Chargers rally to knock off Panthers as Lady Suns Classic rolls toward championship Saturday

From left, Illini West's Reagan Reed, Kennedy Gunning and Abi White celebrate Gunning's shot on set point against Camp Point Central on Thursday night in the Lady Suns Classic in Augusta, Ill. | Shane Hulsey photo

AUGUSTA, Ill. — Kennedy Gunning’s reaction said it all. In a rematch of a three-set roller coaster that took place just nine days ago, Gunning delivered the game-winning kill for the Illini West volleyball team in a 20-25, 25-18, 15-11 victory over Camp Point Central in Lady Suns Classic pool play Thursday. Her subsequent celebration…

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Not this time: Wolves get revenge on Mustangs, advance to regional championship game

Pleasant Hill's Ava Wombles is greeted at home plate after belting a three-run home run in the second inning of Wednesday's Class 1A regional semifinal victory over Mendon Unity in Camp Point, Ill. | Shane Hulsey photo

CAMP POINT, Ill. — It was deja vu for the Pleasant Hill softball team ahead of their Class 1A Camp Point Regional semifinal game against Mendon Unity on Wednesday. The Wolves’ 2022 season ended in a 13-inning loss to Unity in the regional semifinals in Camp Point when Pleasant Hill was the No. 1 seed…

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Eighth grade volleyball teams from Western and Unity are heading to IESA state tournaments

The Western eighth grade volleyball team will play in the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 8-1A state tournament this weekend in Kankakee, Ill. | Submitted photo

KINDERHOOK, Ill. — The Western eighth grade girls volleyball team is headed to the Illinois Elementary School Association state tournament. So are the Unity eighth graders. Western won its Class 8-1A sectional championship, beating Concord Triopia 25-12, 25-16 on Tuesday night at Jacksonville Routt High School. Western (19-3) will face Royal Prairieview Odgen (20-3) at…

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QND, Unity boys each dominate a half, but Raiders come out on top 78-66

Quincy Notre Dame's Jackson Connoyer drives to the basket for a layup during Tuesday night's high school boys basketball game at the Pit in Quincy. Unity's Melvin McMillen defends on the play. | David Adam

QUINCY — Charles Dickens famously opened his historic novel, “A Tale of Two Cities,” with the line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  During the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team’s 78-66 victory over Unity Tuesday night, both coaches felt those emotions — in the opposite order. In the…

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Photo Gallery: Sophomores Connoyer, Allensworth lead Notre Dame boys to 14th victory

Quincy Notre Dame's Aden Genenbacher goes up for a shot over two Unity defenders during Tuesday night's boys basketball game at the Pit. | David Adam

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team improved to 14-9 with a 78-66 victory over Unity on Tuesday night at the Pit. The Raiders were paced by sophomores Jackson Connoyer with a career-high 16 points and Jace Allensworth with 14 points. Unity (13-12) placed three players in double figures — Melvin McMillen with…

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Strong second half carries Mustangs to championship of MVIT

Unity's Cody Shaffer, right, fights for a loose ball during the MVIT championship game against Bushnell-Prairie City on Friday night in Mendon, Ill. | Addi Zanger photo

MENDON, Ill. — The halftime adjustments Unity boys basketball coach Keith Carothers made worked perfectly. The Mustangs trailed Bushnell-Prairie City 27-24 at halftime of Friday night’s championship game of the Mississippi Valley Invitational Tournament before taking the lead with a 17-point third quarter and holding the Spartans to a single point in the fourth quarter.…

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McMillen, Mustangs power through to finish off Indians in fourth quarter

Unity boys basketball coach Keith Carothers and the Mustangs are 6-3 following Friday night's 50-41 victory at Payson Seymour. | Muddy River Sports file photo

PAYSON, Ill. — Melvin McMillen thoroughly enjoyed himself Friday night. “I like a physical style of game, and it’s also great when there’s a lot of trash talkin’ going on,” said McMillen, a 6-foot-4 senior whose 27 points and 12 rebounds spearheaded Unity’s 50-41 victory over rival Payson Seymour. McMillen was at his best when…

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Saukees’ second-half rally secures 300th victory of Tomhave’s coaching career

Brad Tomhave became the second coach in the history of the Pittsfield boys basketball program to reach 300 career victories. | Matt Schuckman photo

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The manner in which the Pittsfield boys basketball team secured the 300th victory of Brad Tomhave’s coaching career might not be so memorable. The milestone certainly is. The Saukees overcame making just one of their first 18 field goals and a 15-point third-quarter deficit to take the lead for the first time…

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Mustangs keep good vibes rolling, oust Trojans with strong finish to both sets in regional title tilt

The Unity volleyball team won the Class 1A Payson Regional championship Thursday night, beating Triopia 25-17, 25-16. | Photo courtesy Unity High School

PAYSON, Ill. — The best may be yet to come for the Unity volleyball team. Or so Hayden Frankel thinks. “I honestly don’t think we’ve played our best yet,” said Frankel, a senior setter. Frankel’s assessment came shortly after Unity’s relatively easy 25-17, 25-16 elimination of Triopia on Thursday evening in the Class 1A regional…

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Prairie State Profile: Mustangs’ Shaffer brings fun-loving attitude, leadership to senior season

Sophia Shaffer has played a significant role in helping the Unity volleyball team exceed early season expectations. | Photo courtesy Sarah Donley Photography

MENDON, Ill. — Sophia Shaffer is trying to savor the moment. A senior multi-sport athlete at Unity High School, Shaffer has learned through injury and triumph to be undeterred and play for the love of the game. “It’s why I want to make sure this year is fun,” Shaffer said. She also realizes this is…

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Chargers take title of Lady Suns Classic behind MVP effort of Bryan

The Illini West volleyball team won four of five matches throughout the week in the Lady Suns Classic and captured the tournament championship. | Photo courtesy Illini West volleyball

AUGUSTA, Ill. — The championship bracket of the Lady Suns Classic showed competitive balance, which is why it took a tiebreaker to determine the champion. The Illini West, Unity and Southeastern volleyball teams each completed the final day of play with a 1-1 record, but the Chargers won their first four matches of the tournament…

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Championship Saturday set as Illini West, Southeastern, Unity to battle for volleyball title

Photo courtesy Southeastern High School

AUGUSTA, Ill. — The top volleyball teams in each pool in the Lady Suns Classic cemented their spot in the championship bracket with straight-set sweeps Thursday night. Illini West continued its strong play, beating Brown County 25-16, 25-12. Josie Bryan led the Chargers with 11 kills and 12 digs, while Corin Robinson had 12 assists,…

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Muddy River Showcase Spotlight: Unity’s Ashlynn Arnsman

Unity's Ashlynn Arnsman earned honorable mention all-state honors last winter when she led the Mustangs to 29 victories. | Matt Schuckman photo

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. MENDON, Ill. — Ashlynn…

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Barry, Neisen each win two sectional titles, lead area athletes to state track meet

RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Unity’s Saylor Barry won two events and finished second in another, Liberty’s Arianna Neisen dominated the distance events and a bevy of area athletes punched their ticket to the state track and field championships during Wednesday’s Class 1A Rushville Sectional. The state championships take place May 18-20 at O’Brien Stadium on the…

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Muddy River Showcase Spotlight: Unity’s Kyra Carothers

Three-sport standout Kyra Carothers will represent Unity in the Muddy River Showcase, taking place June 17 at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

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. MENDON, Ill. — A…

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Raiders rally to take kick out of upstart Mustangs and run winning streak to 15 straight

Quincy Notre Dame's Alex Connoyer hit a grand slam and drove in six runs total during the Raiders' 12-6 victory at Unity on Monday. | Matt Schuckman photo

MENDON, Ill. — The Unity baseball team put Quincy Notre Dame in an unfamiliar spot. The Raiders trailed by two runs through three innings Monday. An offense that has pushed QND into this week’s Prep Baseball Report top 25 state poll wouldn’t let the deficit linger. The Raiders scored three times in the fourth inning,…

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Schuck on a Truck: Hunter Voth discusses dreams of being Cardinals play-by-play announcer and sheds light on Autism Awareness Month

Hunter Voth, left, joins Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman for the latest episode of "Schuck on a Truck."

QUINCY — Hunter Voth refuses to let anything stand in the way of his dream of someday becoming the radio play-by-play voice of the St. Louis Cardinals. Autism is one of those obstacles he simply pushes past. A Unity High School graduate who is a student assistant with the John Wood Community College men’s basketball…

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Begeman resigns after highly successful 15-year run as Unity girls basketball coach

Unity girls basketball coach Brad Begeman, right, led the Mustangs to 273 victories and five regional titles over 15 seasons. | Matt Schuckman photo

MENDON, Ill. — Brad Begeman hit pause before he hit send. At the end of last week, Begeman informed the Unity School District’s administration he planned to resign as the varsity girls basketball coach. Sunday night, following his team’s end-of-the-season banquet, Begeman told his players of his decision. All that was left was to email…

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Photo gallery: Central puts itself in position to win regional championship

Unity’s Caleb Kasparie, left, and Central’s Carter Eyler fight for possession of the ball during Wednesday night’s boys basketball game in the Class 1A regional at Central High School in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Central boys basketball team is taking advantage of playing the Class 1A regional on its home floor, knocking off Unity 63-47 in Wednesday’s semifinals. The Panthers will face Bushnell-Prairie City at 7 p.m. Friday in the championship. Camp Point photographer Mike Pritchard shared this photo gallery of the Panthers’ victory:

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: Four area teams sit in top five in final regular-season poll

Brown County coach Dave Phelps and the Hornets check in at No. 3 in the final Class 1A regular-season state poll. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (4) 27-2 65 1 2. Bolingbrook (1) 24-3 62 2 3. Alton (1) 27-1 56 4 4. Geneva (1) 24-3 55 3 5. Kenwood 25-4 39 5 6. O’Fallon 27-4 33…

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Photo gallery: Scenes from Saturday’s Superfan Shootout at The Pit

South Shelby coach Luke O'Laughlin implores his defense to challenge Quincy Notre Dame guard Abbey Schreacke during the second half of Saturday's game in the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at The Pit in Quincy. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent Saturday inside Quincy Notre Dame’s The Pit watching the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout unfold. Here are some of the images he captured throughout the day:

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Unity pulls away in second half of Shootout victory behind senior guard’s Barry good performance

Unity senior guard Kylee Barry accepts the trophy after being named the most outstanding player in the Mustangs' 68-41 victory over Cairo (Mo.) Northeast on Saturday in the KHQA-American Family Insurance Superfan Shootout at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Unity girls basketball coach Brad Begeman was paying senior Kylee Barry a compliment. Honest, he was. “I like to call her our Rodman, after Dennis Rodman,” Begeman said. Rodman was the controversial, but oh-so-effective part of three NBA championship teams with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. Barry is hardly a controversial figure…

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: QND, CSE, Brown County, Unity all remain in polls

Central-Southeastern's Lauren Miller and the Panthers have moved to No. 6 in the Class 2A state poll. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (3) 24-2 55 2 2. Bolingbrook (2) 22-3 51 4 3. Geneva (1) 21-3 50 3 4. Alton 25-1 48 1 5. Kenwood 23-4 33 8 6. O’Fallon…

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Illinois girls state basketball rankings: Brown County, Unity sit back-to-back at Nos. 4 and 5

Brown County coach David Phelps has guided the Hornets to the No. 4 spot in this week's Associated Press Class 1A state poll. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record, total points and previous ranking. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Alton (7) 24-0 79 2 2. Fremd 22-2 69 3 3. Geneva (1) 19-3 59 4 4. Bolingbrook 21-3 58 1 5. Normal Community 23-2 37 6 6. Whitney Young…

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Mustangs get back on track by overwhelming Chargers in third-place game of Lady Panther Classic

Unity guard Caroline Knox, right, pushes the pace during Saturday night's third-place game of the Lady Panther Classic against Illini West in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Ashlynn Arnsmann felt Saturday night’s mission was simple. “We knew we had to bounce back,” the Unity senior center said. And bounce back the Mustangs did. Rather impressively, too. Arnsmann scored 17 points, reeled in seven rebounds and blocked two shots to help power the Unity girls basketball team to an…

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Hornets end frustrating skid against Mustangs, earn spot in Lady Panther Classic title game

The Brown County girls basketball players celebrate at the end of their 47-43 victory over Unity on Thursday night in the semifinals of the CSE Lady Panther Classic in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Similar script, different ending. Much, much different. The Brown County girls basketball team put the brakes on a five-game losing streak to Unity when the Hornets pulled off a surprising 47-43 come-from-behind victory Thursday night in the semifinals of the 30th Lady Panther Classic at Central High School. Brown County, ranked…

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Photo gallery: Semifinals of CSE Lady Panther Classic set up epic championship game

Central-Southeastern guard Brilyn Lantz, left, fends off Illini West's Rylee Reed during Thursday night's semifinal in the CSE Lady Panther Classic. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — The Brown County girls basketball team handed Unity consecutive losses for the first time this season, while Central-Southeastern continued its winning ways as both teams battled their way into the championship game of the CSE Lady Panther Classic. Brown County, ranked fifth in Class 1A, knocked off second-ranked Unity 47-43 in…

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: QND stays atop Class 2A, Unity and Brown County in top five

Senior guard Blair Eftink and the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team continue to be the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2A. | Matt Schuckman photo

Here are the Illinois girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points: Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Geneva (5) 14-2 72 2 2. Fremd (2) 17-1 67 1 3. Bolingbrook (1) 14-1 62 4 4. Alton 17-0 61 6 5. Normal Community 18-0 38 5 6. Maine South…

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Central-Southeastern’s closing kick cements victory over Unity in Lady Panther Classic pool play

Central-Southeastern's Brilyn Lantz attacks the basket during the Panthers' game against Unity on Tuesday in pool play in the CSE Lady Panther Classic in Camp Point, Ill. | Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill — Lauren Miller never broke a sweat, let alone panicked. “We knew it was going to be a long game,” the Central-Southeastern sophomore said. Long and grueling. Miller and her CSE girls basketball teammates were not rattled when Unity bolted to a sizable advantage in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s showdown…

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: Unity climbs to No. 2 in Class 1A, QND stays atop Class 2A poll

Ashlynn Arnsman, center, and the Unity girls basketball team are ranked No. 2 in the Class 1A state poll, which was released Wednesday. | Matt Schuckman photo

Here are the girls prep basketball polls with rank, team, first-place votes, record and total points. Class 4A School W-L Pts Prv 1. Fremd (1) 15-1 91 3 2. Geneva (5) 12-2 89 10 3. Hersey 15-3 78 1 4. Bolingbrook (2) 13-1 77 4 5. Normal Community (2) 16-0 54 8 6. Alton (1)…

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Dieker guides Payson Seymour to MVIT championship

MENDON, Ill. — Maybe it was the tournament championship his team had just won. Or the appreciative response he was hearing from those who packed the gym at Unity High School. Or just possibly it was him soaking in all that is good about high school athletics on a warm December night.  “This is what…

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Call it payback: Unity buries Illini West in fourth quarter, will play for tourney title at Beardstown

Unity senior guard Kylee Barry scored 15 points Wednesday night to guide the Mustangs to a 15-point victory over Illini West in the semifinals of the Lady Tiger Classic at Beardstown, Ill. | Matt Schuckman file photo

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — This time, the roles were reversed. When the Unity girls basketball team defeated Illini West 50-35 in Wednesday night’s semifinals of the 40th Lady Tiger Classic at Beardstown High School, the victory helped exorcise at least some of the memories from a year ago. “(Illini West) beat us three times last season,…

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Rumble on the River: Mustangs sweep Panthers behind two stout defensive efforts

Monroe City's Myra Jones, left, looks to pass before getting trapped by Unity's Ashlynn Arnsman, center, and Sophia Shaffer during Tuesday night's game in the Rumble on the River at JWCC's Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Nick Maynard made two free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining in regulation Tuesday night to help the Unity boys basketball team seal a 45-41 victory over Monroe City in the 15th annual Rumble on the River. It also completed a sweep for the Mustangs, as the Unity girls, ranked third in Class 1A,…

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JWCC Prairie State Profile: Unity’s Arnsman sets sights on carrying success from Unity to QU

Unity forward Ashlynn Arnsman has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Quincy University. | Matt Schuckman photo

MENDON, Ill. — Ashlynn Arnsman sees her future with a clear view. For those whose sights are a little more murky, she has a plan to help them, too. The Unity multi-sport standout who recently signed a national letter of intent with the Quincy University women’s basketball team plans to study biology and use her…

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Defending state champion QND opens as No. 1 team in Class 2A, Unity starts No. 3 in Class 1A

The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team opens the 2022-23 season ranked No. 1 in the initial Class 2A state poll. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The initial Associated Press state basketball rankings set up an intriguing showdown in just two days. The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team — the defending Class 2A state champion — opens the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the state. The Raiders are 5-0 going into Thursday’s game at West Hancock…

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Mustangs finish with flourish to sweep Hornets and advance to Class 1A sectional

The Unity volleyball team won the Class 1A Unity Regional championship with a 25-11, 25-21 victory over Brown County on Thursday night in Mendon, Ill. | Submitted photo

MENDON, Ill. — Maybe, just maybe, the Unity volleyball team needed a wake-up call. The Mustangs, who won the first set against Brown County with relative ease Thursday night, eventually needed a fast-and-furious finish in round two to deliver a knockout punch. “I think we got a little ahead of ourselves after that first game,”…

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Photo gallery: Unity, Brown County advance to regional volleyball championship

The Unity volleyball team swept Western in two sets Wednesday night in the semifinals of the Class 1A Unity Regional in Mendon, Ill. | Photo courtesy Max Bennett

MENDON, Ill. — The Unity volleyball team launched its pursuit of a Class 1A state tournament berth with a flurry. Brown County did the same. Now the two must go head-to-head to see who survives. The Mustangs and Hornets won Class 1A Unity Regional semifinals Wednesday night in straight sets, propelling them to the regional…

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Girls just want to have fun: Raiders start season with two-set victory over Mustangs

Quincy Notre Dame senior libero Faith Kientzle, right, reacts to winning a point against Unity during Wednesday night's season-opening match at The Pit. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Faith Kientzle’s smile never fades. Why should it? Volleyball season is officially here. “It’s supposed to be fun,” said the Quincy Notre Dame senior libero, who has already verbally committed to Lincoln Land Community College. “And that’s what Coach told us. Just go out there and have fun and the other stuff will…

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Lucky 13: Mustangs knock Wolves out in regional semifinals by surviving 13-inning marathon

Unity's Taylor Goudschaal, left, hugs teammate Kylee Barry in the center of the infield after the Mustangs upset second-seeded Pleasant Hill 4-0 in a 13-inning marathon in the Class 1A Central Regional semifinals Wednesday in Camp Point, Ill. Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Don’t worry about Brooklynn Howell being ready to pitch come Saturday. Fortunately, the Unity sophomore right-hander will have a couple of days to recover from what was a marvelous — albeit taxing — effort Wednesday afternoon at Central High School. Howell pitched the seventh-seeded Unity softball team to a 4-0, 13-inning…

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Photo gallery: Pritchard captures softball action from Class 1A Central Regional

The Liberty softball players celebrate their 5-4 victory over Central in Wednesday's semifinals of the Class 1A Central Regional in Camp Point, Ill. Photo courtesy Mike Pritchard

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Photographer Mike Pritchard found himself behind the lens of his camera for two epic softball games Wednesday in the Class 1A Central Regional with seventh-seeded Unity upsetting second-seeded Pleasant Hill 4-0 in a 13-inning marathon and fifth-seeded Liberty outlasting third-seeded Central 5-4. Here is a gallery of images Pritchard captured from…

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JWCC Prairie State Profile: Mustangs’ Schaffnit puts heart and soul into community service

Unity senior Annabelle Schaffnit, who plays catcher and outfield for the Mustangs, has paved a path to college with her extracurricular activities. Submitted photo

MENDON, Ill. — Annabelle Schaffnit started to be apologetic for her answer. What the Unity senior softball player didn’t realize in the moment was how much her answer resonated. After chatting a little about the Mustangs and their ongoing season, Schaffnit was asked about how much her life revolves around sports. “I’ll be honest,” she…

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Schuck on a Truck Zoom Edition: Millikin standout and Unity graduate Jordan Hildebrand

Jordan Hildebrand, a 2017 Unity graduate, earned honorable mention All-American honors for the Millikin women's basketball team in her final season playing for the Big Blue. Photo courtesy Millikin Athletics

Jordan Hildebrand’s decision to stay at Millikin University for an extra year of eligibility, pursue a master’s degree and help the Big Blue women’s basketball team chase NCAA glory turned out to be a wise move. Not only will Hildebrand walk away later this year with two degrees in her hip pocket, but the 6-foot…

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Illinois girls basketball state rankings: QND heads into postseason No. 1 in Class 2A

Quincy Notre Dame guard Blair Eftink, left, and the Raiders will head into the postseason as the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2A. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — In the final state rankings before the Illinois girls basketball postseason begins, not much changed for the area teams. Quincy Notre Dame remains ranked No. 1 in Class 2A and Illini West is No. 3, although the Chargers are now tied with Pana, which is enjoying a 29-1 season and has not lost…

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Raiders able to breathe life into their attack, get back on track with victory over Mustangs

Quincy Notre Dame's Jake Wallingford, left, and Unity's Ryle Duke battle for rebounding position during the second half of Tuesday night's game at The Pit. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Take a breath. Such a simple directive, but it’s one the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball players needed to hear and follow. Back-to-back losses to state-ranked Jacksonville Routt and 20-win Southeastern made Tuesday night’s game at The Pit against Unity a must win in the words of Raiders coach Kevin Meyer. But instead…

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50 After 50: No. 29 Mustangs became epitome of sharing glory and banding together to make history

Front row, from left to right, Seth Bruenger, Dylan Shaffer, Will Klusmeyer, Alex Blickhan, Mark Jansen, Dawson Moore, Cory Miller, Clayton Thompson. Back row, from left to right, manager Jordan Fuller, assistant coach Richard Klusmeyer, head coach Keith Carothers, Adam Donley, Nick Dorethy, Lane Davis, Thomas Fielding, Brennan Begeman, assistant coach Greg Hildenbrand, assistant coach Ken Gray, manager Aspen Justice. Submitted photo

The Illinois High School Association created a second class for boys basketball for the 1971-72 school year. The 2020-21 season would have been the 50th year of the boys basketball small-school tournament. Muddy River Sports is celebrating 50 years of small-school boys basketball by ranking the 50 best teams in Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock…

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Schuckman: Knox, Begeman linked by free throws and unwavering support and belief they both received in crunch time

From left to right, Unity assistant coach Kevin Conry and the Mustangs' Hayden Frankel, Delanee Schulte, Brooklyn Stiefel and Kylee Barry watch as Caroline Knox makes the first of two free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining in regulation Thursday night in the 46-45 victory over Brown County. Matt Schuckman photo

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Brad Begeman calls it his Al Bundy moment. Caroline Knox doesn’t know who Al Bundy is. Yet, the Unity girls basketball coach and his senior guard are forever linked by the memory of the clutch free throws they made in the same gym at the same basket sitting on the same…

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Mustangs, Chargers to renew acquaintances once again, this time for title of CSE Classic

Unity coach Brad Begeman gives Caroline Knox a hug after she made two free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining in regulation to beat Brown County 46-45 in the semifinals of the CSE Classic on Thursday night in Camp Point, Ill. Matt Schuckman photo

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Here we go with round three. Caroline Knox did her part to make it happen with two clutch free throws. The Illini West girls basketball team’s defense held up its end of the equation. Now, two state-ranked foes will meet for the third time in 17 days and the second time…

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Holiday Tournament Roundup: Chargers run gauntlet to Beardstown title, Hornets finish third

The third-seeded Illini West girls basketball team beat the No. 1 and 2 seeds to win the Lady Tiger Classic championship. Photo courtesy Grant Surprenant

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — It didn’t take long for Grant Surprenant to realize Caydee Kirkham had a different demeanor Thursday night. “She had that look that she was in attack mode,” the Illini West girls basketball coach said of his senior point guard. Nothing Unity tried altered that. Kirkham delivered an MVP performance in the championship…

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Scoreboard for Tuesday, August 17

Boys Golf Alton Redbird Invitational at Spencer T. Olin Golf Course Quincy High School finishes fifth at 313. Breese Mater Dei wins the title with a 306, followed by Edwardsville (307), O’Fallon (311) and Springfield (312). Cameron Bergman leads the Blue Devils with a 76 to finish 10th individually, and Brady Walker posts a 77.…

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