Posts Tagged ‘Quincy Notre Dame’
Schuck on a Truck Zoom Edition: Former QND lineman Jonny Bottorff discusses prepping for college football season
QUINCY — Jonny Bottorff is gearing up for what should arguably be the best season of his collegiate football career. The Quincy Notre Dame graduate heads into the 2024 season as the projected starter at center for Northern Arizona. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Bottorff earned second-team All-Big Sky Conference honors last season after transferring from Missouri…
Read MoreSeeing through Rose-colored glasses: QND baseball product overcomes freak accident to thrive playing game he loves
QUINCY — The afternoon sun hung high in a cloudless sky above an empty parking lot, making it impossible to escape just how luminous it can be. Ethan Rose didn’t shy away from it, even when brightness is his nemesis. “There’s nothing like having your eyesight,” he said. “It’s something you take for granted. Like…
Read MoreKasparie sees ‘a lot of opportunity’ to grow his game with Purdue Fort Wayne baseball program
QUINCY — Engage Ben Kasparie in a conversation about baseball if you get the chance. What you will discover is a player whose appreciation for the craft is as strong as his spirit to compete. “A swing is like painting a picture,” said Kasparie, a graduate of Quincy Notre Dame and John Wood Community College…
Read MoreAll is Normal on recruiting front: QND’s Mueller commits to Illinois State University
QUINCY — The windshield time Wyatt Mueller and his parents logged criss-crossing the Midwest as the Quincy Notre Dame senior football player was courted by college recruiters grew increasingly tiresome. “The worst part was driving everywhere,” Mueller said. “ And sitting in the car.” The miles driven and time away from home are going to…
Read More‘Nothing is impossible’: Stuckman to impart lessons of drive, persistence during basketball camp at QND
QUINCY — Through all of the chaos playing professional basketball overseas can create, former Quincy University standout Tanner Stuckman has held tight to one mantra. “Nothing is impossible,” said Stuckman, who walked on at QU following his prep career at Quincy Notre Dame and developed into a first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection by his…
Read MoreQHS, QND girls soccer programs rack up all-sectional honors from IHSSCA
QUINCY — The stability and strength of the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer teams — their spines — received a plethora of postseason accolades. Three Blue Devils and two Raiders were named to the all-sectional team by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association, to go along with each team picking…
Read MoreFour Pleasant Hill players named to Class 1A all-state team; Central’s Miller, QND’s Bunte, two from Liberty also honored
QUINCY — Four players who helped the Pleasant Hill softball team reach a sectional championship game for the first time in school history recently received all-state honors. Senior pitcher McKinley Lowe and junior outfielder and pitcher Ava Wombles each made the Illinois Coaches Association Class 1A all-state first team. Lowe tossed three no-hitters and carried…
Read MoreCrim: Lunt family closes chapter after two decades spent watching kids compete for QND
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame had just seen its baseball season end with a 3-1 loss to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in the Class 2A regional semifinals. As the crowd began to disperse, with some fans celebrating and others consoling, David and Sharon Lunt loaded their lawn chairs and other items into a little wagon and…
Read MoreQND doubles team of Dyer and Strong reaches second day of Class 1A state tennis tournament
PALATINE, Ill. — After suffering a loss in the opening round of the Class 1A boys tennis state tournament Thursday morning, the Quincy Notre Dame doubles team of Daniel Dyer and Alex Strong rebounded in a big way. Dyer and Strong won three consecutive matches to remain alive in the back draw heading into Friday’s…
Read More‘They deserved it’: Cyclones flex muscle, end Raiders season in sectional championship
RIVERTON, Ill. — The tone of Mark Thomas’ voice almost never changes. This was the case even as the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team fell behind in the first half of Wednesday’s Class 1A Riverton Sectional championship game against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin. “If we keep this at 2-1 at halftime, we’re fine,” the Raiders…
Read More‘We were so close’: Raiders unable to get final out before Spartans rally to win sectional semifinal
WILLIAMSVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team went from utter delight to bitter disappointment in less than an inning. With it, the Raiders’ season hit its end. Morgan Zanger’s three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth gave QND a two-run lead in the Class 2A Williamsville Sectional semifinal against Stanford Olympia,…
Read MoreRaiders seek payback against Cyclones in rematch of last season’s regional title game
QUINCY — Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. In 2023, the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team reached the Class 1A Sacred Heart-Griffin Regional championship game, but the host Cyclones upended the Raiders 4-2. This was the final game of Mark Longo’s 34-year career as the Raiders’ head coach. Longo…
Read MoreBunte, Raiders sidestep postseason nemesis to win Class 2A regional championship
BUFFALO, Ill. — Even the most seasoned competitor can feel the pressure when a postseason nemesis stares you in the face. So Quincy Notre Dame softball coach Eric Orne reminded junior ace Caitlin Bunte to just breathe as the Raiders headed into Saturday’s Class 2A regional championship game against Buffalo Tri-City. “I was telling Coach…
Read More‘I just hit it’: Patton’s OT goal after lightning delay sends Raiders to sectional championship game
RIVERTON, Ill. — Lightning strikes delayed the game, but Makayla Patton’s strike decided it. At the end of a scoreless regulation, lightning near Riverton Middle School forced a 30-minute delay in Friday’s Class 1A Riverton Sectional semifinal between the Quincy Notre Dame and Alton Marquette girls soccer teams. Seven and a half minutes after the…
Read MoreRaiders pass first postseason exam as Patton leads goal-scoring barrage in regional title game
QUINCY — If the postseason is supposed to feel like a series of final exams — Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Thomas described it as such — then Wednesday night’s Class 1A regional championship must have felt like a multi-choice test. How goals were the second-seeded Raiders going to score against third-seeded Auburn?…
Read MorePitchers’ duel ends with Cyclones ending Raiders’ season in Class 2A regional semifinals
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — One swing changed everything. Quincy Notre Dame right-hander Abram Wiewel held the second-seeded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin baseball team hitless for a 4 ⅓ innings Wednesday in the semifinals of the Class 2A Pittsfield Regional. Then SHG designated hitter Gage Luttrell blasted a one-ball, one-strike pitch to center field for a solo home…
Read MoreAbility to hit speed and spin allows Raiders to move on to regional championship game
BUFFALO, Ill. — The late-season schedule Quincy Notre Dame softball coach Eric Orne puts together is done by design. He wants the Raiders to see elite pitching so they’re prepared to face it in the postseason. The strategy paid off Tuesday. Second-seeded QND knocked out Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, collecting nine hits with three doubles in…
Read More‘I can’t think of a better place to end my career’: Altmix returns to Quincy Notre Dame for one last ride
QUINCY — Greg Altmix plans on finishing his coaching career at Quincy Notre Dame. “I plan on being here until I can’t do it anymore,” Altmix said. At 57 years old, the newest QND boys basketball coach has been roaming the sidelines for more than half his life. Even though he has embraced the salt-and-pepper…
Read MoreQuincy Notre Dame tabs Liberty’s Altmix to be next boys basketball coach
QUINCY — Greg Altmix understood the allegiance his great-nephew had when the Liberty and Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball teams crossed paths. As a parochial school student playing for the Crusaders program, he had to root for the Raiders. “It stung a little seeing my great-nephew down there cheering for Notre Dame and rooting against…
Read MoreWiewel drives in seven runs in first three innings, powers QND to victory in regional opener
QUINCY — Abram Wiewel, Evan Kenning and the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team are trying to rekindle some postseason magic. Monday was a good start. The Raiders used seven RBIs from Wiewel and five solid innings from Kenning to dispatch Beardstown 10-4 at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield and advance to Wednesday’s semifinals of the…
Read MoreShutout enables QND seniors to walk away from final home game with ‘memory I’ll hold forever’
QUINCY — The seniors on the Quincy Notre Dame softball team celebrated Senior Night before Friday’s victory against Camp Point Central, but Saturday was their final game at The Backyard. That’s what made it such a bittersweet day. “It’s just a memory I’ll hold forever,” senior outfielder Marah Becks said. “This is just a place…
Read MoreRaiders wrap up WCC title as Stupavsky delivers senior at-bat, Bunte proves unhittable
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame softball coach Eric Orne implored catcher Payton Stupvasky to have a “senior at-bat.” She didn’t disappoint. With runners on second and third base in the fourth inning of a scoreless game Friday at The Backyard, Stupavsky drove a fly ball to right-center field that Camp Point Central’s Claire Huston caught,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Camp Point Central square off in WCC softball battle
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team completed its pursuit of the West Central Conference championship on Friday, beating Camp Point Central 4-0 at The Backyard as Caitlin Bunte tossed a one-hitter with nine strikeouts. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time behind home plate and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreTrinh caps career in style, Blue Devils sweep season series with Raiders
QUINCY — Preston Trinh’s swan song was a beautiful tune. Trinh, a senior, has played in the Quincy High School varsity boys tennis team’s lineup since he was a freshman. He played at No. 5 singles and No. 3 doubles last season, but he has been shuffled out of the Blue Devils’ lineup this season. …
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS, QND battle in tennis dual at Reservoir Park
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys tennis team swept the season series from Quincy Notre Dame, winning Tuesday’s dual 8-1 at the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was at Reservoir Park and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreBombers capitalize on free bases, use four-run inning to beat Raiders
QUINCY — Free bases are nothing but trouble as the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s pitching staff has come to know. Five QND hurlers combined to walk eight batters and hit two others during Tuesday’s 8-5 loss to Macomb at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. The Bombers’ four-run rally in the top of the fourth…
Read More‘The ball is going to find you’: Hendrian’s play off bench gives Raiders needed lift
QUINCY — Elliott Hendrian might as well have taken a flashing neon sign screaming “Hit it here” with him to second base. The baseball gods were well aware he was there. Quincy Notre Dame coach Rich Polak made an abrupt switch in the top of the fourth inning Monday, pulling starting second baseman Oliver Triplett…
Read MoreRaiders’ effort against Cardinals is sign they’re ready for postseason challenges
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,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, West Hancock square off in WCC baseball battle
QUINCY — A pitcher’s duel turned in the favor of the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team when the Raiders were able to manufacture a pair of runs in the fifth inning of Monday’s 3-1 victory over West Hancock in West Central Conference action at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read MoreLowe outduels Bunte, Sidwell delivers go-ahead double as Wolves beat Raiders in extra innings
QUINCY — Maddie Sidwell won the deciding battle, and the Pleasant Hill softball team won the war. Sidwell’s bases-clearing double with two outs in the top of the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and propelled the Wolves to a 5-2 win over Quincy Notre Dame in the QND Softball Slam at The Backyard on…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Competitive games highlight QND softball slam at The Backyard
QUINCY — The rain stayed away Saturday, which led to a competitive day of softball at The Backyard as four area teams took part in the Quincy Notre Dame softball slam. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent time at The Backyard and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreHalfway home: Blue Devils hope to make weekend complete with WB6 crown after finishing season sweep of Raiders
QUINCY — Just how much the Quincy High School girls soccer players fully embrace the “do hard better” mantra will become obvious by the time their team bus departs East Moline sometime Saturday afternoon. Nothing the Blue Devils have faced this regular season will be as hard as playing two emotionally charged games in the…
Read More‘The time will come when we get one’: Effort reaching postseason caliber level for Raiders
QUINCY — The frustration showed in their eyes, never in their effort. The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer players refused to give up their pursuit of a game-tying goal over the final 40 minutes of Friday night’s crosstown showdown with Quincy High School even when the equalizer never came. “All the girls worked their butts…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS, QND girls soccer teams battle in second matchup of city series
QUINCY — For the second year in a row, the Quincy High School girls soccer team has swept the city series, winning 2-1 Friday night at Flinn Stadium behind two goals from senior midfielder Bri Lannerd. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening at the venerable facility and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreTake it to the limit: Wiewel holds Blue Devils at bay as Raiders win latest crosstown showdown
QUINCY — Abram Wiewel understands the need for a pitch count, but it doesn’t dampen the disappointment of being pulled one out away from a complete game. “I wanted to finish it really bad,” said Wiewel, the Quincy Notre Dame junior right-hander who left Tuesday’s game against the Quincy High School baseball team with a…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Raiders, Blue Devils tussle in round two of their three-part city series
QUINCY — It all comes down to the rubber match. The Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame baseball teams split their first two meetings this season, with the Raiders evening the series with a 5-1 victory Tuesday night at the QHS field. The third meeting comes next Monday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield.…
Read MoreRaiders unable to connect against Warriors’ Gilman, suffer second loss of season
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s overstuffed week isn’t expected to get any easier, not with a couple of rivalry games on tap. It sure can’t get much more difficult than facing Audrey Gilman. The Hardin Calhoun junior right-hander mowed down the Raiders, holding them hitless until the fifth inning and striking out…
Read MoreRaiders fend off Hornets, pick up victory with ninth-inning rally
MT. STERLING, Ill. — A catcher’s interference call on a bunt attempt in the top of the ninth allowed the go-ahead run to score and the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team tacked on another to pull out a 7-5 victory over Brown County on Monday. After each team scored a run in the eighth inning,…
Read MoreAround the area: Dance, Trail Blazers sweep twinbill; Pirates, Eagles split doubleheader
VINCENNES, Ind. — Tyler Dance found his footing. The John Wood Community College freshman right-hander threw six scoreless innings Saturday, striking out eight and walking one as the Trail Blazers opened a four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference series with an 8-0 victory over Vincennes University. JWCC also won the nightcap of the doubleheader 14-4. Dance, a…
Read More‘See ball, hit ball’: Simple approach with runners on base enables Raiders to pick up WCC victory
QUINCY — Alyssa Ley tried not to let any grand illusions cross her mind. Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth inning of a one-run game, the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s junior shortstop roped a double the opposite way to right field to drive in two runs. Lauren Miller followed…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, West Hancock engage in key conference showdown at The Backyard
QUINCY — A four-run fifth inning that featured back-to-back run-scoring hits to the opposite field lifted the Quincy Notre Dame softball team to a 6-1 victory over West Hancock in a West Central Conference matchup Wednesday at The Backyard. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent some time at The Backyard and put together this…
Read MoreKenning, Robb come up clutch for Raiders in pivotal inning against Tigers
QUINCY — The heart of the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s lineup got the ball rolling when the Raiders needed to pad their lead. Evan Kenning and Nolan Robb opened the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday with back-to-back singles, which led to a three-run rally and catapulted the Raiders to a 5-2 victory over…
Read MoreThomas’ goal is breakthrough QND girls soccer team needs to knock off Burlington Notre Dame
QUINCY — Whew. That was the collective reaction from the Quincy Notre Dame soccer team when freshman Sierra Thomas scored in the 58th minute to break a scoreless draw in QND’s 3-1 win over Burlington Notre Dame on Tuesday at Advance Physical Therapy Field. “You could feel the air come out of the balloon a…
Read MoreIndians notch shutout in program’s first win over Raiders
QUINCY — There’s a first time for everything. Clark County baseball coach Shaun Parker delivered that message to his team before Tuesday’s game against Quincy Notre Dame. The Indians listened and believed in what Parker said. Clark County scored a 4-0 victory at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield for the program’s first victory against QND.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Split decision for QND teams at home as girls soccer wins, baseball falls
QUINCY — Playing side by side on the Quincy Notre Dame campus Tuesday evening, the QND girls soccer and baseball teams came away with mixed results. The soccer team scored three second-half goals in a 3-1 victory over Burlington (Iowa) Notre Dame, while the baseball team left 12 runners on base during a 4-0 loss…
Read MoreContagious behavior results in another victory for Bunte, Raiders and season sweep of Blue Devils
QUINCY — The word Caitlin Bunte sought to describe the manner in which the Quincy Notre Dame softball team is stringing victories together popped in her head in the middle of her answer. “Oh, contagious,” she said. “That’s it.” Winning is contagious. Hitting is contagious. Energy is contagious. “We have so many leaders who like…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS boys tennis team continues to pile up dual wins by handling QND in rivalry match
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys tennis team traveled to the St. Louis metro east area last weekend and rolled him without losing a dual match. That momentum carried over to Monday. The Blue Devils wrapped up a dual victory over Quincy Notre Dame in the crosstown rivalry match at Reservoir Park by the…
Read MoreOh, so close: Wiewel carries no-hitter into seventh inning as Raiders down Mustangs
QUINCY — Off the field, Quincy Notre Dame junior Abram Wiewel is a light-hearted jokester. On the field, he turns into a junkyard dog. “When I’m pitching, I get into a completely different mindset,” Wiewel said. “I want to hunt you down and destroy you.” Monday, Wiewel annihilated the Mendon Unity baseball team’s offense, throwing…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND uses five-run inning to beat QHS in softball crosstown showdown
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball players stayed patient at a pivotal juncture Monday night, drawing four consecutive walks to spark a five-run outburst in the third inning that carried them to a 7-1 victory over Quincy High School at the QHS field. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the evening in center…
Read MoreProm is no distraction as Raiders take care of business in all facets against Crimsons
QUINCY — There wasn’t enough time for prom to become a distraction. Quincy Notre Dame softball coach Eric Orne hopes the post-prom letdown won’t be either. The Raiders needed a tidy 1 hour, 10 minutes to dispatch Jacksonville on Saturday morning, rolling to a 12-0 victory in five innings at The Backyard. It allowed enough…
Read MoreRose in full bloom: QND senior belts first home run at The Ferd to power Raiders past Chargers
QUINCY — On the first pitch Ethan Rose saw, he knew he shouldn’t swing. On the second pitch, he knew he couldn’t pass. He made the right call on both. With one out in the bottom of the second inning Friday and runners on second and third after Gavin Doellman’s double, Rose jumped on a…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Runs difficult to come by as QND, Illini West square off
QUINCY — Four pitchers — two each from the Quincy Notre Dame and Illini West baseball teams — combine to strike out 14 batters and allow just five hits during Friday night’s showdown at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. The Raiders won 4-2 on the strength of Ethan Rose’s three-run home run and Evan Kenning’s…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND sweeps weekend slate at Lady Pirate Invitational, Hannibal goes 2-0-1
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team pushed its winning streak to five consecutive games after sweeping the weekend at the Lady Pirate Invitational at the Veterans Sports Complex. The Raiders beat St. Charles West 6-1 and Perryville 4-1 on Saturday to improve to 7-4. Hannibal, which played to a 3-3 draw…
Read MoreQuality pitching not enough for QND baseball team to avoid dropping pair of games
TOLONO, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s pitching staff gave it a chance to win both games Saturday in the Tolono Unity Slam, but the Raiders’ offense couldn’t find that breakthrough moment. QND fell 1-0 to Tolono Unity and 4-1 to Teutopolis. Raiders junior right-hander Abram Wiewel tossed a two-hitter against Tolono Unity,…
Read MoreRaiders bounce back from first loss of season, earn split in softball slam
TOLONO, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team tasted adversity for the first time this season Saturday, and the response should bolster the Raiders. After losing 10-5 to Tolono Unity in the first of two games in a multi-team slam — it was the Raiders’ first loss of the season — QND came back…
Read More‘I’m going to keep shooting’: Raiders shake off early tough breaks to rout Southern Boone
The Raiders scored six goals in the opening 40 minutes and defeated Southern Boone, 7-2, in their first game of the Lady Pirate Invitational.
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hannibal, QND take momentum into second day of Lady Pirate Invitational
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal and Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer teams opened play Friday night in the Lady Pirate Invitational at the Veterans Sports Complex with the Pirates rallying for a 3-3 tie with Parkway Central, while QND blasted Southern Boone 7-2. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey spent the evening in America’s hometown…
Read MoreBright lights, softball city: QND cashes in on scoring opportunities, shuts out QHS
Editor’s Note: Technological issues resulted in losing all of our images taken during the game. We apologize there will be no photo gallery to accompany this story. QUINCY — It may not have been Friday night lights, but it was pretty darn close. When the Quincy Notre Dame and Quincy High School softball teams renewed…
Read MoreShake it off, shake it off: Lahr’s ability to push everything aside and focus on pitching allows Raiders to take down Saukees
QUINCY — Just gotta shake it. Sophomore pitcher Bradi Lahr uttered those words — quite loudly — dozens of times during the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s game against Pittsfield on Wednesday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. What exactly does this phrase mean? “Whatever you want to take it as,” Lahr said. Whatever it…
Read MoreZanger first to wear home run chain as her solo shot sets stage for Raiders’ victory over Saukees
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s new home run chain didn’t quite fit over Morgan Zanger’s helmet after her solo shot in the first inning of Monday’s game against Pittsfield. “We did not think that part through,” Zanger said. She also didn’t know the ball had cleared The Backyard’s left-field fence. “Whenever they…
Read MoreRaiders walk off with victory as all three runs in seventh-inning rally score on bases-loaded walks
QUINCY — Patience is a virtue the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players took to heart Monday. Trailing Rushville-Industry by two runs going to the bottom of the seventh inning at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield, the Raiders put themselves in position to rally by loading the bases with one out. Abram Wiewel reached on an…
Read MoreSchuckman: QND coaching search starts by looking in mirror for blueprint of what works
QUINCY — As Quincy Notre Dame athletic director Bill Connell begins the search for the school’s next boys basketball coach, he first must look in the mirror. That’s where he will see the direction he needs to go. In the fall of 1992, with one season as a collegiate assistant coach under his belt and…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Alumni celebration helps QND girls soccer team get back on winning track
QUINCY — Maybe the presence of three decades of alumni gave the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team a boost. Trailing Burlington (Iowa) 2-1 in the second half Saturday afternoon at Advance Physical Therapy Field, the Raiders responded with a three-goal rally for a 4-2 victory. Sophomore forward Addie Flesch scored three goals, including the…
Read More‘I think we had an impact’: Meyer makes difficult decision to resign as QND boys basketball coach after nine seasons at helm
QUINCY — The reaction Kevin Meyer received from the news he had resigned as the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach continually brought him to tears as Friday afternoon slowly rolled into night. “The overwhelming support and the reaching out from my players and coaches across the state has been incredible,” Meyer said. “I felt…
Read MoreBlue Devils make two-goal lead last in winning first leg of crosstown series with Raiders
QUINCY — Eight days without a game was one of the reasons why the Quincy High School girls players conceded they struggled to get in a groove in the first half Friday night. Hope Lenz pinpointed the other issue. “There’s obviously a lot of emotion that goes into this game,” the senior defender said. That…
Read More‘It’s an adrenaline rush honestly’: Blue Devils’ Fohey stymies Raiders with series of saves
QUINCY — Having a 6-foot, athletic, talkative and charismatic goalkeeper is kind of like having a warm, cozy blanket the Quincy High School girls soccer team can find comfort in. The Blue Devils don’t take that for granted. “Taylor is a badass,” senior defender Hope Lenz said of her teammate, Taylor Fohey. “Obviously, I’m going…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS, QND girls soccer teams square off in first showdown of spring
QUINCY — The sun came out Friday just in time to make the weather more pleasant for the first of two meetings this spring between the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer teams. The Blue Devils used a goal late in the first half and early in the second half to post…
Read MoreMeyer resigns after nine seasons as head coach of QND boys basketball program
QUINCY — Another successful Quincy Notre Dame athletic program is looking for a new leader. Kevin Meyer submitted his resignation Friday, stepping away from the QND boys basketball program after nine seasons at the helm — a span in which his teams won 20 or more games five times and he became the second-winningest coach…
Read MorePerfection personified: Pirates’ Wilson retires all 18 Raiders he faces in 10-run victory
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Kane Wilson didn’t need to be perfect. Yet, he was. The Quincy Notre Dame brought 18 batters to the plate Thursday afternoon and the Hannibal senior right-hander sat all 18 down, tossing a six-inning perfect game in the Pirates’ 10-0 victory at the Veterans Field complex. Wilson struck out only four, but…
Read MoreMartin, Pirates make history as late goal secures first-ever victory against Raiders
QUINCY — A goal with four minutes remaining in regulation Tuesday night gave the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team a glimmer of hope. Abbie Martin snuffed that out in a blink. Roughly a minute after the Raiders trimmed their two-goal deficit in half, Martin burst free on a counterattack and finished with a deft…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hannibal, QND girls soccer teams battle in cold, windy conditions
QUINCY — The temperature dipped below 40 degrees and the wind blew across the field with gusts up to 25 mph, creating challenges for both the Hannibal and Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer teams to maintain possession and control. Ultimately, the Pirates used the wind to their advantage and scored a 3-1 victory at Advance…
Read MoreRaiders just bust a move to get offense rolling in home-opening victory against Eagles
QUINCY — One of Caitlin Bunte’s responsibilities, aside from being the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s starting pitcher and leadoff hitter, is to choose the musical playlist that serves as the soundtrack for each game at The Backyard. She has four personally designed playlists at her disposal. “Stuff that gets me hyped, stuff that’s upbeat…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Liberty square off in Raiders’ home opener at The Backyard
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team had played one game this season prior to Thursday’s home opener, but it didn’t look like the Raiders were rusty at all. QND collected 17 hits in a 9-2 victory over Liberty at The Backyard. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman enjoyed a rare warm, sunny day…
Read MoreWiewel comes up clutch as Raiders walk off with low-scoring victory over Eagles
QUINCY — The Liberty baseball team wasn’t going to allow Nolan Robb to beat it. So Abram Wiewel did. After Quincy Notre Dame’s Logan Sutton singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday and stole second base, the Eagles chose to intentionally walk Robb. Wiewel followed by hitting a two-strike line…
Read MoreAround the diamond: Saukees stay perfect, Raiders back sophomore righty, Shaffer mows down Tigers
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Three Pittsfield pitchers limited the Brown County baseball team to two hits and the Saukees used a four-run third inning to catapult themselves to a 7-1 victory to improve to 5-0 and highlight Wednesday’s action across the area. Pittsfield’s Draven Puterbaugh allowed one unearned run and two hits over the first four…
Read MoreQHS, Hannibal fit to be tied, while QND overwhelms West Plains on tourney’s first night
QUINCY — Friday night felt more like November football weather than the spring soccer season at Flinn Stadium with temperatures dipping close to the freezing mark and wind chills falling below 30 degrees. It didn’t put a chill on the fervor of a cross-river rivalry. The Quincy High School girls soccer team built a one-goal…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS, Hannibal, QND kick off weekend girls soccer tournament
QUINCY — The Quincy High School and Hannibal girls soccer teams played to a 2-2 draw Friday night at Flinn Stadium, while Quincy Notre Dame beat West Plains (Mo.) 6-0 on the opening night of the QHS Kickoff Showcase. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time at Flinn Stadium and put together this photo…
Read MoreGrabbing lead two batters into season opener allows QND softball team to roll
BOWEN, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team gave Caitlin Bunte all the support she’d need before she ever stepped in the pitcher’s circle. The Raiders scored three runs in the top of the first inning Thursday and Bunte allowed just two hits as they opened the season with an 8-0 victory over Southeastern.…
Read MoreQND tabs Carthage’s White to be next girls volleyball coach
QUINCY — Danielle White has watched enough of the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team play from afar to understand the kind of drive and determination the Raiders possess. “Knowing their talent matches their competitiveness is exciting, so is knowing those kids want to be great and work at it,” White said. It’s done with one…
Read MoreBundle of returning talent has QND softball players eyeing another deep postseason run
QUINCY — Brooke Boden hasn’t forgotten just how close the Quincy Notre Dame softball team came to winning a state trophy last season. “I’ll be sitting in class and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, man,’” the senior third baseman said. “I just look back on it and think, ‘Wow, we were there.’” The Raiders’ epic postseason…
Read MoreSuccess on set pieces helps QND girls soccer team ‘set the tone for the rest of the season’
QUINCY — Perfecting set pieces became a point of emphasis during the lead-up to the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team’s season opener. “For the past three days, we’ve worked on them every day,” junior midfielder Lilly Schuette said. “Even in walk-throughs.” The reason why became obvious 12 minutes into Saturday’s game against Jefferson City…
Read MorePair of QHS pitchers mow down QND to claim victory during head-to-head clash in SHG Slam
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The first crosstown showdown of the spring took place 110 miles from the Gem City, but it didn’t lack any down-to-the-last-out drama. With a runner on first base and the Quincy High School baseball team holding a two-run lead in the top of the seventh inning, right-handed reliever Jansen Lawson induced a…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND girls soccer team opens its season with 3-2 victory over Helias
QUINCY — Lilly Schuette’s second-half penalty kick and a stout defensive effort over the final 40 minutes enabled the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team to open its season Saturday with a 3-2 victory over Jefferson City (Mo.) Helias at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the afternoon next to…
Read MoreSchuckman: QND’s retirement of No. 5 puts love of family, love of baseball on full display
QUINCY — Tears were expected Friday afternoon, but the smiles elicited by the memories of Tucker Tollerton and the embrace his family received balanced everything out. That was as much of a tribute to Tollerton as seeing his jersey number retired. Anyone who accompanied the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team on last season’s record-setting journey…
Read MoreProblems with execution plague QND baseball team in season-opening loss to Sherrard
QUINCY — There is likely to be one word the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players are going to hear in the days to come. It’s going to be details, details, details. Or it may be fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. Better attention to details and a better performance fundamentally may have altered an exasperating outcome in Friday’s…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball program retires No. 5 in honor of Tucker Tollerton
QUINCY — With most of Tucker Tollerton’s extended family, friends and his entire college team in attendance Friday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball program retired No. 5 in honor of the Raiders’ former center fielder, who was killed last May in an auto accident. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team falls in season opener against Sherrard
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s youth and inexperience showed in a season-opening 10-0 loss to Sherrard on Friday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the sunny afternoon at the Ferd and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreRaiders ready to unveil new lineup carrying same hunger to be state tournament team
QUINCY — Come Friday, when the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team opens its season, there will be an angel in the outfield looking over the Raiders and every day moving forward. The school will retire the No. 5 worn by Tucker Tollerton, the starting center fielder on last year’s Class 2A third-place state team who…
Read MoreNew coach, same expectations as QND girls soccer team sets sights on return to state tourney
QUINCY — Aubrey Sparrow wasn’t naive enough to think the tempo and tenor of Mark Thomas-led practices would be similar to those run by former Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer Mark Longo. “I knew the style would change, just how it does with every coach,” the senior defender said. But she remained confident the Raiders…
Read MoreCSE’s Miller leads brigade of area girls players receiving all-state honors from IBCA
QUINCY — Lauren Miller’s ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her Central-Southeastern girls basketball teammates elevated her game to that of a first-team all-stater. The 5-foot-10 junior forward was named to the Class 2A all-state first team by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, one of three CSE players to be honored by the…
Read MoreSchuckman: Strength of character shows in how Wires, Buehler handled adversity
QUINCY — Adversity doesn’t build character. It reveals it. That adage, originally coined by 19th century American novelist James Lane Allen, and variations of it have been used endlessly. But as I sat here mulling over what already has transpired this basketball postseason, that adage kept coming to mind. The toughest moments have shown us…
Read MoreCSE’s Miller receives second-team all-state honors, three others earn honorable mention
QUINCY — Lauren Miller’s game is drawing interest from NCAA Division I and II women’s basketball coaches throughout the Midwest. For good reason. The Central-Southeastern junior forward was named a Class 2A second-team all-stater this week by the Illinois Media. She is the only area girls player to be named all-state in any of the…
Read More‘I feel heartbreak for the kids’: Bid for sectional title falls one point short for Notre Dame girls
DECATUR, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team couldn’t have asked for a better player to step to the free-throw line. Sophomore Ari Buehler, who had scored eight points in the fourth quarter and expertly handled Chatham Glenwood’s unrelenting defensive pressure to keep the Raiders close, was fouled near mid-court with eight-tenths of…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Buehler, Durst spark comeback for Raiders after trailing by 10 points in first half
DECATUR, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team didn’t score a field goal in the first quarter and trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half, but it rallied to take the lead in the third quarter and several times in the fourth quarter in a 44-43 loss to Chatham…
Read MoreOffensive drought in first half of regional semifinal loss to Williamsville ends QND’s season
ATHENS, Ill. — The snowball effect turned into a full-blown avalanche. It carried the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team right out of the postseason. Trailing Williamsville 10-0 less than four minutes into Wednesday night’s Class 2A Athens Regional semifinal, Raiders coach Kevin Meyer burned a timeout in hopes of settling down his time and…
Read MoreRaiders shake off first-quarter slumber, advance to third straight sectional championship game
DECATUR, Ill. — Survive and advance. That’s all. “It was not our best game obviously,” Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne said after the Raiders eliminated Mahomet-Seymour with Tuesday night’s 63-46 victory in the semifinals of the Class 3A Decatur MacArthur Sectional. “But you know at this time of year, you got to…
Read More‘I kind of got my swagger back’: Uppinghouse rebounds to take third, make QHS wrestling history with second state medal
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Owen Uppinghouse admitted the sting wasn’t easy to shake. The Quincy High School 165-pound senior wrestler went to the Class 3A state tournament undefeated with his sights set squarely on becoming the fifth state champion in program history. A quarterfinal loss Friday morning to LaGrange Lyons’ Gunnar Garelli ruined that. Although he…
Read MoreChiefs’ size tips scale in fourth quarter as Raiders close regular season with loss at home
QUINCY — Kevin Meyer felt the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team was about to turn the “juice” loose. Alas, there was no juice. Only squeezing. And it was the Raiders who wound up getting squeezed over the final eight minutes Friday night in a 55-45 loss to Keokuk in front of a Senior Night…
Read MoreUppinghouse, two QND grapplers still chasing spots on podium at state wrestling tourney
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Owen Uppinghouse’s dream of becoming just the fifth Illinois High School Association state wrestling champion in Quincy High School history was dashed Friday morning. Yet his chance to make history still exists. The senior who entered the Class 3A state tournament undefeated and ranked No. 1 at 165 pounds suffered a 5-1…
Read MoreStratton clamps down on another top scorer, leads QND girls to 31st regional title in school history
JERSEYVILLE, Ill. — When Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne walked into the gym for practice on Tuesday afternoon, he noticed junior guard Sage Stratton was already shooting around. When Orne made eye contact with Stratton, he flashed the number two with his hand twice. Stratton quietly nodded and said, “I know.” Stratton…
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