Saturday, Jack Cornell took center stage.

Sunday, Luke Guthrie followed suit.

So who’s next?

Cornell, the Quincy Notre Dame graduate and University of Illinois alum, signed a free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens, becoming the first Quincy native to get a pro contract in two decades. There have been other regional products to do so — Unity’s Ross Schulte, South Shelby’s Ron Janes and Pittsfield’s John Wise all went to camp with pro teams but never made a regular-season roster — but no one who played at either Quincy High School or Quincy Notre Dame has enjoyed this opportunity.

In two weeks, Cornell will report to rookie mini-camp in Baltimore and begin his pursuit of an NFL job. It will be interesting to track his progress and see if the 6-foot-5, 307-pound Cornell can live out a dream.

Meanwhile, Guthrie is on the verge of living out his dream.

The Quincy High School graduate and University of Illinois senior successfully defending his Big Ten Conference golf championship Sunday while leading the Illini to an unprecedented fourth straight team title. Guthrie has the chance to go down as one of the greatest golfers in U of I history with the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships still to play. Quincy hasn’t produced a PGA Tour player since D.A. Weibring, and Guthrie will be the next. He plans to turn professional when the season ends and hopes to find his way into some PGA events this year.

First, he’ll try to qualify for the U.S. Open. Then, he’ll seek sponsor’s exemptions into any field he can. How perfect would it be for Guthrie to receive an invitation to the John Deere Classic, which is being played July 9-15 at the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. It’s the course designed by Weibring and would provide an easy avenue for a flock of Quincy fans to follow Guthrie.

There isn’t a more perfect scenario.

With two Quincy products on the verge of professional careers, we go back to this question: Who’s next?

Keep these two names in mind — Jimmy Holtschlag and Dominic Pagliara.

Holtschlag, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman, started 10 games last fall as a sophomore for the Western Illinois University football team. Meanwhile, Pagliara, a 6-foot-6, 296-pound offensive lineman, started all 11 games at left tackle for Eastern Illinois University last fall and has started 20 games in his career. Add in WIU kicker Pat Smith, who had 21 consecutive extra points last season and was named the Leathernecks special teams player of the year, and all three Quincy Notre Dame products could be on the NFL radar in the next two years.

Outside of Quincy, keep your eye on Hannibal’s Mat Sims, who is the starting placekicker at Northern Illinois University. Although kickers don’t typically get drafted, many get the chance to audition as free agents. Sims might get that opportunity.

Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen speaks at a press conference where he apologized for insensitive remarks regarding Fidel Castro. (AP Photo)

Ozzie Guillen’s supporters can be certain of this: He broke no laws.

That doesn’t entitle him to freedom from retribution from his employer.

Over the last few days, I’ve watched, listened and read about Guillen’s comments regarding Fidel Castro, the uproar it caused among the Cuban population in Miami and how the decision by the Marlins violated his freedom of speech. Well, it didn’t. Here’s why.

The First Amendment, which was adopted on Dec, 15, 1791, states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The Supreme Court, in 1925, ruled state legislatures could not prohibit the freedom of speech either.

Please understand this about the First Amendent — it protects individual rights from government interference. Guillen could have stood on a street corner and professed his love for Castro, the Cuban dictator, and never worried about anything. By law, he has the right to say whatever he wants without fear of imprisonment or government censorship. That’s a freedom we cherish.

It doesn’t entitle anyone to be foolish.

Guillen said something that riled up the Marlins fan base and put the baseball franchise in the crosshairs of a public relations nightmare. As a team leader and spokesman, Guillen is expected to represent the Marlins with dignity and class. Stepping out on a limb and saying he respects Castro was foolish. Plain and simple. He’s fortunate all the Marlins did was suspend him for five games. Civic leaders in Miami were calling for Guillen to be fired, and had the Marlins decided to do that, he’d have no recourse. The First Amendment doesn’t protect him from employer backlash. Guillen is lucky the lesson he learned from that isn’t harsher.

The First Amendment is a gift from our forefathers, one we need to cherish. It isn’t one we should take for granted.

Evan McGaughey had an idea where he wanted to go to college. After making an official visit to Quincy University, he knew where he needed to go to school.

“Everything just felt right,” said McGaughey, the 6-foot-7 senior forward from Illini West who verbally committed Wednesday night to play basketball for the Hawks. “I could tell when I was on campus and around the guys this was the place for me. It just felt right.”

So does McGaughey’s knee, which made him a hot commodity.

McGaughey was a second-team all-state selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and a first-team Herald-Whig all-area pick after averaging 18.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and leading the Chargers to 14 straight victories at one point and a 20-win season. This was after coming off knee surgery last year that had him sidelined until the first day of practice in November. Yet, he proved to college coaches across the board his knee is healthy and he can handle the rigors that come with playing the college game.

“This whole year has been about showing that,” McGaughey said. “It’s been stressful because of all the phone calls and all the people you have to talk to.”

Plus, there were options other than playing basketball.

McGaughey finished tied for ninth at the Class 1A state golf tournament last fall, shooting rounds of 78 and 79. At the time, there were questions about his knee, which led to the possibility he could accept a golf scholarship and walk on to play basketball. That was off the table once the pursuit from basketball coaches increased.

Now, to have his college plans finalized, McGaughey said he gets to fully enjoy the rest of his senior year.

“It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders,” McGaughey said.

Probably for his family as well since the travel to watch him play collegiately won’t be horrible.

“My family can come down on a weeknight and not have too far to go to get back home,” McGaughey said. “That’s nice.”

So is the fact he gets to play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

“It’s definitely top notch,” McGaughey said.

Tyler Ormond admits, if given the opportunity to coach someday, he’d really like to coach basketball. He’d also like to talk the game in some way, shape or form. The same could be said for baseball. The Liberty senior is considered one of the top defensive first basemen in the area, and his glove and bat potentially could help the Eagles become a regional favorite. He already helped Liberty bring home a regional championship in boys basketball.

Here’s 10 ways to get to know Ormond a little better:

1. I like playing first base because … I get to help my teammates out and my team out in a more direct way by saving tough throws.

2. The biggest hit I’ve ever had in a game is … most of the time I’m a table setter and not the guy driving in runs.

3. The best pitcher I’ve ever faced is … if I’d ever faced Jared (Liberty teammate Jared Shover) it would probably be him. I thought about that earlier this year that I’ve never faced him. As far as any others, it’s probably going to be (Routt pitcher Nick) Lonergan this Saturday.

4. The one major league pitcher I’d want to face is … someone who throws off-speed stuff. So I’d say Jamie Moyer. I do a lot better hitting off-speed pitches.

5. If I wasn’t playing baseball, I would be … I really want to do something with sports broadcasting.

6. My favorite pre- or post-game meal is … I love spaghetti. The night before a basketball game we’d always go to Fazoli’s.

7. When listening to music in my car, I listen to … 88.5 FM and I’ll bounce around Y101 and 92.9 FM.

8. My favorite class is … weight training with Mr. Miller. That’s really helped me a lot.

9. My summer plans include … I won a contest to go on a trip to Washington, I’m going to the University of Illinois for a baseball showcase and I’m taking part in the Catholic Heart work camp

10. Liberty coach Dewey Hanzel reminds me of … Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon with his glasses on.

I understand every musician, singer or band wants to be unique and make their own impression. One of my colleagues — Steve Eighinger — blogs about American Idol and references the judges always telling the contestants to make each song their own.

That’s good advice for the competition. That’s bad advice if they’re singing the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

The national anthem is the one song that should not be interpreted or modified. Twice this week, renditions of the “Star-Spangled Banner” played before major sporting events were butchered. Brutally butchered. And for no good reason.

The Fray tried to give the national anthem an alternative pop feel when they performed before Monday night’s NCAA championship game. It was a colossal disaster. People on Twitter suggested The Fray deserved the Rosanne Barr or Carl Lewis treatment for their poor renditions of the anthem and should have been booed off the court. That may be a little harsh. Then again, listening to The Fray was pretty harsh as well.

Wednesday night, with ESPN billing the game between the Cardinals and the Marlins at the new stadium in Miami as “Opening Night,” the Marlins trotted out Jose Feliciano, a Puerto Rican singer known mostly for his 1970 release of “Feliz Navidad.” Feliciano sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” before a World Series game in 1968 at Tiger Stadium and loudly booed for his changes to the melody. He deserved to be booed again Wednesday.

The “Star-Spangled Banner” is the most patriotic song ever written. Standing there with your hand over your heart is something that evokes great pride. Veterans who have fought for our freedom take ever word of that song to heart, just like we all should. My family loves to tell stories of me standing in front of the TV when I was in grade school, watching Olympic medal ceremonies and putting my hand over my heart as the national anthem was played. It gave me goosebumps then. It gives me goosebumps now. I hope it will do that forever.

Neither the Fray nor Jose Feliciano sang our national anthem in a way that inspired or touched any of us. That’s a shame.

But let it serve as a lesson to those who will be asked to sing the anthem in the future. Don’t change it. Don’t make it your own.

Respect the meaning of the national anthem and belt it out with all your might the way it was intended to be sung.

Alex Boyd, a junior goalkeeper for the Quincy High School girls soccer team, gave up soccer after eighth grade to play softball at the high school level. Two years later, she returned to the pitch and earned the job as the Blue Devils’ starting keeper. Here’s the chance to get to know Boyd a little better …

1. Reason I became a keeper is … I always liked the intensity of it. I played for Quincy United in sixth through eighth grade and decided it was time to come back. I missed it a lot.

2. The most memorable save I’ve had is … In a Quincy United tournament, it came down to penalty kicks. I saved the penalty kick that won the tournament.

3. The scariest moment as a keeper is … when they are coming at me from the middle of the field. And 1-on-1s are pretty scary too.

4. If I wasn’t playing soccer I would be … probably playing softball still.

5. My favorite pre- or post-game meal is … boca burgers and sweet potatoes before a game. After a game, I’ll probably eat anything in sight.

6. Playing on artificial turf is … a lot of fun. When you dive, you slide. It’s like a big slip-n-slide.

7. When listening to music in my car, I listen to … Meg & Dia.

8. My favorite class is … chemistry with Ms. Stewart.

9. My summer plans include … backpacking in Colorado.

10. QHS coach Travis Dinkheller reminds me of … just a very sweet guy. He seems happy all the time.