The youth movement taking place at 10th and Jackson should guarantee the Quincy Notre Dame football team will be competitive for years to come.

But if this year’s team is going to achieve its goals — a Mid-State Six Conference championship and a deep playoff push top the list — it’s going to need senior leadership. Friday night against Macomb, Ryan Spohr, Brandon Kientzle and Anthony Hendren provided it.


The trio of linebackers set the tone for the season with their attacking style. First, it was Spohr spoiling an opportunity for Macomb’s Davis Hendrickson to find a seam outside by filling the gap and making a solid open-field tackle.

Next, it was Kientzle reading the option and exploding into the backfield to bring Hendrickson down for a 7-yard loss. Then, it was Hendren getting involved in almost every stop, finishing with a team-high 12 tackles.

The offensive explosion that resulted in more than 300 yards rushing in a 50-6 QND victory might have overshadowed the defensive effort, but it will be the defense that has to stand up to tests like Geneseo, Peoria Woodruff and Peoria Richwoods.

REMEMBER THESE NAMES: Justin Stinnett, Jay Finley and Eddy Holtschlag.

Stinnett, a senior linebacker, is a sizable force in the middle and proved he can track down a play from behind.


Finley, a junior tackle, got off the ball quick, found himself harrassing Bombers quarterback Kendall Hocker in the backfield and should good sideline-to-sideline quickness.

Holtschlag, a sophomore defensive end, looks more like a football player than almost any other Raider. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, he’s burly and strong enough to take on heavier offensive linemen and quick enough to run down running backs from behind.

IMPRESSIVE DEBUTS: The sophomore class showed it has a lot to offer.

The strength and accuracy of quarterback Kramer Barnes is impressive. He does a quality job of squaring his shoulders when he throws and delivering a ball only catchable by his receiver.

Luke Stamerjohn forced the only turnover, picking off a Hocker pass. Stamerjohn’s size, ability to read plays and hard-hitting capabilities make him a natural at a safety position.

Daniel Weiman looked at home as a coverage corner and coming up to defend the run. He also showed he can run the ball a little, too. He picked up 52 yards on five carries and promises to be a workhorse in the backfield for the future.

SHOWING SOME SPUNK: Down four scores at halftime, Macomb could have simply accepted a beating and began prepping for its Olympic Conference schedule. Instead, the Bombers showed some heart with their scoring drive to open the third quarter.

“I was very pleased with how we reacted,” Macomb coach Kelly Sears said. “We have a lot of positives to take from this game. The thing I’m most pleased with is my biggest lineman is 200 pounds with lead in his shoes, we’re going against 300-pounders and we’re moving the ball against them.”

Kendall Hocker has a lot to do with that.

The senior quarterback led Macomb with 55 yards rushing and scored the Bombers’ lone touchdown. The best part for the Macomb coaching staff was the poise he showed facing adversity.

As some the Quincy Notre Dame football players headed toward their cars in the school parking following a rigorous practice early Wednesday evening, I posed a simple question.

Illinois or Missouri?

The border battle is set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis with both teams ranked in the top 20. And although the Raiders attend the Mizzou team camp each summer and several of the players were wearing camp T-shirts under their pads, they didn’t instill Mizzou as an overwhelming favorite.

Jimmy Holtschlag, the all-state linemen who is receiving recruiting interest from NCAA Division I and I-AA schools, picked Illinois because “they’ve talked to me more.”

Anthony Bruns, a sophomore quarterback, defensive back and diehard Illini fan, deadpanned “Illinois” when asked for his pick.

In fact, the scales were tipped in Illinois’ favor. Of the 22 players who were asked for their opinion, 13 picked Illinois and nine favored Mizzou.

One thing remains the same at Quincy High School.

The line will define the Blue Devils’ season.

Traditionally, QHS has enjoyed a stable of talented skill position players. Since 1999, three different Blue Devils have led the Western Big Six Conference in rushing, while four players — two receivers and two runnings back — have gone on to play at NCAA Division I-AA schools.

This year shouldn’t be much different.

Matt VonderHaar is back for this third season as the starting quarterback, while the mix of Ryan Taylor at fullback and Shayne Kinne and Alex McNay at the wingbacks gives the Blue Devils a lot of options.

It has QHS coach Rick Little talking about how the team “really reloaded there.”

And he knows there is still some tweaking to do up front.

Quincy’s lineman look undersized because they are compared to the rest of the WB6. The potential starters at center and right guard don’t have lineman stature as both boast of having roughly 6-foot, 190-pound frames. Watching the Blue Devils move from position drills to team drills Tuesday, the lack of size was noticeable.

So was the sound of the popping of pads when they had a chance to hit.

The Blue Devils made it clear they want to be as physical as the other WB6 teams, regardless of size. The coaching staff is banking on it. Little’s version of the Wing-T offense places a priority on quickness and athleticism, something a smaller line will have.

If that is Quincy’s edge, it better run with it.

Tuesday, the Blue Devils showed they want to do just that.

Marty Hickman continues to be the proprietor of change.

I dubbed the executive director of the Illinois High School Association with the nickname a year ago as he and his staff oversaw the implementation of a four-class playoff system. Although the next round of change won’t be as dramatic or controversial, it promises to be ground-breaking.

Or, perhaps, water-breaking is more appropriate.


Bass fishing is the latest sport the IHSA is implementing. The state finals will be held May 8-9 at a site yet to be determined. And according to Hickman, the positive response would leave a live well overflowing.

“We’ve received more inquires about that than anything we’ve done recently,” Hickman said. “I believe the excitement is because it’s a non-traditional type of activity. This is the first one of its kind in the country.”

And it’s drawing interest from areas you might not expect.

Hickman said one of the first calls he received regarding the bass fishing state tournament series was from a teacher in the Chicago Public School system. The teacher organizes a fishing club and loved the idea as a way for his students to express themselves.

It simply reiterated Hickman’s belief the IHSA is doing things the right way.

“I continue to be very enthused about the impact of our tournaments on young people’s lives,” Hickman said. “I really have been enthused about this job because we help young people be better young people.”

The four-class system enhances that.

Hickman said he received positive reaction from some of the smaller schools and those now in Class 3A, adding “they feel they have a chance to compete.” Success stories like the Unity girls basketball team, which won a Class 1A regional for the first time in school history, reaffirm that.

“That’s what the whole classifiation system was desined to do … give them a chance to compete at the early levels of the state tournament series,” Hickman said.

The Quincy High School boys soccer coaches have made one thing abundantly clear this preseason. If the Blue Devils want to reach heavenly goals, they first have to go through hell.

At the end of Monday’s practice, they looked like they had been tormented.

The coaching staff ran the Blue Devils ragged. Just how tired were they? When assistant coach Travis Dinkheller asked them aloud if they had worked hard, the response was a tired “Yes.”

At least it was in unison.

“We’ve got some kids who can lead and the others are catching on to that,” QHS coach Matt Longo said.

And they are fighting for playing time.

“They all know, ‘Hey, if Johnny doesn’t perform, I’m going to step in,’” Longo said. “In years past, we sort of knew who was going to start. Right now, I can’t tell you. I have a pretty good idea who has the capability, but you never know what might happen.”

For example, senior midfielder Matt Cowman, one of the team’s co-captains, is out three to five weeks after suffering a fractured bone in his foot. That immediately will test this team’s depth.

“You put two teams out there to scrimmage, like we did Saturday morning, and the one group is just as good as the group in my mind that had a chance of starting,” Longo said. “That second group was putting it to them.”

It’s a problem Longo is glad to have.

“But it’s also a problem a coach needs to keep under control because if the kids don’t continue to work hard, they find themselves in a game that gets away,” Longo said.

With the cabinets put in place this week, the house Tom Little and his wife are building near Mount Sterling is closer to being livable.

Since he’s done much of the work himself, it should come as no surprise the foundation is solid as a rock. All you have to do is look at what he’s done in six seasons as the Brown County football coach to see the kind of foundation he’s laid.

The Hornets are coming off another playoff berth — that’s four postseason appearances in a row — and the benefits are more depth, more speed and more athletes choosing to play.

“We have so many kids at so many different spots that we can move them around and they fit together real well,” Little said. “We’ve been slowly gaining those kids each year and taking the time to really work and develop them at the freshman and sophomore level.”

It creates a constant flow of returnees. For example, the Hornets have six starters back on offense and defense this season, including honorable mention all-state lineman Nathan Goudschaal. They have 34 returning letterwinners overall.

Familiar faces has made it easier to implement tougher practices.

This week, leading up to the start of school, the Hornets are doing double sessions at night, going 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m.

“The understand the goal,” Little said. “At first, they were like, ‘Coach, we have to go two-a-days in the evening?’ They understand we need to make sure we’re in better shape than anybody else.”

The hour break allows the players to relax together and build team camaraderie, while the coaching staff uses the time to assess personnel and discuss what is and isn’t working.

“The coaches will go grab a soda, get together and talk about the first practice and the things we saw,” Little said. “Every coach now has a family, so it’s a little bit tough trying to get together after practice. We try to take advantage of that.”

There are certain things you come to expect at an Illini West practice.

Jim Unruh will be wearing either a floppy fishing hat or a straw hat to keep the sun off his head and neck. The Chargers will be practicing the Wing-T offense. And watermelon will be served.

Occasionally, as a treat for his players at the end of a heated practice, Unruh will have sliced watermelon waiting. Saturday was the lucky day. A 2 1/2-hour practice — the first day Illinois teams were allowed to practice in full pads — wrapped up with sweat pouring off the Chargers and a table lined with 12 watermelons cut up, courtesy of Unruh’s wife, Nancy.


With more than 90 players in the Chargers program this year, it didn’t last long.

“The number of players really pops out at you,” Unruh said.

So does the fact the all-for-one, one-for-all mentality is stronger for the second season since the convergence of Carthage, LaHarpe and Dallas City.

“There is a lot of good camaraderie going on out there,” Unruh said. “They are working hard, yet having fun with it.”

The players feel at ease with each other and the coaches.

“Last year, it was a little rocky at the beginning, but we got used to each other,” senior tackle Luke Burling said. “This year, I see a big improvement in teamwork, getting in the weight room and working out together and being better friends.”

That didn’t keep them from going full bore on the first day of full contact.

“It was fun,” lineman Ross Hutson said. “It was back to action.”

The Chargers don’t want to lose that level of intensity.

“We need to do that every day,” fullback Kyle Hartzell said. “We need to hit hard, and we need to make more tackles.”

Defense was a focal point Saturday with the Chargers determined to improve on last year’s results — a 7-3 record, a first-round playoff loss and 18.4 points allowed per game. Individual tackling drills and defensive team sessions focused on wrapping up and finishing tackles.

“We have to take a step forward every practice and get a little better every practice and every game,” safety Derek Van Fleet said.

The first full week of practice is coming to close, and with Illinois schools allowed to begin practicing in full pads on Saturday, the plan is to catch two of the area’s most highly regarded teams in action.

Saturday morning, I will visit Illini West to see what Jim Unruh has up his sleeve and get my first glimpse at Michael Lafferty under center.

Saturday evening, I will take in Clark County’s first intrasquad scrimmage. Quietly, there are rumblings about the Indians being good enough to make a push to play in the Dome in November. I’ll fill you in on why that chatter is beginning and what I think of the Indians’ dominant defensive line.

Next week, I’ll gas up the truck and check out the likes of Brown County, Scotland County, Palmyra and West Hancock. Before the season begins, I’ll bring you a report from training camp for all 20 schools we cover.

And don’t forget, the Fall Sports Preview section will be published Aug. 28.

Don Bigley is entering his 30th year as a high school coach, and his enthusiasm has yet to wane.

In fact, it may be at an all-time high.

Blessed with depth, speed and athleticism across the board, Bigley knows the Pittsfield football has the chance to be successful. How successful? That comes down to how much the Saukees believe in themselves.


“The biggest thing we have to get is the mindset of how good they can be,” Bigley said. “We have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball. We have to understand the difference between being 6-3 and 8-1 or 9-0 isn’t the ability out there on the field. It’s the mental approach you take to it.”

The Saukees appear to be in the right frame of mind.

Bigley raved about the offseason commitment, not only in the weight room, but to camps and workouts. It allowed the coaching staff to put the offensive schemes during the summer, allowing the Saukees to hit the ground running when two-a-days began earlier this week.

“We’re not putting anything in,” Bigley said. “We’re just getting our timing down.”

With a new quarterback, that’s essential.

Gone is Perry Bonds. In is Jordan Cawthon. The junior is poised and showed a steady hand during drills Thursday morning. He’s fluid running the option, smooth with handoffs and strong throwing the ball downfield.

Around him, there is a plethora of talent.

“One of my biggest problems is getting the ball to everybody we have,” Bigley said. “I have to figure out how to distribute the ball.”

The Saukees have two game-changing targets at tight end in Kyle Harris and Brad Wassel, and the backfield is overflowing. Bigley has four players — Zach Ferguson, Elijah Hoover, Devin Johnson and Daniel Feely — capable of churning out yards, and he may simply alternate tandems to get them all involved.

There are even more weapons on the outside, and if they all give effort like Austin Schrader — he went horizontal in hopes of hauling in a touchdown pass at the end of practice Thursday — the Saukees could end up with an explosive offense.

Bill Connell couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Cool overnight temperatures created a haze that settled over the Quincy Notre Dame football practice field early Wednesday morning, and with the sun yet to pop from the eastern horizon, it sort of felt like football weather.

When Connell started barking orders at precisely 6:10 a.m., it officially became football season.

“We’ve done it this way for 17 years,” said the veteran QND coach, who did not have one player oversleep or arrive late. “We know what works.”


In QND’s case, that’s running the ball.

The Raiders again feature the makings of a college-sized offensive line, anchored by right tackle Jimmy Holtschlag. Winner of the lineman challenge at the University of Missouri team camp early in the summer, Holtschlag is extremely mobile and strong at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds. No wonder several Division I schools are courting him.

He’s not the only sizable force QND has. Dominic Pagliara (6-6, 285) will start at left tackle, and right guard Zach Reichert (6-0, 265) looks like he spent every waking hour in the weight room this summer.

Connell will ask those hogs to adequately protect a sophomore quarterback. Three QBs — Luke Stamerjohn, Kramer Barnes and Anthony Bruns — will battle for the starting job, and it’s a dead heat from the start. Stamerjohn and Barnes showcased their arm strength during individual drills, and Bruns showcased his athleticism. Each has a different strength, which makes deciding which one to put under center all the more difficult.

It might be just as difficult deciding who runs the ball.

Returning are Ryan Spohr and Brandon Kientzle, a couple of hard=nosed runners who double as jaw-popping linebackers. Spohr spent time at both fullback and tailback, starting three games in Alex Waterkotte’s absence and racking up 841 yards and 14 TDs on 104 carries.

The addition of Shey Sibley, though, changes everything. A transfer from Galesburg who was cleared for competition by the IHSA in early spring, Sibley looks like a high-caliber tailback. Watching him in individual drills three things became evident — he keeps his shoulders square, he keeps his legging churning and he will initiate contact.

Offensive coordinator Joe Obert will appreciate the depth and versatility of his backfield because it will allow the starting QB some time to adjust without ever feeling like he has to win a game on his own.