Posts Tagged ‘Quincy Notre Dame’
‘Sully’ disposition: Sophomore midfielder’s goal gives QND halftime edge en route to regional title
MONMOUTH, Ill. — What Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer coach Greg Reis preaches in practice seems to resonate with his players. At the very least, sophomore midfielder Sullivan “Sully” Walker is listening. “(Reis) has been telling me ever since I scored my first goal to crash the goalie because you’re always there to make something…
Read MoreInterpretation of ‘ball in hand’ rule results in red card for QND goalkeeper, could keep Frericks out of sectional semifinal
MONMOUTH, Ill. — The definition of a “ball in hand” is going to determine if Max Frericks will be the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team’s starting goalkeeper come Saturday. Right now, sophomore Carter Hankins needs to be ready to fill that role. Frericks, the senior goalkeeper who was the backstop on last year’s Class…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND beats Monmouth-Roseville to win Class 1A boys soccer regional championship
MONMOUTH, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team figured out how to use the rain and the pace of play it created on Pattee Fields grass surface to score four second-half goals and beat Monmouth-Roseville 5-2 in Wednesday’s Class 1A regional championship. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman hung out in the rain…
Read MoreEmotional end to home slate comes with Raiders finishing off perfect season at The Pit
QUINCY — The Pit provided the perfect atmosphere to goodbye, even if it had Emma Hoing shedding tears. “I was so emotional tonight,” Hoing said. “I cried.” She also delivered. A senior outside hitter on the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team, Hoing threw down a team-leading eight kills to power the Raiders to a 25-19,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS, QND volleyball teams square off in front of raucous crowd at The Pit
QUINCY — Two rambunctious student sections, splashes of pink throughout the gym and lively play on both sides of the net made for an entertaining crosstown showdown Monday night at The Pit. The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team capped an undefeated regular season at home with a 25-19, 25-15 victory over Quincy High School on…
Read MoreVideo highlights: QHS, QND square off on volleyball court on ‘Pink Night’ at The Pit
QUINCY — Videographer Frank Cann put together a highlight package from Monday night’s crosstown showdown between the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame volleyball teams at The Pit. The Raiders won 25-19, 25-15.
Read MoreQHS, QND each sending doubles team to state tennis tournament
QUINCY — A pair of doubles teams will represent Quincy at the girls state tennis tournaments this weekend in the Chicago suburbs. In Class 2A, the Quincy High School senior tandem of Lily and Phoebe Hayes finished fourth at the Belleville West Sectional, while the Quincy Notre Dame duo of Morgan Zanger and Kaitlyn Brown…
Read MoreNo Reis, no worries: Raiders open state title defense with whitewashing of Tornadoes
MONMOUTH, Ill. — If Greg Reis had any long-distance concerns, all he would have had to do is pull out his phone and take one glance at social media to alleviate them quite quickly. The updates, like the goals, came fast and furious. The Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer coach missed Saturday’s postseason opener in…
Read MoreQND continues to finish season with flourish, buries Soldan with first-quarter TD flurry
QUINCY — The playoff hopes might be slim and the likelihood of the season ending in one week may be setting in, but the Quincy Notre Dame football team continues to play as if there’s plenty more at stake. For the second consecutive week, the Raiders dominated the opponent in front of them. QND scored…
Read MoreQND’s Eftink joins select company with runner-up finish at Class 1A state golf tournament
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Beau Eftink learned the value of patience through the agony of waiting Saturday afternoon. The Quincy Notre Dame sophomore golfer posted a 1-under 71 in the second round of the Class 1A state tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course and was the clubhouse leader at 1-over 145 when he finished his round.…
Read MoreRaiders rebound to finish sixth at state golf tourney, Chargers’ Bruns shoots 73
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Saturday turned into a bounce-back day for the Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team and several area golfers. After tying for eighth and narrowly making the cut following the first round of the Class 1A state tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course, the Raiders shot the third lowest round of the day,…
Read MoreRaiders dominate Bulldogs from start to finish as Hun, special teams make big plays
DECATUR, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame football team made sure this game didn’t slip away. After back-to-back near misses that dashed their playoff hopes, the Raiders put together their finest overall performance of the season Friday night to swamp defending Class 2A state champion Decatur St. Teresa 55-6. QND dominated from start to finish…
Read MoreWhipping wind blows QND boys golf team’s chances off course in opening round at state
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame boys golf coach Brian Hendrian was monitoring the barrage of birdies coming from the first wave of golfers to hit Prairie Vista Golf Course on Friday morning when he received a text message. Michael Venvertloh’s father, Bruce, let Hendrian know his senior golfer had holed out for an eagle…
Read MoreQHS-QND highlights: Watch video of memorable moments from Thursday’s city soccer clash
QUINCY — The Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer teams engaged in another intense chapter of the city rivalry Thursday night at Advance Physical Therapy Field with the Blue Devils winning 3-2 for their first victory over the Raiders since 2019. Videographer Frank Cann put together this highlight video from the Gem…
Read MoreNo cramping his style: Dede scores game-winner as Blue Devils fend off Raiders in city rivalry game
QUINCY — Nolan Dede wanted to join the celebration, but that required getting to his feet and ignoring his cramping right calf. “It was such a conflict of emotions,” he said. “There was the pain and there was the excitement.” And there was the magnitude of the moment. Dede’s header off an Evan Sohn restart…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS, QND boys soccer teams split city series
QUINCY — The seniors on the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer teams had different goals in mind Thursday night. The Blue Devils sought their first victory in the city series during the seniors’ four-year careers, while the Raiders’ Class of 2024 was looking to stay undefeated. Nolan Dede’s second-half goal tipped…
Read MoreMatch-play mentality on back nine carries QND boys golf team to sectional championship
AUBURN, Ill. — As the Quincy Notre Dame boys golfers made the turn Monday, the situation seemed pretty cut and dry. Beat Bloomington Central Catholic head-to-head and win a sectional championship. Raiders coach Brian Hendrian didn’t shy away from telling his golfers that. “We went out there and played it like a Ryder Cup format…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Doubles victories give QHS girls tennis team head-to-head edge against QND
QUINCY — A week after sweeping its crosstown rival in a dual match, the Quincy High School girls tennis team had to fight for a pair of doubles victories to finish off a victory against Quincy Notre Dame on Monday at the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park. The No. 1 doubles team of Lily…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Macomb girls golf teams see seasons end at Class 1A Roxana Sectional
WOOD RIVER, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls golfers figured Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin was the bona fide favorite to win the Class 1A Roxana Sectional, but after that it would be a dogfight to see which two additional teams qualified for the state tournament. The Raiders didn’t happen to be in that fight at…
Read MoreCrim: Raiders’ near misses mean playing for pride instead of playoffs over final three games
QUINCY— The Quincy Notre Dame football team can only think of what might have been. The Raiders were eliminated from playoff consideration Friday night with a 35-28 loss to Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton at Advance Physical Therapy Field, a game in which they held a 12-point lead five minutes into the second half and seemed…
Read MoreAnother one-possession loss sinks QND, eliminates any chance of playoff push
QUINCY — Mistakes and missed opportunities will haunt the Quincy Notre Dame football team. The Raiders saw their playoff hopes evaporate Friday night when Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton scored three touchdowns in a six-minute stretch overlapping the third and fourth quarters to erase a 12-point deficit and post a 35-28 victory at Advance Physical Therapy…
Read MoreQND girls golf team’s steady play leaves regional field in a fog as Raiders four-peat as champions
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — From the moment the Quincy Notre Dame girls golf team left the school parking lot Thursday morning until the Raiders reached Rolling Greens Golf Course, a dense fog made visibility a challenge. Still, the Raiders never lost sight of their goal. A four-peat. The fog forced an adjustment to the tee…
Read MoreBeau knows: Up-and-down for par on No. 18 caps impressive regional round by QND sophomore
QUINCY — The number of strokes Beau Eftink needed to get up and down from behind the 18th green was going to determine just how pleased he would be with his final score. The moment he hit his chip shot from above the green’s collar, the Quincy Notre Dame sophomore golfer felt a twinge of…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Westview Golf Course plays host to Class 1A Quincy Notre Dame boys regional
QUINCY — Beau Eftink went low, the Quincy Notre Dame boys golf team took advantage of playing on its home course and three teams that had been in the mix all season advanced to the Class 1A Auburn Sectional at Edgewood Golf Course. It turned out to be a remarkable day at Westview Golf Course.…
Read MorePostseason primer: Tournament success preps area golfers for pursuit of state tourney bids
QUINCY — The postseason is nigh, and it could be an eventful one on the links. Here are five things to keep in mind as regional play for Illinois boys begins Wednesday and girls Thursday and district play for Missouri girls tees off next week: Minor success, major results for Pirates The growth of the…
Read MoreMilestone moment: Seniors, Reis discuss his 400th victory as QND boys soccer coach
QUINCY — The third time proved to be the charm. With Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer coach Greg Reis sitting on 399 career victories, the Raiders suffered back-to-back losses to quality teams in John Burroughs and Rochester. Saturday, a team that traditionally has given the Raiders fits visited Advance Physical Therapy Field, and it brought…
Read MoreCrim: Four decades later, QND football team’s remarkable turnaround remains impressive
QUINCY — It has been 40 years since the Quincy Notre Dame football team engineered one of the biggest one-season turnarounds in school history. The Raiders were coming off back-to-back 2-8 seasons in 1983 and had lost 19 of their previous 23 games, dating to the tail end of the 1980 campaign. It had been…
Read MoreRaiders’ chance to snare pivotal road victory kicked aside as Eagles rally in final minute
ASHLAND, Mo. — The kind of victory the Quincy Notre Dame football team desperately needed, the kind that alleviates the pressure to be perfect, was within the Raiders’ grasp. In fact, it was only 72 seconds away. That’s when disaster devastated QND. Southern Boone’s Brady Dapkus returned a kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown and…
Read MoreSchuckman: Raiders developing edge in middle that could be key component of postseason run
QUINCY — It sounds different. It just does. When Eva Breckenkamp drives the volleyball straight down, it thuds. Loudly. People notice. People flinch. People ooh and ahh. It happens when Emma Hoing powers a kill down the line or when Delaney Beard drives one crosscourt. The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team is blessed with an…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Hannibal volleyball teams square off at The Pit
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team continued to build a resume that likely will earn the Raiders the No. 1 regional seed with Tuesday night’s 25-16, 25-14 victory over Hannibal at The Pit. Sophomore middle Eva Breckenkamp led the Raiders with eight kills, while senior outside hitter Emma Hoing had seven kills and…
Read MoreComplimentary football enables Raiders to earn first victory by shutting out Hawks in second half
QUINCY — The situation was less than ideal. The response to it was more than fitting. Now, the Quincy Notre Dame football players can exhale and breathe a little easier. A dominant defensive effort Saturday in which the Raiders forced three turnovers and blocked a punt propelled QND to a 20-6 victory over state-ranked Lift…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND football team beats rain, Lift for Life Academy to enjoy first victory
QUINCY — Nothing could wash away the good vibes the Quincy Notre Dame football team generated Saturday, not even a postgame thunderstorm. The Raiders finished off a 20-6 victory over Lift for Life Academy on Saturday afternoon at Advance Physical Therapy Field before the rain fell, giving QND its first victory of the season and…
Read MorePhoto gallery: John Burroughs scores three second-half goals to upend QND soccer team
QUINCY — The John Burroughs boys soccer team presented another challenge in what already has been a tasking schedule for Quincy Notre Dame, and the Raiders put the Bombers on their heels in the first half Thursday night at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Leo Cann and Nolan Heck scored in the final 15 minutes of…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND volleyball team sweeps Payson Seymour at The Pit
QUINCY — Coming off a second-place finish at the Lincoln Tournament in which it went 4-1 against Class 3A and 4A competition, the Quincy Notre Dame volleyball team returned home Wednesday for a West Central Conference matchup with Payson Seymour. A balanced attack that featured three hitters leading the way with five kills apiece led…
Read MorePrairie State Profile: Raiders’ Genenbacher making sure her final run is memorable
QUINCY — Abigail Genenbacher’s final run through South Park proved to be one she could enjoy. The Quincy Notre Dame senior cross country runner dashed her way to a fourth place individual finish Tuesday in the Running Raider Classic, clocking a time of 21 minutes, 17 seconds. “I felt a lot of really great energy,”…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Schuering, Blue Devils run to titles at Running Raider Classic
QUINCY — Olivia Schuering set the pace and her teammates followed suit. The Quincy High School senior cross country runner won the individual title Tuesday at the Running Raider Classic at South Park, posting a time of 19 minutes, 55 seconds to catapult the Blue Devils to the team title with 30 points. Quincy Notre…
Read MoreRaiders, Titans play to rainy draw as Cann scores four goals for QND
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Playing ina steady rain proved to be challenging. Stopping either team’s attack turned out to be tougher. The Quincy Notre Dame and Chatham Glenwood boys soccer teams — both coming off state title game appearances a year ago — played to a 4-4 draw Monday at Illinois College with the Titans erasing…
Read MorePrep soccer roundup: QHS falls at home, QND loses twice in tourney, Hannibal finishes second in Pirate Shootout
QUINCY — For 60 minutes, the Quincy High School boys soccer team played with the poise and passion that could make it a regional contender. The final 20 minutes, however, included miscues that resulted in another loss. O’Fallon scored twice in the closing stretch Saturday, pulling away for a 3-1 victory at Flinn Stadium. The…
Read MoreBulldogs pull away in second half to send Raiders to 0-3 start for first time since 2018
QUINCY — There may be brighter days ahead for the Quincy Notre Dame football team, but Raiders coach Jack Cornell didn’t mince words when reflecting on his team’s winless start to the season. “Losing is never fun,” Cornell said. Mahomet-Seymour held QND scoreless in the second half and scored the final 28 points en route…
Read MoreAnything you can do, Leo Cann do better: Senior forward’s hat trick lifts Raiders to victory over Blue Devils
QUINCY — Leo Cann has played at Flinn Stadium only once each season throughout his high school soccer career. Yet, two of his most memorable moments happened on his rival’s home turf. As a sophomore, Cann scored the lone goal in the second half of the Quincy Notre Dame boys soccer team’s 1-0 victory against…
Read MorePhoto 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…
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