Posts Tagged ‘Quincy Notre Dame’
Photo gallery: QHS, QND boys soccer teams collide at Flinn Stadium
QUINCY — The rivalry continues to be as strong as ever, and the passionate play proved that. The Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer teams met for the 103rd time in their intra-city rivalry on Thursday night at Flinn Stadium, with the Raiders scoring three second-half goals to earn a 4-2 victory.…
Read MoreVideo highlights: QND beats QHS 4-2 at Flinn Stadium as boys soccer rivalry continues
QUINCY — Freelance videographer Frank Cann captured the intensity and passion of the Quincy High School vs. Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer rivalry during Thursday night’s series renewal at Flinn Stadium. The Raiders won 4-2 and are 9-1-2 against the Blue Devils in the last 12 meetings. QHS leads the all-time series 50-48-5.
Read MoreRaiders give Railsplitters left-footed boot, cap week with another shutout
LINCOLN, Ill. — Left proved to be the best way for the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team to go Saturday. The Raiders scored four left-footed goals in a 5-0 victory over Lincoln, shut out their second straight opponent and gave themselves a boost going into a tough week. The lone right-footed goal gave QND…
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 MoreGame Night Guide: Week 2 of prep football features QHS, QND on road, state-ranked teams at home
QUINCY — Week 2 of the high school football team kicks off Friday night. Here is the slate for area teams, including where you can find the games on the radio or via livestream: Quincy High School (1-0) at Alton (0-1), 7 p.m. • WTAD 930 AM • WGEM streaming app Did you know?: The…
Read MoreStingy Raiders keep Pirates at bay, make early score stand for one-goal victory
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal boys soccer team won every statistical category against Quincy Notre Dame in its home opener except one. The scoreboard. Senior forward Leo Cann scored off a Brody Jones corner kick 5 minutes, 48 seconds into the game and goalkeeper Max Frericks recorded 10 saves to enable the Raiders to withstand…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND boys soccer team shuts out Hannibal despite Pirates’ barrage of shots
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Quincy Notre Dame goalkeeper Max Frericks made 10 saves and was the backbone of a stingy defensive effort that resulted in a 1-0 victory over the Hannibal boys soccer team Tuesday night at Veterans Field. Freelance photographer Mathew Kirby put together this photo gallery from the game:
Read MorePirates, Raiders find success on links during inaugural Hannibal Lady Pirate Invitational
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The inaugural Hannibal Lady Pirate Invitational, played Monday at Norwoods Golf Course, resulted in a tie for medalist honors and a pair of area teams placing in the top three. The Hannibal girls golf team finished second in its own event, fashioning a team score of 368, while Quincy Notre Dame finished…
Read MoreCrosstown showdown for tourney title gives Raiders, Blue Devils both boost moving forward
QUINCY — Courtney Kvitle missed an effort that echoed what she preaches. Put the pressure on the opponent. Meanwhile, the Quincy High School volleyball team put forth an effort that echoed everything the Blue Devils are trying to be. Tough, scrappy and unrelenting. It made for an entertaining tournament with a crossdown showdown for the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS, QND volleyball teams reach championship match of Early Bird Tournament
QUINCY — The Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame volleyball teams swept through pool play and won their semifinal matches in the QHS Early Bird Tournament on Saturday to set up a crossdown showdown for the title. The Raiders won 25-10, 25-19, but both walked away with confidence. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read MoreLindbergh dispatches QND, QHS to win Quincy Recycle/QND Tournament title
QUINCY — First, the heat. Then, the rain. Finally, Lindbergh. Those three proved unbeatable during the Quincy Recycle/QND Tournament at Advance Physical Therapy Field. The Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team’s early-season event was scheduled to begin Thursday night and continue Friday afternoon, but the soaring heat forced the schedule to be altered and condensed.…
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 MoreOne Keck of an effort: Raiders win home opener behind quality serve receive from junior libero
QUINCY — As often as Kourtney Keck sprawled out in an attempt to dig up every shot that came her way, she was bound to leave The Pit on Thursday night with some floor burns. “A couple,” the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team’s junior libero said. She shrugged that off. “That’s not unusual,” she said.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND volleyball team beats West Hancock in home opener at The Pit
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team finished off back-to-back victories on back-to-back nights with back-to-back sweeps. The Raiders beat West Hancock 25-8, 25-11 on Thursday night at The Pit to open the season 2-0. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was at The Pit and put together this photo gallery:
Read MoreIllinois prep football polls: Central opens at No. 2 in Class 1A, QHS and QND both receiving votes
Here are the latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters and released Wednesday: Class 8A School Pts 1. Lincoln-Way East (8) 116 2. Loyola (4) 111 3. York 78 4. Maine South 73 5. Gurnee Warren 60 6. Palatine 53…
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 MoreRaiders shut out in season opener in battle of defending state champions
PEORIA, Ill. — The final score might have been a little more lopsided than expected, but Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer coach Greg Reis knew there’d be some growing pains in Monday’s season opener. “I don’t know if the result was much different than what I was anticipating,” Reis said after the Raiders suffered a…
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 MoreGood as Gold: QHS senior golfer shoots even par, helps Blue Devils finish third in own invitational
QUINCY — The moment nearly turned out to be as good as Gold. It still could be transformative. Quincy High School senior golfer Gabriel Gold posted the score to beat at the 74th annual Quincy Invitational on Saturday at Westview Golf Course, birdieing his final two holes to shoot an even-par 71 and walking off…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS boys golfers’ third-place finish helps highlight 74th annual Quincy Invitational
QUINCY — Gabriel Gold’s birdie-birdie finish, Konnor Craven’s quality ball-striking, Ty Novosel’s debut and the Quincy High School boys golf team’s third-place finish highlighted the 74th annual Quincy Invitational, played Saturday at Westview Golf Course. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the day on the fairways and in the rough collecting images for this…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Zanger discusses transition to college student, burgeoning career in media
QUINCY — Addi Zanger is about to have more free time than she’s ever experienced. After playing two sports throughout high school and helping coach youth softball as well, the recent Quincy Notre Dame graduate heads to the University of Missouri with no preseason practices to attend and no defined schedule that includes matches, games…
Read MoreRaiders ready to meet challenges that come with being defending state champions
QUINCY — The hype began before the first practice took place. So the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer players know what’s coming. The Raiders’ season opens Monday with an epic matchup — defending Class 1A state champion QND traveling to Peoria to face defending Class 2A state champion Peoria Notre Dame. The Irish have dubbed…
Read MoreRaiders embrace need to alter ending in their pursuit of state tournament success
QUINCY — George Santayana is credited with saying it. Courtney Kvitle is echoing it. And the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball players are embracing it. So what is the mantra the early 20th century philosopher popularized that rings true today? Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The Raiders clearly haven’t forgotten.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Chargers’ Bruns takes medalist honors, QND boys win Weibring Invitational
QUINCY — The lid-lifter on the high school boys golf season took place Thursday at Westview Golf Course with a mix of what area coaches expected — quality shots, wayward bounces and the ups and downs associated with any round on the prep scene. Illini West senior Nick Bruns took medalist honors, shooting a 2-over…
Read MoreQND hits its Mark with announcement of new girls soccer head coach
QUINCY — Mark Thomas’ biggest challenge as the new Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer head coach won’t come from replacing a legend on the sidelines or developing the right system of play for a youthful, talented team. It will be finding time to hunt during the Illinois spring turkey season. “I might have to figure…
Read MoreDouble the fun: QND’s Stratton, Central’s Genenbacher take on challenge of playing in two all-star games in same day
QUINCY — Jackson Stratton and Isaac Genenbacher had the same initial thought when they received invitations to play in the Muddy River Showcase. How can I make this work? The Quincy Notre Dame and Camp Point Central multi-sport athletes had committed to play in the Illinois Shrine Bowl, an all-star event for prep football players…
Read MoreMuddy River Showcase Spotlight: Quincy Notre Dame’s Jake Hoyt
The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. QUINCY — Jake Hoyt…
Read MoreSchuckman: Truckin’ around covering area’s best athletes and teams is life worth living
QUINCY — Something unusual took place Saturday morning. I woke up with nothing to do. Well, that’s not entirely true. There’s a list of household chores I’ve ignored far too long, and Buster, my still rambunctious 13-year-old cheagle, was going to get a bulk of my attention. Plus, I’ve decided to replace my grill, so…
Read MoreMuddy River Showcase Spotlight: Quincy Notre Dame’s Abbey Schreacke
The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. QUINCY — When it…
Read MoreQND’s Bunte, Pleasant Hill’s Lowe and Brown County’s Dunlap earn first-team all-state honors
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame sophomore Caitlin Bunte led a trio of area softball players who earned first-team all-state honors from the Illinois Coaches Association. Eight others received second- or third-team honors. Bunte, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder, was named to the Class 2A first team, while Pleasant Hill junior pitcher McKinley Lowe and Brown…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND welcomes home Class 2A third-place baseball team
QUINCY — Mark McDowell did what he needed to do in order to get the job done. He adjusted. To kick off the pep rally welcoming home the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team following its third-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament, the QND principal planned to begin his opening remarks by playing the…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QND baseball team celebrates its third-place finish at Class 2A state tournament
PEORIA, Ill. — A record-setting season would have been incomplete without a victory on the final day of play. The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team understood that and made certain that happened, beating DePaul College Prep 7-2 in the Class 2A third-place game Saturday at Dozer Park. Winning the third state trophy in program history…
Read MoreTogether until the end: Raiders finish mission to play on season’s final day, bring home Class 2A third-place trophy
PEORIA, Ill. — Tyler Dance shook his head, almost in disbelief. Then he smiled, knowing you have to believe in fate. “No. 5,” Dance said. “It keeps coming up.” In the final game of this historic, record-setting season — one that should land the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team in the school’s Hall of Fame…
Read MoreRaiders’ Dance attacks Rams to finish remarkable season with victory in third-place game
PEORIA, Ill. — Tyler Dance didn’t like it, but he didn’t fret over it. He simply worked through it. That’s what an ace does. Staked to a one-run lead following the top of the first inning of Saturday’s Class 2A third-place game at Dozer Park, the Quincy Notre Dame senior right-hander saw the DePaul College…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team faces DePaul College Prep in Class 2A third-place game
PEORIA, Ill. — This historic season had a fitting ending. The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team played and won on the final day of the season and came home with a trophy. The Raiders beat DePaul College Prep 7-2 on Saturday to take third place at the Class 2A state tournament at Dozer Park. The…
Read MoreRaiders realize shot at state championship not part of their destiny after semifinal loss
PEORIA, Ill. — The fifth inning provided the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players with hope. The sixth inning gave them angst. The seventh inning brought the stark realization a state championship wasn’t part of their destiny. Trailing defending Class 2A state champion Joliet Catholic by five runs in the fifth inning of Friday’s state semifinal…
Read MoreHilltoppers’ Schlageter best arm Raiders faced this season ‘by far’
PEORIA, Ill. — For one inning, T.J. Schlageter was immaculate. Five other innings, he was unhittable. That’s a scenario the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team hadn’t faced this season. Schlageter, the Joliet Catholic left-hander who has signed with the University of Louisville, handcuffed the Raiders for seven innings Friday night, allowing just three hits in…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team makes first state final four appearance in nearly two decades
PEORIA, Ill. — Playing in the Class 2A state final four for the first time since 2004, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team enjoyed the support of a large, vocal crowd Friday night at Dozer Park. It sparked a fifth-inning rally that pulled the Raiders within two runs of defending state champion Joliet Catholic. However,…
Read MoreFor love of the game: Raiders’ year-round passion for baseball leads to unparalleled success
QUINCY — At the most elemental level, it’s a warehouse. The building has been remodeled and retrofitted to be a baseball haven, but the brick exterior, the large, garage-style doors and the location close to the Mississippi River suggest it once was used for storage, construction or manufacturing. The Quincy Notre Dame baseball players embrace…
Read MoreWorking on a chain gang: Raiders use unique home run celebration to inject energy into state championship pursuit
QUINCY — Mason Winking’s employee discount probably saved him $3 or $4 on the welded galvanized steel chain he purchased at Farm & Home Supply. Yet, the real value of those 35 gold-painted links is immeasurable. That chain is part of what links the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players so strongly together. It stands for…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QND baseball players celebrate state final four berth with No. 5 in their hearts
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The highs and lows of sports intersected with the tragedy and triumph of life in a 48-hour span for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players. They found a way to make history through it all. A 13-1 victory over Bloomington Central Catholic in the Class 2A Springfield Super-Sectional at Lincoln Land Community…
Read MoreSchuckman: Tollerton watching over his QND teammates in spirit and soul like a hawk
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The bird took its perch atop the light standard in left-center field in the bottom of the first inning Monday evening, and other than moving from one end of the row of lights to the other, it watched the next three innings of the Class 2A super-sectional baseball game unfold. Little by…
Read MoreHigh fives all around: Raiders use Tollerton’s inspiration to power past Saints and reach Class 2A state final four
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Jake Schisler smiled and shrugged as he uncupped his left hand to reveal the baseball he had hit into the Monday twilight. He couldn’t be certain it was the actual home run ball because someone would have had to dig it out of the trees beyond the left-field fence at Lincoln Land…
Read More‘No one quit’: QND softball team showcases resiliency before comeback ends in super-sectional loss
DECATUR, Ill. — The cardiac queens were at it agaIn. Facing a four-run deficit heading to the bottom of the fifth inning — the second time the Quincy Notre Dame softball team had trailed this deep in a game this postseason and the third straight game in which late-inning runs were needed to advance —…
Read More‘He threw another gem’: Raiders right-hander Dance delivers by shutting down Saints
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In the moments after the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players decided they’d play Monday’s Class 2A super-sectional as planned, senior designated hitter Alex Connoyer stood in front of Tyler Dance, leaned in so they were nearly nose-to-nose and delivered a strong message. “Use all the emotion,” Connoyer told his teammate. “Let it…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Memories of Tollerton vivid as QND baseball team beats BCC in super-sectional
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball players decided Sunday morning to play Monday’s Class 2A Springfield Super-Sectional against Bloomington Central Catholic because Tucker Tollerton would have wanted them to play. Tollerton, the senior starting center fielder and No. 2 hole hitter, was killed in a single-vehicle accident Saturday night just outside of Hannibal,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND softball team showcases its resiliency during Class 2A super-sectional loss
DECATUR, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team once again refused to go down without a fight. Trailing by three or more runs twice during Monday’s Class 2A Decatur Super-Sectional against Effingham St. Anthony, the Raiders rallied. They erased a three-run deficit in the first inning and nearly squashed a four-run deficit before the…
Read More‘He’s always with us’: Raiders decide to forge forward, play Monday’s super-sectional after tragic death of Tollerton
QUINCY — Jake Schisler walked up to his Quincy Notre Dame baseball teammates gathered in the shade of the trees in front of the school late Sunday morning and posed a question to which he figured he already knew the answer. Should they play Monday? Tucker Tollerton, the Raiders’ No. 2 hitter and starting center…
Read MoreSchuckman: Passion poured into baseball by Raiders’ Tollerton more than good enough to make his impact great
QUINCY — Tucker Tollerton’s final hit wasn’t squared up on the barrel of the bat. It wasn’t laced into one of the outfield gaps where he’d have the chance to run like a gazelle. It wasn’t driven over the fence to display his increasing bat speed and power. He simply tucked it into a spot…
Read MoreMining sectional gold: Schisler tosses complete game, cracks two-run single to push Raiders another step closer to state tourney
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The moment brought about a surge of adrenaline Jake Schisler needed to harness. “I was definitely a little amped up,” he said. One out away from sending the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team to the Class 2A super-sectionals for the first time since 2017, the right-handed Schisler allowed Gillespie’s Tristen Wargo to…
Read MoreErrorless defense continues to give Raiders edge during state championship pursuit
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Jack Linenfelser planted his right foot hard deep in the hole at shortstop and whistled a throw across the diamond, gunning down Gillespie’s Bryan Jubelt for the second out in the third inning of Saturday’s Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional championship. Had the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s senior shortstop paused to…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team wins Class 2A sectional championship with shutout
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team moved another step closer to reaching the state final four for just the third time in program history, beating previously undefeated Gillespie 5-0 to win the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional championship. The Raiders will face Bloomington Central Catholic at 5 p.m. Monday at Lincoln Land…
Read MoreAll Boden-s well for Raiders in extra innings of sectional championship victory
QUINCY — As she trotted toward home plate following a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to put her team back in front, Brooke Boden wasn’t thinking she would have to be the hero again two innings later. “I was just ready to get our last out,” the Quincy Notre Dame…
Read MoreMuddy River Showcase Spotlight: Quincy Notre Dame’s Lia Quintero
The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. QUINCY — The bookends…
Read MoreTrout season: Fiery QND right-hander pitches with purpose to lead Raiders into sectional title tilt
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The motivation to finish what he started sent Tyler Dance to the pitcher’s mound in the seventh inning with purpose. An eye-popping fastball accompanied him. The senior right-hander punctuated a two-hit shutout of Shelbyville in the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional semifinals by striking out the Rams’ Kelton Logan on an 88…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Raiders win 30th straight game by beating Rams in sectional semifinals
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team won its 30th consecutive game Wednesday, beating Shelbyville 2-0 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional at Lincoln Land Community College’s Claude Kracik Field. The Raiders (33-1) will face Gillespie (32-0) at 11 a.m. Saturday in the sectional title game. Muddy River Sports…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QND’s Cucuk discusses return to state tennis tournament
QUINCY — Marko Cucuk understands the competition intensifies this week. Still, the Quincy Notre Dame tennis player is heading to the Class 1A state tournament on quite a roll. The recent QND graduate, who is making his third straight tournament appearance in the singles draw, won the singles bracket at the Class 1A Chatham Glenwood…
Read More‘All I wanted was a single’: Schreacke’s simple approach leads to game-winning three-run blast as Raiders rally to win sectional semifinal
QUINCY — A not-so-silent plea rang from the Quincy Notre Dame faithful stacked along the third-base line as Abbey Schreacke strolled to the plate. “C’mon, Abbey, put it over the fence,” one fan bellowed. Schreacke had something a little less dramatic in mind. With the QND softball team trailing Stanford Olympia 5-3 with one out…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Auburn advance to Class 2A sectional softball championship game
QUINCY — One scored early and often, the other rallied late. Now, they’ll go head-to-head for a sectional championship. The Auburn softball team scored 11 runs in the first inning and beat Macomb 16-0 in the first semifinal Tuesday in the Class 2A QND Sectional at The Backyard. Quincy Notre Dame followed by scoring four…
Read MoreRaiders’ resiliency put to test in regional title game, Kindhart’s sac fly helps knock off Saukees
QUINCY — Each time the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team seemed poised for a big inning Saturday, something went haywire. Pittsfield right-hander Brennan Tomhave played a role in that. The Raiders’ overaggressiveness did, too. It finally took a simple approach in consecutive at-bats to generate enough offense to survive and advance. After the Raiders loaded…
Read MoreLike Schis and like that: QND right-hander refuses to give in, strikes out 13 in regional title victory
QUINCY — Given the lead for a second time in Saturday’s Class 2A regional championship game, Quincy Notre Dame right-hander Jake Schisler vowed he was not giving it up. “I think those might have been my exact words,” Schisler said. He had no plans to do it alone either. “I said to myself that I…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team survives regional title tussle with Pittsfield
QUINCY — Another chapter to the Quincy Notre Dame-Pittsfield rivalry was written Saturday as the Raiders survived the Saukees’ upset bid to win the Class 2A QND Regional championship with a 2-1 victory at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. QND’s Jake Schisler outdueled Pittsfield’s Brennan Tomhave, striking out 13 and setting down the side in…
Read MoreMomentum-swinging plays send Raiders home with regional title and another chance to play at The Backyard
CANTON, Ill. — Caitlin Bunte needed one pitch to erase a threat and one swing to start an onslaught. It all took place in a matter of minutes. “It’s what she’s done all year long. She made great adjustments in the circle and then comes up and hits a blast,” Quincy Notre Dame softball coach…
Read MoreMuddy River Showcase Spotlight: Quincy Notre Dame’s Jackson Stratton
The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door. QUINCY — The fact…
Read MoreA player’s perspective: Former QND girls soccer standouts reflect on Longo’s impact on tradition-rich program last 34 years
QUINCY — The winningest girls soccer coach in Illinois High School Association history impacted the lives of those he coached far beyond the white lines. That became abundantly clear with the reaction three decades worth of Quincy Notre Dame players had Tuesday when Mark Longo announced he was retiring following 34 years at the helm.…
Read MoreAdapt and overcome: Raiders’ Dance responds to one big swing by shutting down Cardinals in complete-game regional semifinal victory
QUINCY — Tyler Dance threw 34 innings during the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s regular season without allowing a home run. One inning and 18 pitches into the postseason, that changed. Pleasant Plains’ Zach Ponce led off the top of the second inning by driving a two-ball, two-strike curveball to left field for a home…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Pittsfield to renew longstanding rivalry in regional title game
QUINCY — A West Central Illinois rivalry gets a postseason chapter added to it Saturday. The Quincy Notre Dame and Pittsfield baseball teams advanced to the championship game of the Class 2A QND Regional by winning Wednesday’s semifinals and will square off at 11 a.m. Saturday in the title game at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Mark Longo discusses legendary QND girls soccer coaching career
QUINCY — Mark Longo was asked to coach the inaugural Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team with no expectations and no preconceived notions of success. The next coach won’t be so lucky. From 1990 until now — 33 seasons total — Longo has been the only head coach the Raiders have had, and with him…
Read MoreA legacy unmatched: Longo retires after 34 years at helm of QND girls soccer program
QUINCY — The final sentence in a small paragraph next to the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team photo in the school’s yearbook in 1990 may have been the ultimate foreshadowing. “Another tradition of Raider soccer, at its best, had begun!!” it read. It became a tradition no other program can match. The architect of…
Read MoreImmediately quashing Bluejays’ momentum allows Raiders to head to regional title tilt
CANTON, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team didn’t allow Petersburg PORTA’s momentum to last long. Abbey Schreacke and Brooke Boden took care of that. After the Bluejays scored twice in the top of the fifth, reducing the Raiders’ three-run edge to one, Schreacke led off the bottom of the frame with a single…
Read MoreRaiders rally on record-setting day to end regular season with confidence boost and victory
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team figured out there’s an immediate need for a sense of urgency with the postseason on the horizon. Another deficit, a lengthy weather delay and a senior-led pep talk brought that into focus. The Raiders stared down history Saturday in the regular-season finale against Jacksonville Routt at Ferd…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team heads into postseason following another comeback victory
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team is proving it can overcome adversity. That’s a trait that could come in very handy in the postseason. In Saturday’s final game of the regular season, the Raiders erased a three-run deficit by scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth inning and beating Jacksonville Routt…
Read MoreRaiders’ reign as Class 1A state champions ends with regional title game loss to Cyclones
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The reign is over, undone by the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team’s inability to find a consistent rhythm or flow to its season. Injuries curtailed that. Inconsistency did, too. Unable to create their own lucky bounces or breaks, the Raiders played catch-up too often, just like they did Friday during a…
Read MoreCentral celebrates Senior Night by sweeping baseball, softball games
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Senior Night turned into quite the affair for the Central baseball and softball teams. The Panthers punctuated a 10-1 victory over Triopia on the baseball diamond by bookending the game with four-run innings in the first and sixth, while on the softball field, the Panthers made a pair of third-inning runs…
Read MoreBlue Devils outduel Raiders, while QND’s Cucuk overcomes ankle injury to win final home match
QUINCY — The manner in which Marko Cucuk tripped and fell, hitting the hard-court surface on Court No. 1 at the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park with a thud, created immediate and obvious concern. “I knew I fell really hard,” said Cucuk, the No. 1 singles player for the Quincy Notre Dame boys tennis…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS, QND boys tennis teams go head-to-head in final regular-season dual
QUINCY — In the final dual match of the regular season for both teams, the Quincy High School boys tennis squad beat Quincy Notre Dame 7-2 Tuesday in the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park. The Blue Devils swept the season series, beating the Raiders 5-4 on April 24. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read MoreRaiders begin title defense by hammering Hawks, set up regional final matchup with Cyclones
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Weather and scheduling conflicts forced the regular-season matchup between the Quincy Notre Dame and Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin girls soccer teams to first be postponed and then shelved. Nothing will stop them from going head-to-head now. QND began the defense of its Class 1A state championship by hammering Riverton 8-0 Tuesday night in…
Read MoreRaiders rally once again to win, set up shot at history in regular-season finale against Rockets
MACOMB, Ill. — For the third straight game, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team trailed heading to the fifth inning or later. Yet again, the Raiders rallied. This time, though, they did so against an NCAA Division I arm. QND tagged Macomb’s Jack Duncan, who has signed with Western Illinois University, for two runs in…
Read MoreTucked away: Heroics in both ends of seventh inning allow QND baseball team to survive, sweep season series from QHS
QUINCY — For Tucker Tollerton, the choice was an easy one. When asked which was more rewarding Monday evening — his game-winning hit in the top of the seventh inning or a game-saving relief performance in the bottom of the frame — Tollerton’s response was immediate. Well, almost immediate. First, there was a huge smile.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team rallies in seventh inning to earn sweep of QHS
QUINCY — Trailing by two runs heading to the seventh inning, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team scored three times with two outs to rally for a 4-3 victory over Quincy High School at the QHS field and sweep in this season’s city series. Photographer Samantha Carmean captured some of the action for this photo…
Read MoreCall it a comeback: Linenfelser’s grand slam caps Raiders’ rally against Tigers, completes sweep
QUINCY — A day that began with thunder and lightning ended with the biggest bang imaginable. A historic winning streak remains intact thanks to that. Facing its second-largest deficit of the season and trailing for only the third time all season, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team managed to end an exhausting week by erasing…
Read MoreQuick as a Flachs: Center fielder’s crucial hit helps Raiders fend off challenge from Wolves
QUINCY — The two-run lead vanished, and with it seemed to go with the momentum and the energy the Quincy Notre Dame softball team brought to The Backyard on Saturday. Mackenzie Flachs brought it all back. After Pleasant Hill’s Ava Wombles scored on Jade Peebles single in the top of the third inning to tie…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team wins twice in Spring Slam to run win streak to 24 straight
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team showcased more than this ability to hit Saturday. The Raiders showed some wherewithal to overcome anything. After a nearly two-hour weather delay, the Raiders beat Hannibal 12-5 and then rallied from a seven-run deficit to knock off Macon 12-10 at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Muddy River…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND softball team collides with Pleasant Hill, Pittsfield at The Backyard
QUINCY — With the postseason looming, a couple of regional title hopefuls went head-to-head Saturday at The Backyard as the Quincy Notre Dame softball team upended Pleasant Hill 11-2 during the QND Slam. The Raiders also beat Pittsfield 13-5. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time at The Backyard and put together this photo…
Read MoreOnce Raiders’ offense gets rolling, stockpile of runs usually follows
QUINCY — The way Herman Boone described his football team’s offense in “Remember the Titans” is an apt way to describe the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s offense. “It’s like Novocaine,” Boone said. “Just give it time, it always works.” In the case of the Raiders, just let them see enough pitches and they’ll always…
Read MoreHow sweep it is: For first time since girls soccer rivalry began 33 years ago, QHS sweeps QND
QUINCY — In nearly a quarter century as part of the Quincy High School girls soccer program — the first eight as an assistant coach and the past 15 as the head coach — Travis Dinkheller had never witnessed the Blue Devils sweep the season series from their crosstown rivals. Not a single person had.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS girls soccer team shuts out QND to sweep season series
QUINCY — The Quincy High School girls soccer team limited Quincy Notre Dame’s opportunities Thursday night and took advantage of Taylor Routh’s goal with 17 minutes remaining in regulation to earn a 1-0 victory at Advance Physical Therapy Field and sweep the season series for the first time ever. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read MoreRaiders’ victory over Bombers could be prelude to sectional showdown
MACOMB, Ill. — Until we meet again. And there is a strong chance it will happen. With the Quincy Notre Dame and Macomb softball teams each the top seed in their respective regionals, the idea Wednesday’s game will evolve into a postseason rematch lingered, especially after the Raiders scored twice in the seventh inning to…
Read MoreFinal home stretch showing Raiders have heart to be contender in Class 1A postseason
QUINCY — If home is indeed where the heart is, the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team is using its longest stretch of home games to find out how much heart it truly has. Wednesday’s effort gave the Raiders hope they have the heart of a champion. Three second-half goals led to a 4-0 victory…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND girls soccer team shuts out Jacksonville during final home stretch
QUINCY — The shutout was a boost of confidence for the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team’s defense. The victory over Jacksonville was a shot in the arm for everyone. The Raiders beat the Crimsons 4-0 Wednesday at Advance Physical Therapy Field to create some needed momentum with the postseason looming. Muddy River Sports Editor…
Read MoreAgainst the wind: Gusty conditions cannot deter Raiders from powering up against Blue Devils
QUINCY — The strength of the wind blowing in from center field Tuesday afternoon had every hitter in the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s lineup thinking singles over home runs. “I was just focusing on hitting liners up the middle,” QND right fielder Colin Kurk said. It seemed like the right approach. “That overall makes…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team hits three homers in crosstown battle with QHS
QUINCY — The first of two meetings between the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame baseball teams in a seven-day span featured surprising power, incredible patience and lopsided outcome rarely seen in this series. The Raiders hit three home runs, capitalized on seven walks and rolled to a 16-1, four-inning victory Tuesday at Ferd…
Read MoreA Wink and a knock: Raiders celebrate Senior Day with enjoyable effort in shutout of Hornets
QUINCY — With the way their class schedule works, a majority of the seniors on the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team typically hit the field for practice shortly after 1:30 p.m., giving them the opportunity to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment from every day together. “This is their time,” QND coach Rich Polak said. So…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND girls soccer team surrenders late goal in 1-0 loss to Springfield
QUINCY — In need of building momentum before the postseason begins, the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team had ample chances in the second half Monday against Springfield to snare the lead and pull out a victory. Instead, the Raiders got burned on a counterattack. The Senators scored with 2 minutes, 43 seconds remaining in…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team celebrates Senior Day with all 10 seniors in lineup
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team did more than recognize its 10 seniors prior to Monday’s game against Brown County at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. The Raiders saw those seniors and their moms dance. The senior moms choreographed a dance, which they did on the turf infield following the introduction of the…
Read MoreQND softball team’s ability to battle and rally will serve it well in postseason
QUINCY — Eric Orne isn’t shying away from putting the Quincy Notre Dame softball team in high-leverage situations before the postseason arrives. “These are championship Saturdays for us,” the veteran skipper said after the Raiders suffered a 7-6 loss to Tolono Unity on Saturday at The Backyard. “These are the kind of teams and the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND softball team rallies three times against tradition-rich Tolono Unity
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame softball team found itself trailing three times in the first six innings of Saturday’s game against Tolono Unity at The Backyard and rallied to tie it each time. The Rockets, however, scoring in the top of the seventh to secure a 7-6 victory. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman…
Read MoreQuarter century of memories: High-level play matches anticipation for renewal of QHS-QND series
Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman began covering the Quincy High School boys basketball program during the 1998-99 season, and since he recently wrapped up his 25th season following the Blue Devils, he put together a list of his 25 most memorable games. Here is today’s installment: January 6, 2007 — Quincy 60, Notre Dame 59 QUINCY…
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