Posts Tagged ‘Prep football’
Bulldogs pull away in second half to send Raiders to 0-3 start for first time since 2018
QUINCY — There may be brighter days ahead for the Quincy Notre Dame football team, but Raiders coach Jack Cornell didn’t mince words when reflecting on his team’s winless start to the season. “Losing is never fun,” Cornell said. Mahomet-Seymour held QND scoreless in the second half and scored the final 28 points en route…
Read MoreRock and roll: Blue Devils invoke running clock with overwhelming effort at Rocky in WB6 opener
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — A good high school football team is usually driven by a handful of standouts. When you have a bushel of stars, great things come. Quincy High School is one of those kinds of teams. It is hard to find a place where there is a hole on this Quincy team and…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Macomb responds to Illini West’s opening salvo, picks up key conference victory
MACOMB, Ill. — The Illini West football team received the opening kickoff in Friday night’s Lincoln Trail-Prairieland Conference matchup with Macomb, drove 65 yards and scored. The Bombers answered with authority. Led by junior quarterback Braden Holthaus, the Bombers took a 20-12 lead by halftime and rolled to a 38-12 victory to improve to 2-1,…
Read MoreFourth-quarter rally enables Panthers to survive Cougars’ upset bid in CCC opener
MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Highland football team was clinging to dreams of pulling off a monumental upset through three quarters. Monroe City dashed them in the fourth. The Panthers scored 22 unanswered points in the final 10 minutes, 10 seconds Friday night to snatch a 30-14 victory from the Cougars in the Clarence Cannon…
Read MoreWilliams, Pirates let stout offensive line pave way to victory over Trojans
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Aneyas Williams did not have to think twice about an answer to the question of whether or not he ever feels like a marked man on the football field. Williams considered his answer for a few moments, then smiled politely before responding. “For about four years now I’ve felt like I’ve had…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Macomb AD discusses family and football with grandkids by his side
MACOMB, Ill. — Macomb athletic director Steve Horrell continues to make Friday nights about football and family. Previously a long-time member of the Macomb football coaching staff, Horrell and his wife, Trish, raised their four kids at football fields throughout West-Central Illinois. Their son, Tanner, is now the Bombers head coach and his sons and…
Read MoreFormidable front: Blue Devils’ defensive line putting clamps on opposing rushing attacks
QUINCY — In the middle of watching Jeraius Rice run wild and the Quincy High School football team put on another offensive showcase, it was easy to overlook just how dominant the Blue Devils’ defensive front had been. That was until you took a glance at the stat sheet. In last Friday’s 40-6 victory at…
Read MoreFriday Night Lights rewind: Cougars mount another rally, Pleasant Hill field vandalized, Panthers score four defensive TDs
QUINCY — Call them the Comeback Cougars. Two weeks in a row, the Highland football team has needed to erase a deficit to be able to head into Clarence Cannon Conference play with an unblemished record. Both times, the Cougars have figured out a way to get into the end zone. Last Friday night, the…
Read MoreCrim: Hannibal relying on Ferreira to balance attack and keep offense churning forward
HANNIBAL, Mo. — After carrying the football 28 times, most of them straight-ahead bursts into heavy traffic between the tackles, Mike Ferreira admitted his body had absorbed some punishment. “I’ve got a few bruises, but I’ll be good,” Hannibal’s junior running back said after the Pirates evened their record at 1-1 Friday night with an…
Read MoreComing through loud and clear: Pirates rebound from Week 1 setback by overpowering Jays
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Smarting from a lopsided road loss to Jefferson City Helias in its season opener, the Hannibal football team was out to make a statement before its home crowd Friday night at Porter Stadium. The message was received loud and clear. Mike Ferreira ran for 177 tough yards, quarterback Waylon Anders threw for…
Read MoreRunnin’ with the Devil: QHS’s Rice dices up Alton’s defense with four TDs as Blue Devils move to 2-0
ALTON, Ill. — The Alton football team knew what was coming when it came down to stopping the high-octane Quincy High School offense. The question that loomed was could the Redbirds’ defense stop the slick and slippery Jeraius Rice. The answer was an emphatic no. The Blue Devils tailback sliced and diced his way to…
Read MoreStand and deliver: Panthers put up fourth-down roadblock to fend off Warriors in WIVC clash
CAMP POINT, Ill. — All of the game’s scoring occurred in the first half. All of the suspense materialized during a frantic final five minutes of the fourth quarter. The Central football team escaped its home opener Friday night with a 30-22 victory over Hardin Calhoun in a Western Illinois Valley Conference crossover game. The…
Read MoreDefense digs in to give QND chance, turnovers prove costly in loss to Richmond-Burton
RICHMOND, Ill. — Everything Quincy Notre Dame football coach Jack Cornell and his staff saw in practice has them convinced better days lie ahead. The effort the Raiders put into Friday night’s trip north backed that up. QND limited Richmond-Burton to to six points in the second half, proved it could move the ball against…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Central outlasts Calhoun in second-half defensive battle
CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Camp Point Central football team made a lead last despite getting pushed to the brink by Hardin Calhoun, holding on for a 30-22 victory in a Western Illinois Valley Conference crossover game. Freelance photographer Mike Pritchard roamed the sidelines and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreIllinois prep football rankings: QHS on verge of cracking top 10 in Class 7A
Here are the latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters: Class 8ASchool W-L Pts Prv 1. Lincoln-Way East (7) (1-0) 97 12. Loyola (3) (1-0) 93 23. York (1-0) 79 34. Glenbard West (1-0) 58 75. Maine South (0-1) 42 46. Naperville North…
Read MoreMissouri prep football rankings: Hannibal, Monroe City, South Shelby find way into respective top 10
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Statewide high school football rankings, as compiled by a nine-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. First-place votes in parentheses. Panel is made up of Dion Clisso, PrepsKC; Cole Young, PrepsKC; Tom Rackers, Jefferson City News Tribune; Chris Parker, Ozone Sports; Joe Andrews, Warrensburg Star Journal; Tommy Rezac, KFEQ St. Joseph; J.B.…
Read MoreCrim: Sports writing pulses through your veins, even after decades have passed
QUINCY — Before Friday night, the last time I went to a high school football game for the purpose of writing about it was Nov. 11, 1995. Quincy Notre Dame was playing at Lewistown that Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A playoffs. Abundant sunshine was unable to mask 20 mph winds slicing…
Read MoreRico Suave: QHS junior cornerback emerges as playmaker in crosstown victory against QND
QUINCY — Eventually, Rico Clay will remember how everything transpired. In the aftermath of the Quincy High School football team’s season-opening 55-12 victory Friday night over Quincy Notre Dame, the details of Clay’s first career interception and the return that took him to the end zone for his first career touchdown seemed fuzzy. “It sort…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS beats QND in crosstown showdown to open football season
QUINCY — It turned out to be a season opener unlike any other in recent memory, complete with fans waving fans, heat sending an official to the locker room and a pair of Quincy High School juniors showcasing their burgeoning talents Friday night at Flinn Stadium. Tykell Hammers scored three touchdowns, Rico Clay intercepted two…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Second-ranked Camp Point Central rolls to 40-point halftime edge in season opener
WHITE HALL, Ill. — The No. 2-ranked team in Class 1A needed just 24 minutes Friday night to remind everyone it deserves such respect. The Camp Point Central football team built a 40-point lead by halftime and cruised to a 40-8 victory over North Greene in a Western Illinois Valley Conference cross-divisional matchup in the…
Read MoreCrusaders bury Pirates with third-quarter offensive onslaught
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A seven-point halftime deficit didn’t seem too daunting. A 35-point disadvantage by the end of the third quarter was too much to overcome. The Hannibal football team saw Jefferson City Helias score three times on just nine plays in less than five minutes to start the third quarter and never recovered,…
Read MoreFirst-half dominance carries Monroe City, slow second half leaves room for improvement
CENTER, Mo. — The Monroe City football team dominated the first half of its season opener Friday night against Mark Twain. And that proved to be enough. With sophomore Quincy Mayfield leading the way with 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns, the Panthers used a relentless running attack to rack up 266 yards of total…
Read MoreWiseman, Cardinals get season off to right start with opening kick return for touchdown
SHELBINA, Mo. — The South Shelby football team wasted no time asserting itself. Cameron Wiseman returned the game’s opening kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown and the Cardinals rolled from there, beating Milan 47-6 Friday night in the season opener. Fullback Kendal Hammond powered the offense, rushing for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 11…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Palmyra shows first-half grit in loss to Hallsville in Dalton Hill coaching debut
PALMYRA, Mo. — The Palmyra football team showed some moxie after falling behind 14-0 Friday night. It wasn’t enough to keep Hallsville from rolling to a 46-6 victory, but it was a sign that an inexperienced roster is growing. In Dalton Hill’s debut as the Palmyra head coach, the Panthers pulled within 22-6 at halftime…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QHS’s Tykell Hammers discusses season opener, heat adjustments, catchable passes
QUINCY — Tykell Hammers is one of the many offensive weapons Quincy High School quarterback Bradyn Little has in his arsenal, but Hammers’ skills aren’t limited to the gridiron alone. The QHS junior started in the outfield for the baseball team last spring after emerging as a high-quality wide receiver and defensive back during last…
Read MoreCrim: Statistical nuggets to satisfy prep football appetites heading into season openers
QUINCY — Welcome to a toasty Week 1 of the high school football season, which will feature later kickoff times, extended halftimes and multiple water breaks in efforts to beat the oppressive heat. Word to the wise: Plan accordingly for sitting on metal bleachers. Former Major League Baseball player and manager Lou Pinella once said…
Read MoreGame Night Guide: Area football’s Week 1 schedule, broadcast links and did you knows
QUINCY — The first Friday of the prep football season is nearly here, although it comes with a myriad of game time adjustments due to the heat. Here is a look at the schedule for area teams and where those games can be found on the radio or via livestream: Quincy Notre Dame at Quincy…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QND senior Ben Schwartz discusses football opener, being team captain
QUINCY — Ben Schwartz understands hard work. It’s engrained in you when you grow up in a farm family. Schwartz’s diligence and effort led to an opportunity to step into the starting lineup along the Quincy Notre Dame football team’s offensive line as a sophomore and he’s been an anchor ever since. Schwartz enters his…
Read MoreAthletic directors, coaches preaching caution when dealing with opening-week heat wave
QUINCY — Experience has taught Matt McClelland to always err on the side of caution. That explains why the Quincy High School boys soccer team’s season opener Tuesday night against Jacksonville was postponed. No makeup date has been set yet, but the Blue Devils and Crimsons intend to play the game once this heat wave…
Read More2023 Friday Night Lights area prep football preview section
QUINCY — Check out the Muddy River Sports 38-page preview of the upcoming high school football season with a look at all 16 teams in our coverage area, including team schedules and a list of where to find games on the radio and via livestream. Friday Night Lights is brought to you by Refreshment Services…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Hannibal’s Aneyas Williams discusses senior season, future with Fighting Irish
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Come the first weekend of December, when Missouri crowns its high school football state champions and puts a wrap on the fall season, the career of one the most dominant and electrifying athletes this area has ever seen will end as well. Luckily, all the football Friday nights and playoff games between…
Read MoreKey pieces to the puzzle: Check out five football players who will have significant impacts
QUINCY — The discussion of the best football player in the area starts and stops with Aneyas Williams. An argument could be made that the Hannibal senior running back, who has committed to the University of Notre Dame, is the top offensive talent in the state of Missouri. If you talk quarterbacks, one name tops…
Read MoreMark Twain’s Evans putting knowledge, commitment to use as leader for young squad
CENTER, Mo. — Entering his fourth season as a starter and one of only three seniors on the roster, Wyatt Evans sees himself as a de facto coach on the field for the Mark Twain football team. “I want everybody to be able to run our playbook right,” he said. “It’s not just a running…
Read MoreHealthy Byquist gives Blue Devils’ dynamic offense another gear in pursuit of deep playoff run
QUINCY — At first, Adon Byquist didn’t worry much about the severity of his injury. In fact, no one seemed overly concerned. The Quincy High School football team’s starting wingback went to the sideline during the season opener against Quincy Notre Dame last August with pain in his right knee. He said, at the time,…
Read MoreAnderson, Hornets ready to flex and muscle their way into playoff picture
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — Jack Anderson first ventured into the weight room with a specific purpose in mind. “I wanted to hit the gym to get stronger for basketball and football and sports in general,” he said. He rapidly found a more appealing aspect of working out. Anderson, a senior defensive end/tight end for the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hannibal football on display during Meet the Pirates event at Porter Stadium
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Saturday, the public got its first glimpse of the Hannibal football team, along with the cheerleaders and dance team during the annual “Meet the Pirates” event at Porter Stadium. Freelance photographer Mathew Kirby captured the action for this photo gallery:
Read MoreBlue Devils to find themselves front and center in WB6 football title talks
QUINCY — Rick Little better pack a zinger or two in his back pocket. A few are bound to be thrown his way. The Quincy High School football coach will join the other seven Western Big 6 Conference coaches as guest speakers at the WB6 Coaches Kickoff banquet, taking place next Wednesday at the Quad…
Read MoreRitchey ready to help Palmyra move forward and turn 2023 into memorable step in right direction
PALMYRA, Mo. — Palmyra had a football season to forget in 2022. Aaron Ritchey plans to do just that. “The main thing is to forget that last season ever happened,” the Panthers senior quarterback said. “We have new players, new coaches, a whole new offense and a whole new defense. Everything about our team this…
Read MoreMonroe City’s DeGrave on right track to return as electrifying playmaker after knee injury
MONROE CITY, Mo. — The speed is not quite what it used to be and cutting through an open hole is not as crisp as he would like, but Waylon DeGrave is confident it’s only a matter of time before the work he has put in the last nine months to rehabilitate his right knee…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Action gets underway as Hannibal teams prepare for fall seasons
HANNIBAL, Mo. — A new year has begun. Award-winning freelance photographer Mathew Kirby spent Monday criss-crossing the Hannibal High School campus and venturing out to the Veterans Elementary sports complex as Hannibal teams opened fall practice. He even made it to Norwoods Golf Course for the girls golf team’s practice. Kirby put together this photo…
Read MorePalmyra hires SIU all-time hits leader as new softball coach, adds Hannibal product as assistant football coach
PALMYRA, Mo. — The Palmyra coaching staff is getting an injection of youth across the board. During its May meeting, the Palmyra R-I Board of Education approved the hiring of Jenny Jansen, a 2022 graduate of Southern Illinois University, as the new varsity softball coach and two former Culver-Stockton College football players — Dalton Huffman…
Read MoreEmbattled former Palmyra football coach tenders resignation at Salem
SALEM, Mo. — The issues that resulted in former Palmyra football coach Kevin Miles tendering his resignation as a teacher March 30 have forced him to resign from his new job. According to the Salem News, the Salem R-80 Board of Education accepted Miles’ resignation as a teacher, head football coach and assistant athletic director…
Read MoreFormer Palmyra football coach makes first public comments since resigning as teacher
PALMYRA, Mo. — Expressing regret over what has transpired within the Palmyra football program and school district within the last six months, former Panthers coach Kevin Miles made his first public comments following his resignation as a teacher last week. Miles spoke with Dave Roberts of the Salem (Mo.) News and said “All I can…
Read MoreFormer Mark Twain all-state offensive lineman becomes Palmyra’s next football coach
PALMYRA, Mo. — The when, where, why and how things transpired weren’t going to change Dalton Hill’s outlook on what being a head football coach is all about. The focus has to be on the players, first and foremost. “I’m about the kids. It’s what I do this job for,” said Hill, whose appointment as…
Read MoreRock Island Alleman will not field varsity football team next fall
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Seven of the eight Western Big 6 Conference football programs suddenly have an open date on their schedules for next fall. Wednesday, at a meeting of WB6 principals and athletic directors in Galesburg, Rock Island Alleman informed the rest of the league it will not field a varsity football team in…
Read MoreJWCC Prairie State Profile: Payson’s Dieker develops confidence as strong as his game
PAYSON, Ill. — All of those running backs who were stopped dead in their tracks the past couple of seasons by Unity-Payson linebacker Bryan Dieker might find this funny. Five years ago, he didn’t know how to tackle. Those trying to defend Dieker on the basketball court might find this funny, too. Three years ago,…
Read MoreCrim: Spending time with Tommy Joe is treasure that lasts forever
MACON, Mo. — My cellphone rang the day after Christmas. I looked at the screen to see it was Tom Sneed, or Tommy Joe as he was called growing up, a moniker some of us in the family still use. He’s a second cousin on my mother’s side. It had been a while since we…
Read MoreHannibal, Monroe City stalwarts garner all-state honors from Missouri Football Coaches Association
HANNIBAL, Mo. — One of the nation’s most coveted recruits, who is days away from revealing his college choice, received an honor fitting his impressive production. One of the best tacklers Northeast Missouri has seen in recent memory picked up another honor, too. Hannibal all-purpose back Aneyas Williams and Monroe City linebacker Ceaton Pennewell repeated…
Read MoreQND to join Central State 8 Conference for football only beginning in 2024
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football program needed a home. The Central State 8 Conference needed another member to balance its scheduling paradigm. As it turns out, they needed each other at just the right time. Notre Dame and the CS8 collaboratively announced Wednesday morning the Raiders will join the league in 2024 for…
Read MoreMonroe City excels playing ‘old-school football,’ grinds way into Class 1 state semifinals
MONROE CITY, Mo. — The bottom line? “Now we’ve got the chance to play 48 more minutes,” said Monroe City running back Ceaton Pennewell, only moments after his club had survived a grueling Class 1 quarterfinal test Saturday afternoon against Lincoln. Monroe City’s 26-12 victory at Lankford Field did not come easy. If nothing else,…
Read MoreHumphrey, Pirates grind up Jays with potent rushing attack in district title victory
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal football team outscored Jefferson City — and the thermometer — on a frosty Friday night at E.A. Porter Stadium. The Pirates’ potent run-first-and-foremost offense eventually wore down the Jays on an evening when the temperature never broke 30 degrees and ended with a 42-21 Class 4 District 5 championship victory.…
Read MoreNeither temperatures nor Cardinals can derail Panthers’ pursuit of district championship
MONROE CITY, Mo. — Monroe City senior Ceaton Pennewell channeled his inner Luke Kuechly on Friday night. With temperatures in the high 20s and a wind chill in the teens, Pennewell wasn’t about to let South Shelby think he was cold. While some of his teammates were a little more dressed for the conditions, Pennewell,…
Read MorePalmyra football team forfeits six games after self-reporting violation of quarters played rule
PALMYRA, Mo. — A self-reported violation has led to the Palmyra football team officially forfeiting the final six games of its regular season, which included the Panthers’ lone victory against Highland in Week 8. Palmyra athletic director Brian Wosman confirmed the school submitted information to the Missouri State High School Activities Association showing a handful…
Read MoreThird-quarter blues: Lemont scores 21 straight points after halftime, knocks QHS out of playoffs
QUINCY — Coming out of the halftime locker room, Quincy High School football coach Rick Little and his counterpart at Lemont, Bret Kooi, had to play a bit of a chess game. Kooi’s squad led 17-10. Little had first choice and elected to receive the second half kickoff. Kooi was left to decide whether he…
Read MoreStick to what you know: Central rushes for more than 300 yards once again, reaches state quarterfinals
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Don’t kid yourself, that well-grounded approach to offense employed by Central’s football team is by no means an accident or simple happenstance. Yep, there’s a specific method to the successful madness on those wind-swept plains just outside of Camp Point. “We’ve always been a running team here,” junior two-way lineman Reese…
Read MoreSchuckman: Playoff loss doesn’t change legacy of Bombers, who made Friday night football an event
MACOMB, Ill. — Emily Horrell better get used to this if she hasn’t already. A few days before the Macomb football team played host to Murphysboro in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs, the wife of Bombers coach Tanner Horrell happened to be at a local retail store when two retirement-age women began…
Read MoreNext man up is next man to shine in Hannibal football team’s district semifinal romp
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Not even in his wildest dreams could Aaron Daughtery have ever envisioned what would unfold Friday night. Never, ever, ever. Daughtery, a sophomore defensive back making his first start in the Hannibal secondary, intercepted three passes — returning one for a touchdown — to help the Pirates overwhelm Warrenton 62-7 in the…
Read MoreMonroe City pounds ground to beat weather and Westran in Class 1 district semifinals
MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Monroe City football team can outrun almost anything or anyone. That includes the weather. With the start of the Class 1 District 6 semifinal against fourth-seeded Westran moved up 90 minutes in order to avoid impending storms, the top-seeded Panthers ran roughshod before the first raindrops fell, churning out 434…
Read MoreSchuckman: Empathy and respect create viral video moment between QHS, Glenwood football players
QUINCY — Cole Wagy saw beyond the jersey, the helmet and the foe and took note of a fellow football player’s heartache. At that moment, the Quincy High School offensive lineman walked over, knelt down and put his right arm around his ailing adversary. “I didn’t even know his name,” Wagy said. Names aren’t necessary…
Read MoreBombers outlast Raiders in Class 4A opening-round playoff game, earn another shot at redemption
MACOMB, Ill. — Macomb football coach Tanner Horrell could only shake his head Saturday night. “That’s a pretty good 5-4 team, huh?” Horrell asked, referring to a Quincy Notre Dame team that gave his undefeated Bombers all could they handle before coming away with a 28-14 victory over the Raiders in an opening-round Class 4A…
Read MoreCentral football team makes quick work of Dupo to start Class 1A playoff run
Camp Point was up 38-0 early in the second quarter and their second scoop-and-score defensive touchdown of the first half made it 54-0 going into halftime. The running clock made the second half a little less painful for Dupo before the 66-0 final.
Read MorePhoto gallery: Central football team rolls past Dupo 66-0 in Class 1A first-round playoff game
CAMP POINT, Ill. — One of the best defenses throughout the state in Class 1A lived up to that billing Saturday as the Central football team steamrolled Dupo 66-0 in a first-round playoff matchup. Check out this photo gallery of images from Central photographer Mike Pritchard:
Read MorePressure-packed situation: Blue Devils need to harass Titans quarterback to gain upper hand
QUINCY — The pressure to get pressure lies squarely on the Quincy High School football team’s defensive front. “And we have to pressure all night,” defensive lineman Caron Banks said. Otherwise, Chatham Glenwood quarterback Jack Knudson gains the edge. “We know he’s really good in the pocket and doesn’t scramble much,” QHS linebacker Ty Douglas…
Read MoreQND, Macomb to renew rivalry in opening round of Class 4A football playoffs
QUINCY — When the team bus rolled into the Quincy Notre Dame parking lot at around 7 p.m. Saturday, Raiders football coach Jack Cornell didn’t know which road his team would be taking in the postseason. As soon as Cornell knew, he told the players he’d spread the word. But there was a more important…
Read MoreExplosive finish to regular season ensures QND football team returns to state playoffs
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…
Read More‘What if magic happens?’: Senior linebacker’s INT critical to helping QHS football team navigate epic comeback
QUINCY — Down 28-0 to Rock Island on Senior Night at Flinn Stadium, Quincy High School senior linebacker Kory Fletcher tried to keep a good attitude. “I kept thinking, ‘What if magic happens?’ ” Fletcher said. “And magic happened.” The Blue Devils rallied from that first-half deficit to pull out a thrilling 47-42 Western Big…
Read MoreSchuckman: Bombers finish one historic chapter, ready themselves to chase more benchmarks
CARTHAGE, Ill. — On a field where history grows with every blade of grass, the Illini West football team was intent on keeping history from happening. For nearly eight minutes, that seemed possible. Then in a blink, it became clear history wouldn’t be denied. Facing undefeated, state-ranked Macomb in the regular-season finale Friday night at…
Read MorePanthers punctuate perfect regular season by hammering Warriors as playoff prelude
CAMP POINT, Ill. — At Central High School, the postseason has become an annual rite of passage once the calendar reaches deep into October. And it’s time — for the 14th straight year — for the Panthers to turn their attention to another playoff pursuit. Central, No. 4 in the latest Class 1A rankings, punctuated…
Read MoreHumphrey carries load for Hannibal football team after Williams exits with injury
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Markahl Humphrey ran for a career-high 193 yards and scored three touchdowns Friday night, triggering the Hannibal football team’s hard-fought 27-21 victory over Columbia Battle at Porter Stadium. The spotlight was thrust on Humphrey, a senior running back, following a first-quarter injury to junior all-purpose back Aneyas Williams, a major NCAA Division…
Read MoreBall-control offense, opportunistic defense carry Monroe City to undefeated run through CCC
MONROE CITY, Mo. — For all of the big-play capabilities Class 1’s top-ranked team possesses, the ability to grind out a drive and control the clock could be what separates the Monroe City football team from the rest of the field. It separated the Panthers from the rest of the Clarence Cannon Conference. Monroe City…
Read More‘Really, it’s all of them’: Limitless trust in wide receivers allows QHS quarterback to break passing record
QUINCY — Bradyn Little deliberated before answering, and even then the Quincy High School sophomore quarterback struggled to give a single response. So which one of his wide receivers is the best at making the tough catches? “Caeden (Johannessen) has had a few tough catches. And Jack (Mettemeyer). And Tykell (Hammers),” Little said. “Really, it’s…
Read MoreBlue Devils score 51 points in first quarter, rout Pioneers to guarantee themselves playoff berth
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Quincy High School football coach Rick Little wants to see the Blue Devils play with an edge — no matter the opponent. If not, he knows it can prove costly. That will be a point of emphasis this week in preparation for the regular-season finale at home against Rock Island following…
Read MoreFlash and crash: Monroe City uses lightning-and-thunder backfield to overrun Macon in CCC battle
MONROE CITY, Mo. — Waylon DeGrave and Ceaton Pennewell give the Monroe City football team two entirely different looks in the backfield. DeGrave, a junior, provides the flash, while Pennewell, a senior, counters as the Panthers’ punisher. Both proved to be hard to stop on Friday night at Lankford Field. DeGrave broke off two long…
Read MoreHannibal football team’s defense sets tone for finishing NCMC campaign undefeated
MARSHALL, Mo. — The defense gave the offense a rest Friday night, all while putting the finishing touches on another undefeated run through the North Central Missouri Conference for the Hannibal football team. Owen Andrews returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession, and following a safety, Jack Parker returned the…
Read MoreTrench gang: Stout offensive line paving QHS football team’s path to playoffs
QUINCY — Conner Cox seemed almost apologetic for not being overly elated when the Quincy High School football team scores a touchdown these days. As the junior offensive lineman sees it, scoring isn’t a rarity. It’s an expectation. “Every game, it feels almost routine to score a touchdown,” said Cox, a 6-foot, 250-pound right tackle.…
Read MoreBlue Devils exploit Maple Leafs’ pass defense, become playoff eligible with WB6 victory
GENESEO, Ill. — Film study doesn’t lie. In preparation for Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference matchup, the Quincy High School football coaching staff noticed a way to attack the Geneseo defense with its passing game if the Maple Leafs ran the same schemes. “We’re at that point of the season where we wonder how…
Read MoreSophomore QB engineers another NCMC blowout as Hannibal closes in on league crown
HANNIBAL, Mo. — When those early autumn breezes began to turn cold, the Hannibal Pirates were something to behold. Especially quarterback Waylon Anders. The sophomore enjoyed his finest game to date, accenting what had already been a breakout season. Anders led high-scoring Hannibal to another one-sided victory, this one a 53-7 dismantling of Moberly in…
Read MoreRaiders to face win-to-be-in scenario in final two weeks following Homecoming loss to Wildcats
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame football coach Jack Cornell didn’t need to be told that it’s do-or-die time for his Raiders. If the Raiders are to continue their season into the IHSA playoffs, they’ll need to win their final two regular-season games after suffering a 17-0 Homecoming loss to Normal West on Friday night at…
Read MoreGame Night Guide: Week 7 prep football schedule with radio and livestream links
Here is a look at this week’s slate of high school football games and where those games will be broadcast on the radio or via livestream: Friday’s games Quincy High School (4-2) at Geneseo (4-2), 7:30 p.m. • WTAD 930 AM, 103.3 FM • NFHS Network stream Normal West (5-1) at Quincy Notre Dame (3-3)),…
Read MoreMonroe City captures another Mayor’s Cup, setting tone with touchdown on first play
MONROE CITY, Mo. — Sure, Monroe City and Palmyra are long-standing football rivals. It’s always a game where emotions run high. Talent and execution, probably in that order, often take emotion out of any such equation. Such was the case Friday night at Lankford Field. Monroe City’s talent and execution, most certainly in that order,…
Read MoreMahomet-Seymour clamps down on QND, despite Raiders’ ability to create turnovers
MAHOMET, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame football team’s initial offensive possession Friday night ended with Deakon Schuette’s 37-yard field goal, but it showed the Raiders could move the ball against state-ranked Mahomet-Seymour. That was a fleeting feeling. Despite a defensive effort that forced five turnovers and scored a defensive touchdown, the Raiders weren’t able…
Read MoreGame Night Guide: Week 6 prep football schedule with radio and livestream links
Here is a look at this week’s slate of high school football games and where those games will be broadcast on the radio or via livestream: Friday’s games Sterling (4-1) at Quincy High School (4-1), 7:30 p.m. • WGEM 1440 AM, 98.9 FM • WTAD 930 AM, 103.3 FM • NFHS Network stream Quincy Notre…
Read MoreCrim: Cappel’s three-year stint coaching QHS football created memories he still treasures
SHOREWOOD, Ill. — Dean Cappel and his wife, Connie, live in an active 55-and-older community west of Joliet. When they’re not traveling or doting on their six grandchildren, they like to spend time playing water volleyball and bocce ball and riding bicycles. “I just came back from the weight room,” Cappel said as we began…
Read MoreSchuckman: Undefeated start generating enthusiasm for Macomb football program
MACOMB, Ill. — If rainfall and lightning strikes can’t put a damper on the enthusiasm surrounding the Macomb football program, what can? Right now, nothing. Friday night’s crowd was asked to leave the stadium complex to wait out a thunderstorm cell that passed over the area just before Friday night’s kickoff against Farmington. It delayed…
Read MoreSecond-half defensive effort gets QND football team back on track with victory over Mater Dei
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame senior Wilson Henning has sensed a trend so far this season. “We’ve played well in the first half, but in the second half, we are just gassed out,” the Raiders offensive lineman said. Friday night’s rivalry game with Breese Mater Dei looked as if it might go down the same…
Read MoreGame Night Guide: Where to find Week 5 prep football games on radio, livestream
Here is a look at this week’s slate of high school football games and where those games will be broadcast on the radio or via livestream: Friday’s games Quincy High School (3-1) at Galesburg (1-3), 7:30 p.m. • WGIL 93.7 FM, 1400 AM • NFHS Network stream Breese Mater Dei (2-2) at Quincy Notre Dame…
Read MoreSchuckman: Brown County, Central show how electric, energetic healthy rivalries can be
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — The Nest deserved a little TLC. The Brown County football team hadn’t played at home since its Week 1 victory over Calhoun when it was one of the first teams in the state to take the field, opening on a Thursday night. In the three weeks since, the Hornets’ all-natural grass…
Read MorePirates bury Hornets with overwhelming first-quarter surge in NCMC opener
FULTON, Mo. — An ominous start didn’t translate to an oh-no-that-just-happened finish. Actually, a fumble on the Hannibal football team’s first possession Friday night against Fulton was merely a blip during an otherwise rock-solid performance in the North Central Missouri Conference opener. The Pirates followed the lost fumble by scoring on four consecutive possessions before…
Read MoreMonroe City proves it belongs at top of Class 1 and CCC heaps after thwarting South Shelby
MONROE CITY, Mo. — The top-ranked team in Missouri Class 1 reminded a team clawing its way toward statewide recognition why it sits at the top of the heap. Monroe City is intent on staying there, too. The Panthers scored on five of their six first-half possessions Friday night — the sixth ended with time…
Read MoreGame Night Guide: Prep football’s weekend slate with links for radio and livestream broadcasts
Here is a look at this week’s slate of high school football games and where those games will be broadcast on the radio or via livestream: Friday’s games United Township (0-3) at Quincy High School (2-1), 7 p.m. • WGEM 1440 AM, 98.9 FM • WTAD 930 AM, 103.3 FM Hannibal (1-2) at Fulton (0-3),…
Read MoreQND searching for replacement after Hayti forfeits Saturday’s scheduled football game
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football players were engaged in their pre-practice team meeting and watching game film when Raiders coach Jack Cornell interrupted everything with some disheartening news. Saturday’s opponent — Hayti, a Class 1 school from the Missouri bootheel with an enrollment of 260 students — was forfeiting. “Silent,” senior running back…
Read MoreJWCC Prairie State Profile: Brown County’s Wort relishes experiencing memorable moments
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — The roar of the Harley Davidsons. The swaying of the crowd. The green and white banners everywhere. How could a Brown County football player not be energized coming out of the locker room and running into such an environment? “It is the greatest thing ever,” said Colby Wort, the Hornets’ senior…
Read MoreLand of missed opportunity: QND football team squanders scoring chances, falls to Chicago Hope
QUINCY — A progression of missed opportunities Saturday afternoon left the Quincy Notre Dame football players equally perturbed and perplexed by their mistakes. The best explanation the Raiders could summon was a failure to execute. “In all phases of the game, it really just comes down to execution, effort and technique,” said Dalton Miller, the…
Read MorePirates unable to erase entire deficit despite valiant second-half effort in loss to Trojans
TROY, Mo. — Aneyas Williams was too upset to be tired Saturday night as he walked off the field following Hannibal’s 42-40 loss to Troy Buchanan. Williams, the Pirates’ all-everything junior star, did his part, rushing for 247 yards, scoring four touchdowns, making seven tackles and forcing a fumble. He came off the field for…
Read MoreFeeling blue defensively: QHS unable to slow Moline’s ground attack in dropping WB6 opener
MOLINE, Ill. — Riley Fuller knows the Moline football team isn’t going to get many style points for how it runs its triple option offense. “Once we get rolling, we just don’t get stopped,” the Maroons senior running back said. Quincy High School found that out the hard way. Moline rushed for more than 500…
Read MoreTop-ranked Monroe City runs roughshod in winning conference opener
EWING, Mo. — Friday night in the Clarence Cannon Conference opener, the Monroe City football team showcased three reasons why it has elevated itself to the top of the Class 1 state rankings. Speed, power and playmaking. Cameron Jones scored on a 67-yard run on the Panthers’ first offense play and they never slowed down,…
Read MoreGame Night Guide: Prep football’s weekend slate with links for radio and livestream broadcasts
Here is a look at this week’s slate of high school football games and where those games will be broadcast on the radio or via livestream: Friday’s games Quincy High School (2-0) at Moline (1-1), 7 p.m. • WGEM 1440 AM, 98.9 FM • WTAD 930 AM, 103.3 FM Unity-Payson (1-1) at Central (2-0), 7…
Read MorePlayground bullies: Blue Devils dominate Redbirds up front to open season with back-to-back victories
QUINCY — Quincy High School senior Gregory Quince wasn’t too surprised to see the Blue Devils bully Alton on Friday night at Flinn Stadium. “We watched film and our defensive line and offensive line were really looking forward to the game,” the QHS wide receiver/defensive back said. The big guys up front on both sides…
Read MoreCentral’s Dixon reaches coaching milestone as sixth-ranked Panthers overwhelm Wolves
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Central football coach Brad Dixon preferred to deflect the post-game attention toward his team. But, hey, a coach only wins his 100th game one time, and Friday night it was Dixon’s turn. Central’s 46-0 victory over Pleasant Hill provided Dixon with that milestone, one that makes him just the 10th coach…
Read MoreRaiders demonstrate ability to play physical, shut out Pioneers for first victory
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame football coach Jack Cornell wasn’t pleased with his team’s physical level of play in last week’s loss to Quincy High School. His concern was addressed on Friday night when his team rushed for 277 yards in a 38-0 victory over Rock Island Alleman at Lundberg Field on the…
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