Posts Tagged ‘Quincy Notre Dame’
Bunte hits homer, hurls one-hit shutout as QND softball team runs winning streak to eight games
QUINCY — Caitlin Bunte tossed a one-hit shutout and hit a two-run home run as the Quincy Notre Dame softball team won its eighth game in a row, dispatching Pleasant Hill 8-0. Bunte’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning gave the Raiders a 5-0 lead, Lauren Miller extended that lead to six…
Read MoreRaiders hold off late Blue Devil rally to sweep season series
QUINCY — The record will show that Quincy Notre Dame swept the girls soccer season series against crosstown rival Quincy High School. But after shutting out the Blue Devils in the first meeting last month and holding them scoreless through the opening 72 minutes of the rematch Friday night, the Raiders had to sweat it out. Staked to a…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Boyer scores on Winking infield single as Raiders outlast Tigers
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame senior Madalyn Boyer scored the winning run from second base as Morgan Winking legged out an infield single to with two outs in the sixth inning to help QND beat Beardstown 3-2 on Friday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured these images at The Backyard.
Read MoreWink and a knock: Raiders slap hitter drives in winning run in WCC showdown with Tigers
QUINCY -— By trade, Morgan Winking is described as a softball slapper. The left-hander uses extraordinary bat control, and when coupled with her above-average speed, she provides the Quincy Notre Dame softball team with an effective weapon at the bottom of its order. Winking’s talent was on display late Friday afternoon at The Backyard, where…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Conkright brothers shine in West Hancock’s upset victory over QND
HAMILTON, Ill. — West Hancock senior third baseman Grayson Conkright hit a three-run home run and reached base four times, and his brother, junior Layton Conkright, had two RBIs and pitched the final 3⅔ innings to earn the save in a 9-4 victory over Quincy Notre Dame on Thursday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey…
Read More‘It’s a big, big, big win’: Coming into game with 3-15 record, West Hancock baseball team stuns QND
HAMILTON, Ill. — Layton Conkright’s exuberance after the final out encapsulated what Thursday’s 9-4 victory over Quincy Notre Dame meant to him and the West Hancock baseball program. After Conkright got Logan Sutton to ground out to end the game, Conkright pumped his fists, let out a roar that was probably audible from Warsaw and…
Read MoreRaiders celebrate final home game for seniors with 6-0 victory, anxious to make postseason tournament run
QUINCY — Two goals scored within 40 seconds of each other put the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team in front in the game’s first nine minutes, and the Raiders went on to enjoy senior night with a 6-0 victory over Jacksonville on Wednesday night at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Mia Vranjes got the first…
Read MoreWiewel blasts 12th home run, freshman tosses complete game two-hitter as QND routs Southeastern
AUGUSTA, Ill. — Abram Wiewel hit his 12th home run of the season and freshman Reese Schertel hurled a complete game two-hitter for his first varsity victory as the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team cruised to a 12-2 victory over Southeastern in five innings on Wednesday. Wiewel also drove in four runs for the Raiders (17-7).…
Read MoreDay waits to hear about classroom test but aces test on pitcher’s mound in QHS shutout of QND
QUINCY — James Day doesn’t necessarily want to take his AP Government test again, but if it helps him pitch like he did on Tuesday, he gladly would. About an hour before his scheduled start against Quincy Notre Dame, Day, a junior at Quincy High School, finished the test he needs to pass to earn…
Read MoreQND softball team eclipses 20-victory mark for sixth consrcutive year with 16-1 decision over Southeastern
QUINCY — Caitlin Bunte homered to center field to lead off the bottom of the first inning for the Quincy Notre Dame softball team, which went on to post a 16-1 victory over Southeastern on Tuesday afternoon at the Backyard. The victory enables the Raiders (20-4) to reach the 20-victory plateau for the sixth consecutive…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Dent, Konrad ignite Blue Devils’ offense in dominant victory over Notre Dame
QUINCY — Mason Dent and Nate Konrad hit home runs and the Quincy High School baseball team cranked out 12 hits in a dominant 10-0 victory over Quincy Notre Dame at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield on Tuesday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured these images from the crosstown showdown.
Read MoreBarnes’ goal gives QND life, but late surge isn’t enough in one-goal loss at home to Springfield
QUINCY — Ellison Barnes practiced what Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Thomas has preached, and it gave the Raiders a chance against Springfield on Monday at Advance Physical Therapy Field. With the Raiders trailing the Senators 2-0 and five minutes left in the second half, Barnes, a junior forward and midfielder, made a…
Read MoreReyburn finally homers to fulfill coach’s prophecy, punctuating QND’s victory over Brown County
QUINCY — Rich Polak, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball coach, had seen it coming for the last four months. He helps train Raiders junior outfielder Weston Reyburn during the offseason. “Going into the season, he’d never even had an extra base hit,” Polak said. “He put on 20 pounds of muscle. I said, ‘Listen, you’re…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Wiewel strikes out 16, Raiders pull away from Hornets late
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame senior Abram Wiewel continues to stake his claim as one of the top baseball players in the area. Wiewel struck out 16 Brown County batters and added a triple in QND’s 10-2 victory on Monday. Wiewel has compiled a 2.14 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 36 innings and is hitting…
Read MoreCrim: QND’s Connell says IHSA changes to address ‘competitive equity’ unfairly penalizes all private schools
QUINCY – The public-private debate is as old as high school athletics itself. It reached a fever pitch last fall in Illinois when private schools won seven of the eight state football championships. While insisting that was not the tipping point, the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors has since voted to implement three…
Read MoreRaiders pound out 36 hits, 32 runs and six home runs in doubleheader sweep of Alton Marquette
QUINCY — Caitlin Bunte had seven hits in eight at-bats, including three home runs, and drove in 10 runs during the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s 17-2 and 15-4 victories over Alton Marquette on Saturday at the Backyard. Bunte went 4 for 4 with two home runs, four runs scored and five RBIs in the…
Read More‘Brum Strong’: Wiewel blasts 11th homer in first inning of Notre Dame baseball’s victory over Central
QUINCY — Abram Wiewel says he does not get caught up in the numbers, but they are difficult to ignore. The Quincy Notre Dame senior shortstop and right-handed pitcher cranked his 11th home run of the season in the first inning of the Raiders’ 13-6 victory over Camp Point Central on Friday. Amidst his power…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders extend win streak ahead of showdown with Brown County
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team reached 15 wins on the season and five in a row after handling Camp Point Central 13-6 Friday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Abram Wiewel hit his 11th home run of the season, and the Raiders scored double-digit runs for the ninth time. QND (15-6) will…
Read MoreWiewel’s homer to lead off seventh sparks seven-run surge to give Raiders victory over Clark County
KAHOKA, Mo. — Another day, another Abram Wiewel home run — but this one ignited a game-saving rally. With the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team trailing Clark County 11-10 in the top of the seventh inning on Tuesday, Wiewel belted a leadoff home run, sparking a seven-run inning. Bradi Lahr hit a two-run home run…
Read MorePatton records hat trick, Stratton adds two goals and three assists as QND girls soccer rolls in Iowa
BURLINGTON, Iowa — Makayla Patton recorded a hat trick, and Sage Stratton tallied two goals and three assists as the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team trounced Burlington Notre Dame 8-2 on Tuesday. Patton got the scoring started three minutes into the game and netted two goals five minutes apart in the second half, the…
Read MoreHolzgrafe filling in at No. 1 doubles spot just fine for injured teammate, helps QHS tennis team win every set in victory
QUINCY — Ethan Stark will return soon, but in the meantime, Kael Holzgrafe has found a home in the No. 1 doubles spot for the Quincy High School tennis team. Holzgrafe and Surya Reddy defeated Quincy Notre Dame’s Daniel Dyer and Alex Strong 9-7 in No. 1 doubles as part of the Blue Devils’ 9-0…
Read MoreDirty Dozen: QND softball maintains mastery over arch rival QHS, wins 13-3 at home
QUINCY — To her credit, Anjay Heinecke did not try to sidestep the question. The Quincy High School softball coach fully admitted the frustration of the ongoing losing streak to arch rival Quincy Notre Dame, the latest loss coming in 13-3 fashion on a balmy Monday evening inside the friendly confines of The Backyard at 10th and…
Read MoreBack-to-back homers get Raiders off to great start, Lahr drives in seven runs in 21-0 victory
MENDON, Ill. — The first two at-bats for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team against Unity were a harbinger of things to come. Freshman Eli Johnson and senior Abram Wiewel belted back-to-back home runs in the top of the first, then the Raiders piled on 19 combined runs in the third and fourth innings —…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: QHS earns clean sweep of QND in dual at Reservoir Park
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys tennis team improved its dual record to 15-2 with a 9-0 victory over Quincy Notre Dame on Monday at Reservoir Park. The Blue Devils did not drop a set in any match on a day when temperatures reached near 90 degrees and winds blew upwards of 20 miles…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders all smiles in victory over Blue Devils in crosstown showdown
QUINCY —The Quincy Notre Dame softball team jumped on Quincy High School with four runs in the first inning on Monday and never looked back in a 13-3 victory at The Backyard. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured some of the action from 10th and Jackson.
Read MoreRaiders rebound from tough defeat on Friday to snag pair of victories in Clopton on Saturday
CLOPTON, Mo. — A quick turnaround did not bother the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team. Less than 15 hours after a 10-2 road loss to Illini West, the Raiders made the 75-minute drive to Clopton for a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. QND combined for 22 runs in two games, defeating Clopton 13-6 and…
Read MoreMuscling Up: Watkins’ homer ignites fuse for eight-run inning as Illini West baseball team thumps QND
CARTHAGE, Ill. — Illini West senior catcher Shawn Watkins Jr.’s home plate collision with Quincy Notre Dame’s Oliver Triplett did not faze him. Watkins, a two-time state qualifying wrestler, welcomed the physicality. “It’s not the first one of the year, and it probably won’t be the last one,” Watkins said. “I feel like wrestling toughens…
Read MoreRaiders shut out by undefeated Peoria Notre Dame, but Thomas pleased with performance
QUINCY — Losing still stinks, but Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Thomas was pleased with his team’s play Friday night in a 2-0 loss to undefeated Peoria Notre Dame. “We worked hard,” Thomas said after the game, played at Advance Physical Therapy Field. “(Peoria Notre Dame has) got a good team, and that’ll…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Chargers’ Carlisle carries no-hit bid into fifth inning against Raiders
Illini West starting pitcher Ethan Carlisle carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning of Friday’s baseball game against Quincy Notre Dame, which the Chargers eventually won 10-2. Carlisle gave up just one baserunner before Bradi Lahr’s single leading off the fifth. Carlisle exited after five innings after striking out six and walking just one on…
Read MoreQND baseball team limited to five hits as four-game winning streak ends at Beardstown
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s four-game winning streak was snapped on Thursday in a 7-4 loss to Beardstown. Raiders starter Abram Wiewel only lasted 2 1/3 innings, leaving the game after allowing a single and striking out a batter in the third inning and QND ahead 3-1. Beardstown scored four runs…
Read MoreWinking’s walk sets up red-hot Bunte to clear bases with triple, setting tone early for QND softball team
QUINCY — The most important at-bat in Wednesday afternoon’s 12-2 victory by the Quincy Notre Dame softball team over Western at the Backyard came in the second inning when it took the lead. No, it wasn’t Caitlin Bunte’s bases-clearing triple, breaking a scoreless tie. Instead, it was Morgan Winking’s two-out walk to load the bases,…
Read MoreThree-run homer in bottom of sixth sinks Notre Dame softball team in 4-1 road loss to Carrollton
CARROLLTON, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team scored first and led 1-0 after 4 ½ innings, but Carrollton tied the game in the bottom of the fifth and then took the lead in the sixth with a three-run homer to claim a 4-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon. Singles by Vanna Holmes and…
Read MoreRaiders extend winning streak to four, have won nine of last 10 after routing Payson Seymour
QUINCY — Sophomore starter Sam Klauser allowed one earned run in four innings of work, and two freshmen combined for three scoreless innings in relief as the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team defeated Payson Seymour 10-2 on Monday night. The victory was the fourth straight for the Raiders (10-4), who have won nine of their…
Read MoreStegeman belts first career homer, Wiewel fans baker’s dozen in QND baseball’s victory over Rochester
QUINCY — In a year full of firsts for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team, Rowan Stegeman added his name to that list on Saturday. The freshman third baseman hit his first career home run, a two-run shot to left field in the first inning, to give the Raiders a 2-1 lead over Rochester. The…
Read MoreAfter falling behind, Hannibal girls soccer team scores next four goals to knock off Notre Dame
QUINCY — Makayla Patton’s goal for Quincy Notre Dame 11 minutes into Thursday night’s game at Advance Physical Therapy Field broke a scoreless tie. It was like a slap in the face to the Hannibal girls soccer team. “We didn’t have the first goal, but if anything, it made us just come back harder and…
Read MoreOne strike from victory, Raiders give up tying and winning runs in bottom of seventh at Piasa
PIASA, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team was one strike from victory, but a two-out two-strike RBI single tied the score and another RBI single drove home the winning run for Piasa Southwestern in an 8-7 victory on Thursday afternoon. The Raiders led 7-5 entering the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Caitlin…
Read MoreBoyer slugs homer, earns victory in circle as QND extends softball win streak over QHS to 11 games
QUINCY — Understandably, Madalyn Boyer needed a few moments to decide what was more enjoyable. The Quincy Notre Dame right-hander was the winning pitcher — with excellent relief help from Caitlin Bunte — and also socked her first home run of the season during the Raiders’ 6-2 victory over rival Quincy High School in a Wednesday…
Read MoreFirst homer for Johnson energizes Raiders, who escape with wild 12-10 victory at Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Eli Johnson could not contain his excitement. The Quincy Notre Dame freshman is a fiery competitor, but after hitting his first career home run on Wednesday, he smacked Raiders coach Rich Polak’s hand rounding third base. Polak felt the effects of Johnson’s emotions running high. “I think he almost broke my hand,”…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders improve to 15-2, close in on sixth consecutive 20-victory season
Wednesday’s 6-2 victory over Quincy High School moved the Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team one step closer to a sixth consecutive 20-victory season. Notre Dame has outscored Quincy 87-18 during that 11-game stretch. The last QHS victory against the Raiders came in April 2018. Muddy River News Editor David Adam captured some of the images from…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Plenty of baseball, softball action in Pittsfield on Wednesday night
Sports Writer Shane Hulsey caught a different type of doubleheader on Wednesday night, capturing images of Quincy Notre Dame’s 12-10 victory over Pittsfield in baseball as well as Pittsfield’s come-from-behind 7-6 victory over Western in softball.
Read MoreOpportunity knocks, and freshman pinch-hitter answers to help QND softball rally at Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame freshman Cadence Smith knew her opportunity would come, and she made the most of it. The QND softball team was trailing Pittsfield 4-2 with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the fourth on Monday when Smith came off the bench to hit for Ellie Miller…
Read MoreWiewel stays hot in QND baseball team’s blowout victory over Rushville-Industry
RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Abram Wiewel just keeps on slugging. The Quincy Notre Dame senior belted a home run for the third straight game and went 4 for 5 with five RBIs in the Raiders’ 19-5 victory over Rushville-Industry on Monday. Wiewel’s second-inning grand slam marked his fifth home run of the season, all of which…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Bunte’s amazing offensive streak continues for Raiders
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Caitlin Bunte went 2 for 3 with a two-run home run in the third inning and scored three runs in Quincy Notre Dame’s 10-4 victory over Pittsfield in a prep softball game on Monday night. In the last eight games dating back to April 5, Bunte has gone 15 for 22 with…
Read MoreRaiders own worst enemy in lopsided loss to Chatham Glenwood
QUINCY — File it and forget it. That’s about all the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team could do following Saturday’s 15-2, six-inning loss to Chatham Glenwood at Ferd Niemann Memorial Field. The Raiders (6-4) proved to be their own worst enemy. “Nine walks, four errors … ,” said QND coach Rich Polak, recounting some of…
Read MoreBunte has five hits, seven RBIs in first game as QND softball splits with Bloomington Central Catholic
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Caitlin Bunte had the game of dreams on Saturday. The Quincy Notre Dame senior and University of Indianapolis commit went 5 for 6 with seven RBIs and hit for the cycle in the Raiders’ 15-4 victory over Bloomington Central Catholic in the first game of a doubleheader. Bunte got the home run…
Read MoreQND commands second half, ends losing streak against QHS with 2-0 girls soccer victory
QUINCY – Quincy High School swept crosstown rival Quincy Notre Dame in each of the previous two seasons, the only times the Blue Devils had accomplished that in the first 34 years of the girls soccer series. The Raiders were intent on flipping the script on Friday night when the teams met for the first…
Read MoreBunte atones for first-inning mistake, goes 4 for 4 in QND softball team’s home victory
QUINCY — Caitlin Bunte did not let a first-inning error deter her and instead used it as motivation. Two batters into the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s game against Triopia on Friday, Raiders third baseman Josie Boyer fielded a ground ball off the bat of Addilynn Tracy. Bunte dropped Boyer’s throw to first, allowing Tracy…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders’ offense comes alive after scoring just one goal in past two games
Adde Flesch gave the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team, which had managed just one goal combined in back-to-back losses to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Hannibal (Mo.), the lead with just 3 minutes, 9 seconds elapsed during Friday night’s game against Quincy High School at Flinn Stadium. Sage Stratton scored the Raiders’ second goal in…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders shut down high-scoring Triopia after allowing early run
Caitlin Bunte had four hits, scored two runs and fired five scoreless innings in relief as the Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team beat Triopia 4-1 at The Backyard on Friday. Bunte struck out nine and retired the final 13 batters of the game, throwing 46 of her 61 pitches for strikes. Sports Writer Shane…
Read MoreJohnson, Wiewel help Raiders storm back for victory over Hannibal before storm ends game
QUINCY – The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team provided a little thunder and lightning just before Mother Nature delivered the real thing. Eli Johnson doubled off the left-field fence to drive home the go-ahead run, and Abram Wiewel followed with a two-run homer to cap a six-run fifth inning to carry the Raiders to a…
Read MoreTurner stands tall as Pirates fend off Raiders in cross-river battle
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal girls soccer team’s potent offense gave it the lead. Senior goalkeeper Ava Turner made sure that lead stayed in tact. Turner stopped each of the first eight shots she faced, several of which came from point blank range, as the Pirates beat Quincy Notre Dame 5-1 Tuesday at the Veterans…
Read MoreWiewel, Raiders lock in and lock up Crimsons to secure fourth consecutive victory
QUINCY — The way things unfolded in the top of the first inning Saturday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield left Abram Wiewel looking for control. One swing seemed to help him find it. The No. 3 hitter in the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s lineup got a first-inning merry-go-round going with his one-out single…
Read MorePatton, Flesch get Raiders’ offense rolling in right direction in four-goal victory over Bullets
QUINCY — What took place on the backend of each of the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team’s scoring opportunities is what gets remembered. It’s the build-up to those opportunities that Raiders coach Mark Thomas likes to see. The off-the-ball movement of forwards Makayla Patton and Addie Flesch and the control of midfielders Sage Stratton…
Read MoreWiewel, Klauser combine to quiet Panthers as no-hitter leads to Raiders’ victory
QUINCY — The plan was in place. All Abram Wiewel and Samuel Klauser had to do was execute it. The two Quincy Notre Dame right-handed hurlers did so to near perfection as they combined to no-hit Palmyra in a 7-0 victory Tuesday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Wiewel started and pitched the first two…
Read MoreRaiders forge tie with Explorers, get early-season taste of what postseason path looks like
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team got a taste of what the Class 1A postseason path may look like, and it was no April fool’s joke. The Raiders played Alton Marquette to a scoreless tie Monday night at Advance Physical Therapy Field, finding the Explorers’ defense difficult to generate an attack against…
Read MoreInterference call ends pitchers’ duel as Raiders outlast Warriors at softball slam
QUINCY — Whether the play was savvy, lucky or both, Alyssa Ley’s instincts paid off. With the bases loaded, two outs and the Quincy Notre Dame softball team leading Hardin Calhoun 1-0 in the top of the seventh inning Saturday, Ley ranged to her left from her shortstop position to field a ground ball off…
Read MoreWhite’s speed turns tide in Raiders’ favor during one-run win over Warriors
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame freshman outfielder Sophia White has earned the nickname “Flash.” On Saturday, she showed why. White led off the third inning of a scoreless game against Hardin Calhoun at The Backyard with one task — get on base. With that in mind, Raiders coach Eric Orne told White to bunt for…
Read MorePayson Seymour splits games at softball slam, while Illini West suffers pair of setbacks
QUINCY — Four teams provided a day full of action at Saturday’s Quincy Notre Dame Softball Slam at The Backyard. The finale provided plenty of drama with QND squeaking out a 1-0 victory over Hardin Calhoun. Here is a recap of the three games preceding that showdown: Archer’s timely hits give Indians lift Corin Robinson…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Stratton guides QND girls basketball team to remarkable success, earns Player of the Year honor
QUINCY — Standing in the hallway leading from the locker room to the gym in Illini West High School, Sage Stratton experienced a moment that set her up to be a leader, a contributor and arguably one of Quincy Notre Dame’s all-time greats. The Raiders had just beaten Illini West 40-38 in a battle of…
Read MoreWiewel finishes what he starts, makes defensive play to end Raiders’ one-run win over Blue Devils
QUINCY — Bradi Lahr had no doubt Abram Wiewel would make the play. “It’s Abram Wiewel,” said Lahr, a junior right-handed pitcher for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team. “He’s the best ballplayer I’ve been on a team with. I had trust in him the whole time.” With the Raiders leading Quincy High School 5-4,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, QHS baseball teams open season Saturday at QU Stadium
QUINCY — Opening day for the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame baseball teams showed what fans have come to expect from both programs — grit, tenacity and tight games in the city series. After both teams dropped their season openers to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, QND took the upper hand in the city rivalry…
Read MoreQND softball team manufactures walk-off victory, completes season-opening sweep
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The next time Quincy Notre Dame softball coach Eric Orne tells his team good things happen when you put pressure on the opposing defense, he has a prime example to use to back that up. The Raiders opened their season Friday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over East Dubuque in which they…
Read MoreBoyer joins Bunte to create formidable one-two punch for QND softball team’s pitching staff
QUINCY — Madalyn Boyer used to fear facing Caitlin Bunte. “I’ve always struggled hitting off of her,” Boyer said. “Everybody struggles hitting off of her.” Now there is no need to fear. Boyer, a senior pitcher and third baseman who transferred from Illini West to Quincy Notre Dame prior to this school year, will combine…
Read MoreFinding balance between youthful exuberance, veteran leadership will define QND’s spring success
QUINCY — A mix of young talent and veteran leadership will shape the success of Quincy Notre Dame’s collection of teams this spring. Baseball A young, speedy QND baseball team will take the field for the first time at the QHS Slam on Saturday against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Quincy High School at QU Stadium.…
Read More‘I wanted to enjoy this last moment’: Stratton, Raiders finish fourth at state after loss to Panthers
NORMAL, Ill. — It was not the happy ending Sage Stratton had envisioned, but even as the tears streamed down her face as she watched the Washington girls basketball team celebrate Friday night’s 60-51 victory over Quincy Notre Dame in the Class 3A third-place game at CEFCU Arena, the QND senior guard had no qualms…
Read More‘You still get chills’: Orne keeps enjoyment of state tournament experience at forefront
NORMAL, Ill. — Eric Orne is still not numb to the feeling. “You still get chills when you walk through the tunnel,” Orne said. That tunnel leads you into CEFCU Arena, the home of the IHSA state basketball tournament, a destination Orne has reached nine times in 23 seasons as the Quincy Notre Dame girls…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND girls basketball team brings home ninth state trophy in last 17 seasons
NORMAL, Ill. — The trips to CEFCU Arena — traditionally known as Redbird Arena — have been fruitful for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, which won its ninth state trophy since 2008 this weekend. The Raiders finished fourth in Class 3A, losing 60-51 to Washington in Friday night’s third-place game. Muddy River Sports…
Read MoreRaiders unable to answer Broncos’ second-half surge, lose in Class 3A state semifinals
NORMAL, Ill. — In a game of punch-counterpunch, Lombard Montini’s return blows proved too powerful for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team to recover from. The silver lining for QND is a chance for atonement on Friday. The Raiders took a 26-20 lead on a Jenna Durst 3-pointer with 4:41 left in the third…
Read MoreEven after semifinal loss, Raiders recognize significance of return trip to state tournament
NORMAL, Ill. — CEFCU Arena has become quite the familiar place for Sage Stratton, but the significance of playing in three state tournaments in four years is not lost on the Quincy Notre Dame senior guard. “I wish everybody could have this experience,” said Stratton, who helped the Raiders win a Class 2A state championship…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND plays Lombard Montini in Class 3A state semifinals at CEFCU Arena
NORMAL, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s third state tourament appearance in the last four years hit a snag in the fourth quarter Thursday night as Lombard Montini pulled away for a 50-41 victory in the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and…
Read More‘We stand up and rise to the occasion’: Raiders fend off Rams to earn berth in Class 3A state semifinals
TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — Ari Buehler’s bright smile said it all. “I guess it does,” she said. The euphoric moment the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team experienced Monday night, beating Mt. Vernon 55-54 to win the Class 3A Taylorville Super-Sectional and earn a final four berth, had the Raiders smiling, giggling and even crying as…
Read MoreRaiders’ ability to hit clutch free throws in final two minutes secures super-sectional victory
TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — As Ari Buehler stepped to the free-throw line with the chance to nudge the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team closer to a state tournament berth, her mind circled back to a year ago when the Raiders’ season ended with her miss at the charity stripe. “Oh, yeah, for sure,” Buehler said.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND girls outlast Mt. Vernon to earn spot in Class 3A final four
TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team made 8 of 10 free throws in the final two minutes Monday night to hold off Mt. Vernon and earn a 55-54 victory in the Class 3A Taylorville Super-Sectional, earning a berth in the Class 3A final four in the process. Muddy River Sports Editor…
Read MoreRight on target: Bullets guard leads second-half offensive surge, ending Raiders’ season
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Brayden Saling’s second-half performance was so impressive that it even caught his coach off guard. As a matter of fact, Williamsville boys basketball coach Nick Beard was dumbfounded to learn his senior southpaw guard was held scoreless for the first two quarters. “I had no idea,” Beard said. But Beard wasn’t completely…
Read More‘We wanted this super bad’: Stratton, Raiders blitz Bulldogs in sectional title game whitewashing
CHATHAM, Ill. — In a year’s time, Sage Stratton’s tears turned into a bright smile. “It really feels so amazing coming back and actually winning it,” Stratton said. It being a sectional championship game, which the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team lost to Chatham Glenwood by a single point last season. The Raiders had…
Read MoreRaiders’ sectional championship victory stacks up with most dominant in four-class history
CHATHAM, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team made an emphatic statement with its 57-17 victory over Mahomet-Seymour in Thursday’s Class 3A Chatham Glenwood Sectional championship game. That statement also prompted a question — Where does the Raiders’ performance rank in sectional history since the Illinois High School Association adopted the four-class system?…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND erases memories of last year’s sectional loss by winning championship game
CHATHAM, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team put memories of a sectional championship loss to rest by hammering Mahomet-Seymour 57-17 in Thursday night’s Class 3A Chatham Glenwood Sectional title game. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was there and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreCollective effort carries Raiders to lopsided victory over Bluejays in regional semifinal
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Greg Altmix was curious leading up to Wednesday’s Class 2A Pittsfield Regional semifinal game against Petersburg PORTA just how the Raiders would react. “When you come into a new program, you never know how guys are going to respond in the postseason,” said Altmix, the first-year…
Read MoreRaiders stay composed, survive late push by Generals to advance to sectional title game
CHATHAM, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team refused to crack under the pressure. Their practice habits, especially when it comes to shooting free throws, have prepared Sage Stratton and her teammates for what they faced during Tuesday’s Class 3A Chatham Glenwood Sectional semifinal game against Decatur MacArthur. “We practice free throws so…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND to play for Class 3A sectional title after surviving MacArthur’s late surge
CHATHAM, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team saw a 15-point second-half lead dwindle to one in the fourth quarter before the Raiders made plenty of free throws to survive with a 62-53 victory over Decatur MacArthur in Tuesday’s semifinals of the Class 3A Chatham Glenwood Sectional. QND will face Mahomet-Seymour at 6:30…
Read MoreGrand entrance: Former QND baseball standout Kindhart belts grand slam in first collegiate at-bat
ST. LOUIS — Brady Kindhart didn’t know where the baseball ended up after it landed beyond the center field wall. He later found out it was in the perfect hands. Mike Kindhart retrieved what will now be a forever family treasure and a reminder of how his son’s collegiate baseball career began. Monday afternoon, in…
Read MoreFourth-quarter rally enables QND to end regular season with confidence after beating Keokuk
KEOKUK, Iowa — All that Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Greg Altmix wanted was a chance. Through two and a half quarters of Friday’s affair with Keokuk, it looked like that opportunity may never materialize. But the Raiders never relented. “The guys just kept battling,” Altmix said. “They didn’t give up.” Down double digits…
Read MoreRaiders survive Senators’ fourth quarter surge by grinding out regional championship victory
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — In the final seconds of a stressful fourth quarter, Sage Stratton and Ari Buehler took some time to relax and appreciate what they had just accomplished. As Quincy Notre Dame junior forward Jenna Durst stepped to the free-throw line for two shots with 5.9 seconds left and the Raiders leading Springfield 44-40…
Read MoreSchuckman: Darnell’s pursuit of state wrestling glory happening with his dad right by his side
QUINCY — As he sat down to talk about his looming trip to the state wrestling championships, Ryan Darnell tussled his sweaty mop of hair and asked if the interview was going to be recorded for video purposes. You could sense the relief when he was told it wasn’t. “Good,” the Quincy Notre Dame senior…
Read MoreVictory of Titan-ic proportions: West Hancock wins West Central Conference title, beats QND at The Pit
QUINCY — As he dribbled from one side of the court to the other, West Hancock senior guard Gavin Grothaus found himself dangerously close to a five-second violation. A turnover could have changed the outcome of the game. Instead, Grothaus avoided the mishap and made the biggest pass of Tuesday’s showdown with Quincy Notre Dame,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Titans, Raiders trade punches in postseason atmosphere
QUINCY — The West Hancock boys basketball team went toe-to-toe with Quincy Notre Dame on Tuesday night with a packed house at The Pit raising the decibel levels to as loud as the gym has been all winter. The Titans put a stamp on their West Central Conference title with a 65-58 victory. Muddy River…
Read MoreTakin’ care of business: Raiders use blistering run to pull away from Crimsons in regional semifinals
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The scoring run impressed Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne, but he was even more pleased with the attitude and approach that enabled the Raiders to go on that run. “We knew we had to come out here and just take care of business,” Orne said. That is exactly what…
Read MoreQND’s Darnell, Illini West’s Watkins Jr. qualify for state wrestling championships
CLINTON, Ill. — Ryan Darnell and Shawn Watkins Jr. will end their prep wrestling careers on the state’s biggest stage. It took some tenacity and resilience to get there. Darnell, the Quincy Notre Dame senior wrestling at 215 pounds, finished as the runner-up in the Class 1A Clinton Sectional, pinning his first two opponents before…
Read More‘We knew it was our moment’: Seniors help Raiders take 20-2 lead, roll to victory over Liberty
QUINCY — Alex Dance and his four Quincy Notre Dame senior teammates don’t get many chances to play together at the same time on the basketball court. Naturally, they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity on Senior Night. “We knew this was one of our last chances to start together,” Dance said. “We just…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: QND boys race to huge lead in claiming West Central Conference victory
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team led 20-2 after one quarter and 39-8 at halftime as they rolled to a 71-29 victory over Liberty during Friday’s West Central Conference tussle at The Pit. Four seniors — Alex Dance, Conner Young, Jackson Pyatt and Carter Miller — combined for 11 points in the…
Read More‘I know she’s never going to leave my side’: Raiders play to honor Pittsfield’s Ramsey in final home game
QUINCY — They braided their hair into pigtails in Reese Ramsey trademark style. They took the floor for warmups with red “RR” stickers affixed to their shooting shirts. They wore red ribbons in their hair. And they spoke emotionally and eloquently about a friend they lost and will remember forever. The Quincy Notre Dame girls…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Emotional night at The Pit as QND wraps up against Jefferson City Helias
QUINCY — The final home game for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team became an emotional tribute to a rival and friend and a hug to a community reeling from a tragedy. The Raiders beat Jefferson City Helias 61-36, but the night was honoring Pittsfield’s Reese Ramsey, who passed away in car accident Tuesday…
Read MoreIllinois girls basketball state rankings: QND, CSE hold steady in final regular-season poll
CHICAGO — Here are the latest Associated Press Illinois girls basketball state rankings, as compiled by a statewide panel of sportswriters and sportscasters. First-place votes are in parenthesis: Class 4A School Record Total Points Previous 1. Kenwood (5) 27-2 78 3 2. Lisle Benet (2) 26-2 68 2 3. Lyons 28-2 63 1 (tie) Nazareth…
Read MoreSnow day anticipation: Raiders bring energy to West Central Conference victory over Mustangs
MENDON, Ill. — As the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball players prepared to take the floor Tuesday night, they had a little extra pep to their step. Credit, in part, goes to Mother Nature. “After we heard there’s a snow day (Wednesday), that just got us excited and we got after it,” Raiders junior guard…
Read More‘They are very dynamic’: Alton girls pull away in fourth quarter for victory over Notre Dame
QUINCY — Eric Orne summed up what the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team faced Saturday night quite succinctly. “I don’t think we’ll see a team that good unless we make the final four,” he said. The QND head coach has won enough games and been to enough state tournaments to be able to gauge…
Read MoreMexico’s blistering shooting continues, while turnovers continue to plague QND
QUINCY — Darren Pappas has seen this act before. The coach of the Mexico (Mo.) boys basketball team has had a front row seat to the Bulldogs’ perimeter prowess. “When we get our feet set, I like our chances,” Pappas said with a grin. Mexico made eight of its first nine shots, had seven first…
Read MoreFive individual regional champions lead wrestling brigade into next week’s sectionals
QUINCY — The Quincy High School wrestling team qualified six grapplers for sectionals, while Quincy Notre Dame will be sending five wrestlers forward after top-three finishes Saturday as the postseason got started with regional action. Overall, five area wrestlers won individual regional titles and 24 advanced to sectionals. The Blue Devils, competing in the Class…
Read MoreStratton’s future teammates give ovation as she celebrates senior night with current teammates
QUINCY — It was emotional for the four seniors on the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team when they were recognized before Friday night’s game against Clopton (Mo.) High School. For Sage Stratton, it was especially touching that her future teammates and coaches from Drury University — in town to play Quincy University Saturday afternoon…
Read MoreHelias capitalizes on swing moment in fourth quarter, fends off QND’s comeback
QUINCY — The pass was perfect and the shot was open. “Everything was right there,” Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Greg Altmix said. Everything except the tide-turning moment it was set up to be. The Raiders had cut an 18-point, second-half deficit to seven in the early stages of the fourth quarter of Friday’s…
Read MoreRaiders put cap on fifth straight conference championship by overwhelming Eagles in first half
LIBERTY, Ill. — Any worries about a potential letdown were quickly extinguished. Two nights after posting an emotional victory over crosstown rival Quincy High School, the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team wasted little time in taking control in a West Central Conference matchup with Liberty. The state-ranked Raiders forced 16 turnovers and limited the…
Read More