Developing chemistry

As they celebrated their tournament championship in the locker room Saturday night, the Quincy High School boys basketball team offered a glimpse of what is making the strong start to their season possible.

They are in this together no matter what.

“People say it’s scoring that wins basketball games,” senior forward Mike Davis said after the Blue Devils beat Algonquin Jacobs 73-49 to win the 41st annual QHS Thanksgiving Tournament. “But I think it’s the team chemistry that wins basketball games.”

The chemistry is the best Davis has seen in three years on the varsity.

“I like everyone,” he said.

And they like how he plays. The senior forward was the only QHS starter not to receive all-tournament honors, but he deserved some votes. Davis scored 16 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in Quincy’s three victories, while playing tenacious defense and staying unselfish. He had three assists, including a nifty sequence in the first quarter Saturday night in which he scored off a DeAngelo Dean assist and returned the favor on the next possession by setting up Dean’s bucket.

“We’re playing as a family. We’re playing as one,” Dean said.

Why is that?

“We’ve bonded,” Dean said. “We’re really close. We’re closer than we’ve ever been. … And we’re sticking together.”

The coaching staff sees it every day.

“This group has taken what they did toward the end of the season last year and built on that,” Quincy coach Sean Taylor said. “You can tell they like playing with one another. Hopefully that leads to great things this year.”

Developing depth

Taylor and the coaching staff weren’t sure how much to expect from the bench during the tournament or how deep into that bench they’d be able to go. After some solid performances from the reserves, the Blue Devils’ depth might not be issue.

Sophomore guard Zach Burry was the latest to make a splash, going 4 of 8 from 3-point range and scoring 14 points Saturday night. He finished the weekend 6 of 14 from 3-point range and adding another perimeter threat to the arsenal. Barnell Thomas, a 6-foot-4 sophomore forward, snared four rebounds Saturday night, giving him 12 in the tournament. And Jason Salrin, a 6-6 junior forward, had four points and six rebounds as he continued to make progress.

“If anybody on the team got hurt, I’m confident we have somebody who can come in and do what they do,” Davis said.

Blazing starts

Slow starts often plagued the Blue Devils a year ago as they scored fewer than 10 points in the first quarter seven times. This weekend, the Blue Devils averaged 23 points per game in the first quarter and 22.7 points in the third quarter. In fact, Quincy scored on four of its first six possessions against Normandy, 12 of its first 14 possessions against Poplar Bluff and 9 of its first 10 possessions against Jacobs.

The Blue Devils actually scored on their first seven possessions against the Golden Eagles.

“I’ve liked the start of every game,” Taylor said. “We came out of the gates quick. That’s something we didn’t do last year. So I think this group’s taken that to heart.”

All-tournament team

Dean became the sixth player to repeat as the tournament MVP, joining Keith Douglas (1977, ’78), Bruce Douglas (1979, ’80, ’81), Jeff Klingler (1983, ’84), Kyle Cartmill (1993, ’94) and J.D. Summers (1998, ’99). He was joined on the all-tournament team by Quincy’s Cole Abbey, Martin Kvitle and Mason Fairley, Poplar Bluff’s Kendric McCain and Jacobs’ Will Schwerdtmann.

The boxscores

QHS Thanksgiving Tournament
JACOBS (1-2)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Cleveland    0-2    0-0    0    3    0
Holbrook    1-3    0-0    0    2    2
Glover    6-7    2-2    4    3    14
Ojo    2-3    0-0    2    3    4
Schwerdtmann    2-8    1-2    4    3    5
Ledinsky    5-8    0-0    2    1    0
Mladenovic    0-4    0-0    2    1    0
Nerja    1-3    2-2    2    1    4
Micel    2-5    0-1    5    0    4
Ross    3-7    0-0    2    0    6
Yontz    0-2    0-0    1    3    0
Billings    0-0    0-0    1    1    0
Berndt    0-0    0-0    1    0    0
Lee    0-0    0-1    3    0    0
Basheer    0-0    0-0    0    0    0
Team            5
Totals    22-52    5-8    34    21    49
QUINCY (3-0)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Dean    11-11    3-6    9    1    25
Abbey    4-13    0-0    4    1    10
Fairley    2-5    3-4    2    0    9
Kvitle    2-3    0-0    2    2    4
Davis    2-4    0-1    4    0    4
Kline    0-1    0-0    1    0    0
Salrin    2-6    0-1    6    1    4
Thomas    1-2    0-2    4    1    2
Burry    4-10    2-2    3    0    14
Radovic    0-1    1-2    0    0    1
H. Elbe    0-1    0-1    2    4    0
Giesing    0-2    0-0    1    1    0
L. Elbe    0-2    0-0    0    1    0
Team            1
Totals    28-63    9-19    39    12    73
Jacobs    8    11    10    20—49
Quincy    21    16    30    6—73
3-point field goals—Jacobs 0-4 (Schwerdtmann 0-2, Mladenovic 0-1, Ross 0-1), Quincy 8-20 (Burry 4-8, Abbey 2-5, Fairley 2-3, Kvitle 0-1, Kline 0-1, H. Elbe 0-1, L. Elbe 0-1). Assists—Jacobs 8 (Holbrook 2), Quincy 14 (Dean 3). Steals—Jacobs 4 (Holbrook 2), Quincy 7 (Dean 4). Blocked shots—Quincy 3 (Dean 2). Turnovers—Jacobs 18, Quincy 10. Officials—Mark Powell, Dave Figuiera, Rollin Barton.

Poplar Bluff 53, Normandy 46
NORMANDY (0-3)
Tabb 0 0-0 0, Co. Hudson 0 0-0 0, Wilson 1 0-0 2, White 1 2-2 4, Fuller 4 1-3 10, West 9 0-2 18, Andrew 0 2-2 2, D. Johnson 1 0-0 3, M. Johnson 2 2-2 7, Ch. Hudson 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 7-11 49.
POPLAR BLUFF (2-1)
Griggs 3 2-2 9, McCain 4 1-2 9, Rathbun 0 0-0 0, Tibbs 1 0-0 3, Bloodworth 6 0-1 12, Towns 0 0-0 0, Brittingham 1 0-0 3, Gipson 2 0-0 4, Sexton 1 2-2 4, Lambert 0 0-0 0, Gray 4 0-0 9. Totals 22 5-7 53.
Normandy    8    10    9    19—46
Poplar Bluff    14    8    14    17—53
3-point field goals—Normandy 3 (Fuller, D. Johnson, M. Johnson). Poplar Bluff 4 (Griggs, Tibbs, Brittingham, Gray). Total fouls—Normandy 12, Poplar Bluff 16. Fouled out—None.

Student of the game

Carter Kline’s realizes his role as the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s sixth man requires him to maintain a high level of intensity.

“I try to bring fire,” Kline said. “Everyone thinks a guy coming off the bench might not be as good, but you just have to bring that fire.”

He’s found a pretty good sixth man to model himself after.

“When I think of sixth men, I think of Hondo,” Kline said.

That’s Hondo, as in John “Hondo” Havlicek. The 13-time NBA All-Star and Boston Celtics great revolutionized the sixth-man role when he was drafted by the Celtics in 1962. Kline tries to play with kind of intensity and fury Havlicek did, and through two games of the 41st annual QHS Thanksgiving Tournament, Kline has done just that. He’s scored six points, snared three rebounds, snatched two steals and handed out an assist. More importantly, he’s allowed the Blue Devils to maintain their defensive intensity when he’s on the floor.

“That’s what everyone needs to do,” Kline said. “Everybody on this team plays with that kind of intensity.”

Shattering the mark

Quincy’s 92-28 victory over Poplar Bluff on Friday night marked the largest margin of victory in tournament history. The previous mark was the 51-point spread Quincy enjoyed in its 93-42 victory over Keokuk in the 2002 tournament. Poplar Bluff’s 28 points marked the first time in tournament history a team failed to score at least 30 points in a game.

New high-water mark

Quincy set a new scoring standard for Sean Taylor-coached teams with 92 points. It’s the highest single-game total in Taylor’s eight-plus seasons as head coach, eclipsing the mark set his first season when Quincy beat Rock Island 91-80 during the 2003-04 season.

Making good on his word

DeAngelo Dean may have said it in fun, but he followed through on his goal to get two dunks per game. He threw down twice against Poplar Bluff, but he wasn’t the only one. Junior guard Cole Abbey passed up the chance to dunk in transition during the first quarter, but given the opportunity to do so in the third quarter, he didn’t disappoint. Abbey threw down a two-handed slam that had Taylor turning and saying “Wow” to his assistant coaches.

Birthday wishes

QHS assistant coach Doug Bruner didn’t ask for much as he celebrated his 46th birthday Friday. All he wanted was a Blue Devil victory to be followed by a victory by the Alabama football team on Saturday. Before the Crimson Tide kick off, he’s halfway to celebrating an outstanding birthday weekend.

The boxscores

QHS Thanksgiving Tournament
QHS 92, Poplar Bluff 28
POPLAR BLUFF (1-1)
Griggs    4-8    0-1    2    2    8
McCain    0-6    3-4    2    2    3
Bloodworth    0-1    0-0    2    1    0
Gipson    0-1    1-2    0    3    1
Gray    0-5    0-0    0    1    0
Rathbun    1-2    0-0    3    0    2
Tibbs    1-1    2-4    3    1    4
Brittingham    0-2    0-2    2    0    0
Sexton    2-6    0-0    5    0    4
Towns    2-4    0-1    3    1    4
Lambert    0-2    0-1    3    1    0
Norton    1-2    0-0    2    5    2
Bonner    0-1    0-0    0    0    0
Team            6
Totals    11-41    6-15    33    17    28
QUINCY (2-0)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Dean    8-11    0-0    7    1    16
Abbey    4-9    5-6    3    2    14
Fairley    2-5    2-2    2    3    6
Kvitle    4-8    1-2    1    1    10
Davis    3-7    0-2    6    0    6
Kline    1-2    2-2    3    1    4
Salrin    4-7    1-2    3    1    9
H. Elbe    0-3    0-0    1    3    0
Burry    3-8    0-0    2    0    8
Thomas    0-0    1-2    3    1    1
Radovic    1-2    3-5    2    3    5
L. Elbe    2-6    2-3    3    1    6
Giesing    2-3    3-6    4    0    7
Team            4
Totals    34-71    20-32    44    17    92
Poplar Bluff    4    12    6    6—28
Quincy    26    22    21    23—92
3-point field goals—Poplar Bluff 0-7 (Griggs 0-2, McCain 0-2), Sexton 0-1, Lambert 0-1, Boner 0-1), Quincy 4-18 (Burry 2-5, Kvitle 1-3, Abbey 1-2, L. Elbe 0-3, Fairley 0-2, H. Elbe 0-2, Kline 0-1). Assists—Poplar Bluff 2 (Gray, Sexton), Quincy 14 (H. Elbe 3). Steals—Poplar Bluff 4 (Sexton 2), Quincy 24 (Abbey 5). Blocked shots—Poplar Bluff 3 (Sexton 2), Quincy 2 (Dean 2). Turnovers—Poplar Bluff 35, Quincy 7. Officials—Jude Kiah, Sam Moran, Jeff Rutledge.

Algonquin Jacobs 65, St. Louis Normandy 39
JACOBS (1-1)
Ledinsky 6 0-0 12, Nerja 0 0-0 0, Cleveland 5 0-0 11, Billings 1 1-2 3, Holbrook 2 0-0 4, Ross 3 0-0 6, Micel 1 4-4 6, Glover 3 0-0 6, Ojo 1 0-0 2, Schwerdtmann 6 0-0 13, Yontz 1 0-2 2, Basheer 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 5-8 65.
NORMANDY (0-2)
Tabb 3 0-0 6, Co. Hudson 1 0-2 3, Wilson 1 1-4 3, White 3 2-4 9, Fuller 0 2-2 2, West 4 2-6 10, D. Johnson 0 0-0 0, M. Johnson 1 4-6 6, Ch. Hudson 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 11-24 39.
Jacobs    14    14    24    13—65
Normandy    9    17    10    3—39
3-point field goals—Jacobs 2 (Cleveland, Schwerdtmann), Normandy 2 (Co. Hudson, White). Fouls—Jacobs 20, Normandy 12. Fouled out—None.

Shaking the butterflies

Cole Abbey was the only player in the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s starting lineup Thursday night who had never started before. The nerves threatened to get the best of him.

“The other players were like, ‘Be calm. When you get out there on the floor, you’ll be ready,’” Abbey said.

Sure enough, when the game began, the junior guard felt at ease.

“When the ball got tipped, my nerves just went away,” Abbey said.

Instincts took over. Abbey scored Quincy’s first four points by knifing his way to the basket for layins. However, on the Blue Devils’ third possession, Abbey was called for charging on a hard drive to the basket. He did the same thing in the second half, where he would follow one stellar drive to the basket with one where he was seemingly a step or two out of control. All told, he had 10 points, three steals, two rebounds and an assist in a solid and sometimes eye-popping start.

“When he’s attacking, that’s when Cole is at his best,” Quincy coach Sean Taylor said.

Abbey didn’t need long to figure out the speed of the game can make you speed up your play.

“It’s a big difference from the sophomore games,” Abbey said. “It’s a faster paced game. You have to make good decisions or you’ll make a lot of turnovers.”

Playing above the rim

The Blue Devils did not have a single dunk in a game last season. They already have two this season.

DeAngelo Dean threw down a one-handed slam off an alley-oop from Martin Kvitle in the first quarter and added a two-handed baseline jam in the third quarter as part of his 18-point effort. They were the first two dunks of his high school career, and he is anticipating more. He jokingly said he plans to have two dunks per game. Dean said that with a chuckle and a wide smile, but all jokes aside, he has the physical tools to play above the rim consistently.

Taylor pointed to Dean’s athleticism and length as reasons why he’s able to dunk, but he said the real key is Dean’s fitness.

“It allows him to go and tire others out,” Taylor said. “Last year I thought he was good in spurts. This year, those spurts are more consistent.”

Fight for playing time

Taylor went into the season opener with a fairly good idea who his starting five players would be. Who the next five are remains to be seen.

Quincy used eight players off the bench to varying degrees of success. Seven of the eight scored — only Jason Salfrin, a 6-foot-6 junior, failed to score after fouling out with 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter — and some helped push the pace defensively. Junior guard Harrison Elbe had four steals in limited action in the third and fourth quarters, while sphomore forward Barnell Thomas snared five rebounds. Freshman guard Lincoln Elbe, who was the third player off the bench, buried a 3-pointer for his first career points.

All in all, Taylor realizes no matter which players he tries, the effort can never be questioned.

“We haven’t had a lot of separation to see who is going to claim those first spots off the bench,” Taylor said. “That’s because they play so hard.”

Old school feel

The Blue Devils altered their pre-game ceremony, bringing back a touch of the past. The national anthem wasn’t played until after both teams’ starting lineups had been introduced and the Blue Devil ceremony was complete. It allowed Quincy’s starting five to stand at midcourt under the spotlight along with the Devil mascot while the national anthem played as a spotlight highlights the American flag. That’s the way the pre-ceremony played out during the late 1970s and the 1980s. However, the ceremony’s order was changed in the 1990s and the national anthem was played before the Devil ceremony began.

The boxes

QHS Thanksgiving Tournament
Quincy 77, Normandy 42
NORMANDY (0-1)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Fuller    3-8    1-4    2    0    8
D. Johnson    3-6    0-0    1    1    8
White    1-3    1-3    5    4    3
Tabb    1-4    2-3    6    2    4
West    3-10    0-0    2    5    6
Wilson    2-5    3-4    2    3    7
Co. Hudson    0-2    0-0    1    0    0
Ch. Hudson    1-1    0-0    1    4    2
M. Johnson    1-4    0-0    4    0    2
Jones    1-1    0-0    0    0    2
Team            5
Totals    16-44    7-14    29    19    42
QUINCY (1-0)
Player    fg-fga    ft-fta    reb    pf    pts
Dean    9-16    0-3    11    1    18
Abbey    4-7    1-3    2    3    10
Fairley    8-13    0-0    2    1    17
Kvitle    4-8    1-1    2    2    12
Davis    3-6    0-0    7    0    6
Kline    1-2    0-0    0    1    2
Burry    1-3    0-0    1    0    2
L. Elbe    1-3    0-0    3    0    3
Salrin    0-1    0-0    1    5    0
H. Elbe    0-1    3-6    1    2    3
Thomas    0-1    1-2    5    0    1
Radovic    1-2    0-2    3    2    2
Giesing    0-0    1-2    1    0    1
Team            2
Totals    32-63    7-19    41    17    77
Normandy    6    17    13    6—42
Quincy    22    21    17    17—77
3-point field goals—Normandy 3-12 (D. Johnson 2-4, Fuller 1-2, White 0-2, Co. Hudson 0-2, M. Johnson 0-2), Quincy 6-15 (Kvitle 3-3, Fairley 1-5, Abbey 1-3, L. Elbe 1-2, Kline 0-1, Burry 0-1). Assists—Normandy 6 (White 4), Quincy 13 (Kvitle 5). Steals—Normandy 7 (White 2), Quincy 15 (H. Elbe 4). Blocked shots—Normandy 1 (Tabb), Quincy 4 (Dean 3). Turnovers—Normandy 32, Quincy 23. Officials—Marc Briney, John Dearing, Henry Votsmeier.

Poplar Bluff 50, Algonquin Jacobs 49
JACOBS (0-1)
Ledinsky 0 0-0 0, Mladenovic 2 0-0 4, Cleveland 2 0-0 6, Holbrook 0 3-6 3, Micel 1 2-2 4, Glover 6 2-5 14, Ojo 2 2-5 6, Schwerdtmann 4 2-5 12, Yantz 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 11-23 49.
POPLAR BLUFF (1-0)
Griggs 2 0-0 5, McCain 9 0-1 21, Rathbun 1 0-1 2, Tibbs 0 2-2 2, Bloodworth 2 5-9 9, Towns 0 0-0 0, Brittingham 0 0-0 0, Gipson 2 0-2 4, Gray 3 0-0 7. Totals 19 7-15 50.
Jacobs    12    14    7    10    6—49
Poplar Bluff    10    11    13    9    7—50
3-point field goals—Jacobs 4 (Cleveland 2, Schwerdtmann 2), Poplar Bluff 5 (McCain 3, Griggs, Gray). Fouls—Jacobs 18, Poplar Bluff 21. Fouled out—Gipson.

Sean Taylor jokes that it is easy to get excited when you’re undefeated.

But all jokes aside, the veteran Quincy High School boys basketball coach is genuinely excited about what this year’s team is capable of doing.

“I think we have a great group of guys,” Taylor said. “They like each other. They like playing together. They give tremendous effort. It’s easy to embrace a team like that.”

Taylor believes Blue Devil Nation will embrace this team as well because of the infectious nature of their style of play. They hustle. They play hard. They’re willing to get down and dirty and play defense. All told, that should lead to a marked improvement over last year’s 12-14 record.

With that in mind, here are five questions the Blue Devils need to answer.

Who is going to stretch defenses with perimeter scoring?

Unlike past teams that had bonafide, consistent 3-point shooters, this team doesn’t have one guy you expect to make three, four or even five treys per game. The QHS backcourt is better suited to take a defender off the dribble and score going into the lane. Still, someone needs to keep defenses from sagging in on DeAngelo Dean. Look for junior Martin Kvitle and Mason Fairley to be the most consistent 3-point threats. Carter Kline, a senior, can provide some offensive punch off the bench and Cole Abbey may be the best pure talent in the backcourt.

Who is the X-factor?

The success of this team could hinge on the play of Abbey, the 6-foot junior guard. There are times he is undeniably the best player on the floor. He just has to be that player more consistently. During a practice last year, in a 5-on-5 drill against the starters, Abbey scored on seven straight possessions, hitting six consecutive 3-pointers. Those are the flashes of brilliance that make fans ooooh and aaah. If he is consistent on both ends of the floor, Abbey has the chance to be a player defenses game plan against.

Who gives Dean help in the front court?

DeAngelo Dean is a budding star who could have an all-state caliber season. The only way that happens is if someone provides depth up front. Mike Davis, a senior in his third season on the varsity, is the Junkyard Dog of this team. He’ll work extremely hard, come up with loose balls and awkward rebounds and do some of the dirty work against bigger post players. Don’t expect him to be a double-double guy, but expect him to play a significant role. That leaves 6-6 forwards Jason Salrin and Luka Radovic needing to make an impact. They have the size and reach to be factors defensively, and if they can score around the rim, the six or eight points they contribute will be necessary.

Who will be a rising star?

There are two players to keep an eye on. That’s sophomore forward Barnell Thomas and freshman guard Lincoln Elbe. Thomas is long and lanky and can blossom much the way Dean did. It’s going to take time for him to get the strength and toughness, but he has the chance to be special. Elbe is a headsy player who simply needs to grow. He can handle the ball, make intelligent decisions and consistently make free throws. At 5-foot-5, he needs a growth spurt. Still, practicing with the varsity will help him mature.

Do the Blue Devils regain their winning ways?

This team has the opportunity to push for a 20-win season. The schedule sets up nicely with six of their nine games before Christmas being played at Blue Devil Gym. Champaign Central replaces Neuqua Valley on the schedule, while the Blue Devils close the regular season with back-to-back home games. All told, if the outside shooting develops and some of the X-factors fulfill their promise, this team could vie for a WB6 championship and a regional crown.

Quincy Notre Dame football coach Bill Connell calls playing Macomb “a natural.”

Well, after a one-year hiatus in the series between Western Illinois rivals, they’re getting back together. QND and Macomb have agreed to play each other Week 9 next fall. Here’s a twist: They may play the game at Western Illinois University’s Hanson Field. Both teams already have four home games scheduled and would like to meet at the neutral site if the logistics can be worked out.

“We’re excited,” Connell said. “I think it’s a natural.”

The Raiders and Bombers last played in 2010 with QND winning 47-7. It was the Raiders’ eighth straight victory in the series that began in 1999.

Here is a game-by-game look at the series:

2010 — QND 47, Macomb 7

2009 — QND 49, Macomb 14

2008 — QND 50, Macomb 6

2007 — QND 44, Macomb 0

2006 — QND 41, Macomb 14

2005 — QND 49, Macomb 0 (Class 4A first-round playoff game)

2005 — QND 49, Macomb 20

2004 — QND 35, Macomb 7

2003 — Macomb 20, QND 17

2002 — Macomb 22, QND 9

2001 — QND 12, Macomb 7

2000 — Macomb 35, QND 7

1999 — QND 28, Macomb 6

Adding Macomb to the schedule means QND has completed its slate for 2012. The Raiders added Alton Marquette in Week 2 and extended the Week 3 contract with Jefferson City Helias. Add in the five Mid-State Six Conference games and the Raiders will face a state finalist (Peoria Richwoods in Class 5A), a state quarterfinalist (Macomb in Class 3A) and four other playoff teams (Hannibal, Helias, Marquette and Peoria Notre Dame).

Mike Matheny smiles after being introduced as the St. Louis Cardinals manager Monday.

The question came at me from every angle — Twitter, Facebook, text messaging, even at the grocery store — after the Cardinals confirmed they were hiring Mike Matheny as their manager.

So, what do you think?

Each time I said I liked the move or was encouraged by the hire, the questioner had a comeback. How can they hire a guy with no managerial experience? Why would you want them to take Matheny over Oquendo? Shouldn’t they have gone with a bigger name? They are the World Series champs, why didn’t they get another big name like a Joe Maddon or a Joe Girardi?

Those are all valid points and/or questions. There is reason to be skeptical of this hire. Matheny is just 41 years old, has never filled out a lineup as a big league manager and spent the last two years as a minor league instructor and a special assistant in player development. In other words, he had a close, working relationship with Cardinals GM John Mozeliak. That has led some to call this a “buddy hire.” It may have been. Or at least it may have played a role. Still, I like this hire.

Better yet, I like one of things Matheny had to say after getting the job.

He plans to be instinctive.

“I believe I owe this organization to be myself,” Matheny said.

With that said, here are five reasons I like Matheny’s hire:

1. He knows the culture

Matheny spent five years playing for the Cardinals and was the backstop on the 2004 World Series team. He understands the clubhouse, the need for veteran leadership and the expectations. The last two years, Matheny has had the opportunity to see the organization from a different angle. He’s been on the field as a minor league instructor. He’s been in the front office as one of Mozeliak’s right-hand men. It should afford him the knowledge to balance how the clubhouse and the front office go hand-in-hand.

2. He knows the players

Matheny played with Chris Carpenter, Yadier Moline and Albert Pujols during his tenure in St. Louis. He recently went on a trip to the Domincan Republic with Pujols as part of the Pujols Foundation, and Matheny helped coach the Little League team featuring Pujols’ son, A.J. That gives him instant credibility in the clubhouse. Two other current Cardinals — Matt Holliday and David Freese — were at Busch Stadium when Matheny was introduced as the manager. It appears he already has respect from an influential few.

3. He’s a catcher

Some will argue it doesn’t matter what position Matheny played. I disagree. He was a Gold Glove-winning backstop who efficiently and effectively handled pitching staffs that were a mix of young and old, much like this clubhouse will be. His experience allows him to see the game from a different perspective and think the game a different way. Need more? Currently, 28 of the 30 major league teams have managers, and 10 of those are former catchers.

4. He’s new blood

The La Russa regime was successful, no doubt. But does sticking with the La Russa lineage equal future success? Not always. Matheny has his ties to La Russa and talked glowingly about all he learned from TLR. Yet, he was never part of his staff. Matheny has his own ideas and his own way of doing things. I like that and respect that. I want to see that. I like managers who take chances, who have gut instincts, who are unconventional at times. I’m not sure Matheny will be that way, but he won’t be a TLR clone. Others may have.

5. He’s young

Watching the World Series showcased how enjoyable it was for the Rangers to play for Ron Washington. You saw the same thing with the Arizona Diamondbacks under Kirk Gibson. Matheny is 41 and only recently removed from his playing career. You hope he instills a fun-loving culture in the clubhouse. You don’t want renegades, like it sounds the Red Sox may have had, but you don’t want a stuffy culture either. I don’t think Matheny will manage with an iron fist. I certainly hope he doesn’t.

I poured through the 23-page grand jury indictment. I’ve read as many articles and looked at as many newspapers as possible. I’ve wondered why legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno and so many others didn’t do more to stop Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky from having inappropriate contact with youth if there was reason to believe or suspect he might be a pedofile. It’s difficult to understand why anyone would pass the information up the flag pole and disregard it thereafter.

It’s even more difficult to understand why Mike McQueary, the graduate assistant coach who witnessed Sandusky taking part in inappropriate relations with a boy believed to be about 10 years old, would walk away and do nothing. Well, he did something. A day later and long after he had a chance to help that boy. McQueary told Paterno what he had seen. Paterno, in turn, another day later, told his superiors. And so on and so on.

It brings me back to one question: Why?

Why didn’t McQueary, who the grand jury sees as a credible witness, do something to stop what was happening? He didn’t yell, shout or make a scene. He didn’t interrupt Sandusky, who was doing deplorable things. He didn’t turn off the shower. He didn’t call the police. He didn’t go immediately to Paterno. He didn’t do anything.

I need to correct myself there. McQueary did do something. He did the worst thing imaginable at the time. He walked away.

Paterno is going to as well. The 84-year-old coach is going to retire at this season’s end as the winningest coach in college football history. However, his legacy will be tarnished. How much? No one can be sure, but like McQueary, Paterno had a chance to do more and didn’t. He followed protocol and told his superiors. Legally, he did what was required of him. Morally, he could have done more. At least that’s how this seems.

There are a lot of allegations and stories related to this scandal being told and discussed. No one in the media knows exactly what Paterno did or said. No one in the media knows how the Penn State athletic administration reacted to the news and what was said to Sandusky. We may never know. But we’ve been told by the grand jury what McQueary saw and how he reacted to it. That brings me back to this: Why?

Why didn’t McQueary do something?

He should have, could have and didn’t. That’s appalling in its own right.

The custodial staff hadn’t arrived at Baldwin Middle School by the time the Quincy High School boys basketball team took the court Monday morning for the first practice of the 2011-12 season. Coming off a 12-14 season that had considerable highs (a buzzer beater to win the QHS Thanksgiving Tournament, an upset of Lincoln, an upset of Neuqua Valley, etc.) and some lows (a six-game losing skid for example), the Blue Devils want to be contenders in the Western Big Six Conference and vie for a regional title. This team appears to have the makeup and experience to do both.

Here is a look at how the Blue Devils got the season under way at the first practice:

Russ Adams, a local outdoorsman, tries to capture as many stories on film as possible. As he put it, “All I do in my spare time is take outdoor pictures and have many different ones I have taken from a bobcat to dragon flies.” Adams submitted several photos he recently took in Pike County, Ill. Here is a sampling of his work:

As I watched this video and read this story, I tried to fight back the tears.

I couldn’t. Not many people could.

Trent Glaze, a senior at Fairfield Union High School in Fairfield, Ohio, scored a touchdown in his final home game. So what’s so special you might ask? Well, Glaze is confined to a wheelchair because of muscular dystrophy. The coaching staff named him a captain this season because of his dedication to the program, and they suited him up for one play in which he took a handoff and rolled into the end zone for a touchdown.

His teammates swarmed him in the end zone, celebrating more than a score.

They celebrated life.

To read the story and see the video, check out the New York Daily News post by clicking here.