Dame softball team celebrates winning the Class 2A Petersburg PORTA Regional championship following a 10-3 victory over Pleasant Plains on Friday. Ron Kinscherf photo

PETERSBURG, Ill. — Heading into her first regional championship, Quincy Notre Dame freshman pitcher Caitlin Bunte admittedly was jittery. “I was really nervous,” Bunte said. “I felt pretty confident, but there were some nerves.” After recording the first two outs of the top of the first inning — the first on an amazing catch by…

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