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Happy October all and welcome to Duerrisms, sponsored by the fine people at ADVANCE Physical Therapy. Apologies for the late posting this week. Technology hates me. Car and computer this week, so its been a struggle.

My e-mail here at the station collapsed on Monday. If you have sent me anything in the last few days and I did not respond to it, you have my sincerest apologies. You can resend any previous messages as, fingers crossed, I think things are up and working again now.

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KHQA/ADVANCE Student Athlete of the Week

We have embarked anew on our fourth season of the KHQA/ADVANCE Physical Therapy Student Athlete of the Week. In a slight twist this season, we will be offering scholarship awards to two winners in June as our Male and Female Student Athletes of the Year. If you know of a senior who has a 3.5 minimum GPA and is involved in at least one varsity sport, you can have your Athletic Director or Principal nominate them for inclusion in our applicant pool. If they do not have the nomination form, they can call or e-mail me at cduerr@khqa.com and I will get them the proper paperwork. Our next committee vote will take place in early October, so the sooner we receive those forms the better chance your applicant of choice will have of coming through the process. Be sure to look for our weekly reports every Wednesday night on the Evening News at six.

2008/2009 Honorees

Week One: TAYLER ONION, Rushville-Industry Volleyball, Basketball, and Track

Past Winners:

2007/2008: LUKE GUTHRIE, Quincy High/University of Illinois (golf)

2006/2007: KATELYN BASTERT, Illini West/Duke University (cross country/track)

2005/2006: MIKAL BENCOMO, Clopton/SEMO (Womens Basketball)

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FOOTBALL 2008

WEEK FIVE POSTMORTEM

Best Upset: Bowling Green over North Callaway

Most Impressive Week Four Winner: Pittsfield-Griggsville Perry

Best Game: Monroe City/Lexington

Biggest Surprise: Porta's second half comeback on CSE

Biggest Star Turn, Offensive: Shea Sibley, QND

Biggest Star Turn, Defensive: Jacob Fricke, Concord Triopia

Injury Losses: Chris Paro, Palmyra (jaw)

Keenan Gillespy, Knox County (ribs)

Brandon Mundle, Hannibal (ACL)

Ben Heinemann, Routt (shoulder)

Week Five Bullet Points:

Important Lesson One: If they can can reasonably healthy, the Mark Twain Tigers are indeed the much improved team we all projected they would be in the preseason. What Mike Thompson's team did in the second half of Friday's lopsided win over Highland, with ten kids still on the DL, should have sounded alarms all across the district.

Important Lesson Two: Quincy High, Jacksonville, and West Hancock took one giant step away from the firing line this week. Central-Southeastern and Pleasant Hill, however, did themselves no favors. All of these teams, save for perhaps the Crimsons, face uphill battles to garner the five (or in the Wolves case, six) wins it will take to become playoff eligible.

Important Lesson Three: While most of the accolades and verbal bouquets have gone to their respective offenses, Concord Triopia, Hannibal, and South Shelby are quickly proving that their defenses are considerably dangerous as well.

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THE GRAPHIC EDGE presents CHRIS DUERR'S FRATERNITY OF PAIN

Week One Winner: MATT PATTERSON, South Shelby

Week Four Co-Winners: JAVIS VINEYARD, Clark County

                              SEQUOIA BAILEY, Clopton/Elsberry

Week Five Winner: MITCH GREENWELL, South Shelby

(Winners announced Thursday on KHQA Evening News; receive limited edition T-Shirt)

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THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

7. JOHN HUGHES, RB, Mark Twain

19 Carries, 164 yards, 3 TD vs Highland

6. DERRICK HULL, QB, Central-Southeastern

23 of 55 Passing, 396 yards, 3 TD, 3 Interceptions vs Porta

5. JACOB FRICKE, DE, Concord Triopia

3 Quarterback Sacks vs Routt

4. MARK NEMES, RS/WR/DB, Hannibal

70 yard Free Kick Return for TD, Six Tackles, Forced Fumble vs Boonville

3. CODY SPEGAL, WR, Bowling Green

7 receptions, 119 yards, 3 TD vs North Callaway

2. COLTON HESTER, WB, West Prairie

7 Receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD; 7 Rushes, 80 yards, TD; 19 yd pass for TD vs West Hancock

1. BLAKE SCHNITKER, QB, Jacksonville

13 for 16 Passing, 263 yards, 3 TD; 15 Carries, 92 Yards, 2 TD vs Lanphier

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KHQA Player of the Week:

SHEA SIBLEY, RB, Quincy Notre Dame

Every Friday, we in the KHQA Sports Department play a little game of "Predict the Night's Biggest Performer" and like a NFL Knockout Pool, you can only use a player once a season. Doctor Fulghum and I were indeed on our games this week. Tyler went with Bowling Green Quarterback Ryan Cox (and accurately predicted the Bobcats road upset of unbeaten North Callaway, by the way. Fulghum has been blistering of late with his picks) and I went full on mark out for Shea Sibley, calling for 250 rushing yards against Peoria Woodruff. Turns out I came out a yard short after the Galesburg Transfer hit the Warriors for "just" 249 on 32 carries. Just another case of "Tailback High" producing another superstar feature back. As Sibley hit those numbers against an undefeated opponent who came into the night giving up just five points per game, you have to give this performance significant gravity. This was a signature performance from a player whose stock is has sky rocketed right into the thick of the Player of the Year conversation. And you saw all of Shea's dimensions on display against Woodruff. He is a durable and strongly built back who can shoulder a large carry rate. He is a consistent yardage producer. And as evidenced by his 68 yard touchdown run, Shea has that extra gear that is pretty hard to find in Tri State Football right now. Friday was indeed Shea Day in the city of Peoria and I suspect it won't be the last time this gifted newcomer pings radar here.

Previous Winners:

Week One: JAVIS VINEYARD, RB/SS, Clark County

Week Two: AARON ZETTERLUND, RB, Keokuk

Week Three: DEVON JOHNSON, RB, Pittsfield/Griggsville-Perry

Week Four: ALEX DANIEL, RS, North Shelby

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MISSOURI/IOWA MIDWAY AWARDS

First Half MVP: JAVIS VINEYARD, RB, Clark County

Best Offensive Player: SHAWN MALONEY, Monroe City

Best Defensive Player: BRYCE JOHNSTON, South Shelby

First Half Coach of the Year: JIMMY TUCKER, Bowling Green

Best Quarterback: RYAN COX, Bowling Green

Best Tailback: JAVIS VINEYARD, Clark County

Best Fullback: ZACH NICHOLS, Hannibal

Best Wide Receiver: RYAN BENCOMO, Clopton/Elsberry

Best Offensive Lineman: MICHAEL BRENNAN, Clark County

Best Interior Defensive Lineman: CORI SETH, Clark County

Best Defensive End: LYNN WILLIAMS, Clark County

Best Linebacker: BRYCE JOHNSTON, South Shelby

Best Defensive Back: MATT PATTERSON, South Shelby (tie)

JAVIS VINEYARD, Clark County (tie)

Biggest Hitter: JAVIS VINEYARD, Clark County(tie)

JAY'KOB KING, Hannibal (tie)

Best Special Teamer: ALEX DANIEL, North Shelby

Best Freshman: WILL MEFFORD, South Shelby

Best Sophomore: RYAN BENCOMO, Clopton/Elsberry

Best Junior: JORDAN STRICKLAND, Hannibal

Best Newcomer: STEFAN ANDRESS, South Shelby

Best Offensive Breakout Player: BRAD MUCK, Macon

Best Defensive Breakout Player: JORDAN HOLLAND, Monroe City

Best Offensive Player, Sub-500 Team: AARON ZETTURLAND, Keokuk

Best Defensive Player, Sub-500 Team: ELI HARSCHER, Highland

Best POY Darkhorse: DANIEL JONES, North Shelby

Most Underrated Offensive Player: IAN HATTON, Hannibal

Most Underrated Defensive Player: JEREMY HAYS, Mark Twain

Best Game: SOUTH SHELBY/CENTRALIA

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KHQA PIGSKIN POWER POLL

1. CLARK COUNTY (5-0)

Last Week: 42-0 win over Knox County

This Week: vs Schuyler County

The Skinny: Given the chasm of talent that exists between the top and bottom of this poll, we've kind of had to really amend our "no blowout" coverage rule. As a matter of principal, we generally try to avoid showing highlights of games that we know, even before the kickoff, are going to result in running clock victories. By the same token, if we employed that principal this year, we might not only see the likes of Clark County and Illini West twice during the regular season. Since it has become an unavoidable circumstance, we are limiting ourselves to two blowouts mixed subtly into our better slate of games. Clark County and South Shelby won that lottery this week and neither really worked up much of a sweat in ringing up victories. The Indians continue to show great defensive ferocity. I am not sure this is the best defense in Tri State Football, but it is certainly the one that takes the heaviest toll on its foes. From our brief stay in Edina, the MVP of that effort this week was Michael Brennan. After Friday night was over, I went back to our raw tap and had the Indian Defensive End either making or assisting on 60% of the tackles we had on tape. I never did get final defensive numbers but Brennan looked more like a middle linebacker than a Defensive End given his work rate and speed to the pile. Defensive Linemen rarely make headlines but Brennan was as dominant as anyone we saw Friday. Javis Vineyard had two huge defensive hits (and a killer block on the back side of Bryan Plenge's interception) to continue his reign of terror. Offensively, Vineyard rolled up another 199 yards on just thirteen carries to increase (marginally) his area best yards per carry average to just over 14 a pop. Ethan Allen had his typically efficient night with 9 for 16 passing for 109 yards and a touchdown to Matt Morrow (who has been quietly brilliant this season) while rushing for a 36 yard score as well. While it might now have been the most jaw-dropping offensive performance of the year for Matt Smith's crew, it was certainly the Indians most efficient. Zero turnovers and just three penalties against a defense that doesn't lack for talent. With North Shelby getting exposed on Saturday and Macon stepping backwards against Centralia, Clark County's strength of schedule is taking a gigantic hit. Maybe the Brookfield game falling in Week Ten will help the Indians as it gives a natural crescendo into the playoffs, but I just worry that with things coming so easy this year, Clark could be in for a quick culture shop come Week Eleven and Twelve. Beyond that, no worries here.

2. QND (5-0)

Last Week: 21-6 win over Peoria Woodruff

This Week: vs Manual

The Skinny: There isn't anything sexy or flashy about it. Still, QND's blue collar approach to playing defense has given the Raiders their calling card. As we touched on here last week, Woodruff was a completely different kind of test for Bill Connell's crew. Outside of maybe a healthy Davis Hendrickson, the Raiders really had not seen a true offensive difference maker on the schedule; at least no one with the kind of home-run ability that Walter Burns and Adrian Smith brought to the table. That QND's defensive backfield was able to compensate for all that speed (largely through intelligent, heady, consistent play) really elevates this unit in my eyes. Woodruff walked off the field with just 37 passing yards and Burns was blanketed to the tune of just one catch for three yards. Patrick Smith may be as good a big game player as QND has right now and he rose to the challenge. He is certainly the savviest. When I asked him this week about the Raider Secondary being tested at weakness (lack of blazing speed) Patrick admitted the secondary relished the chance to prove it could handle a different level challenge. Even last year, we saw that the kid had a real gift for interdicting routes and anticipating in an instant poorly thrown passes. He makes a killing off that instinct and did so again in reading the weaknesses in Justin Chapai's game command. Forced to run to make its daily bread, Woodruff played right back into the teeth of QND's defense. You simply can't run east and west against the Raiders because Anthony Hendren and Brandon Kientzle live to go sideline to sideline. And since by design, its hard to go straight ahead on QND with Jimmy Holtschlag all but unblockable by high school kids up front. To be honest, I am not really sure how you attack these guys as the Raiders have become lethal closing to the edge. Granted, this wasn't the most impressive of offensive showings for QND (beyond Sibley's huge night) but give Woodruff some credit for that as this might be the best defense Joe Obert's crew sees until Week Ten. Plus, as we touched on, this team needed to experience a little adversity just to see where it stood. Mission accomplished as the Raiders took that punch in the mouth and punched right back in response. All in all, a very impressive road win for a team that continues to gather momentum.

3. ILLINI WEST (5-0)

Last Week: 60-0 win over Rushville/Industry

This Week: at West Hancock

The Skinny: In the wake of his team's unshackling of the Aledo curse, Jim Unruh told his Chargers this week that settling for the reputation of being the team that finally beat the Green Dragons was unacceptable. In doing so, the Illini West skipper defused much of the hype over that "statement" win and challenged his kids to slay the program's bigger demon: the inability to make a deep run into the postseason. Translation: Aledo or no, there is still plenty of work here to be done. In response, the Chargers went out and dismantled a Rushville/Industry squad that could not have been more ill designed to play Illini West. The things that the Rockets aim to do, unfortunately, play right into the strength of the Chargers Defense. With so much defensive speed on the board, R/I had no prayer of getting Alex McElvey and company untracked between the tackles. It's hard to get north and south when your Offensive Line is being forced to back up on nearly every play. And this really what makes this Charger Defense so good. Opponents have no time to let a running play develop against Illini West. Unless you find a seam and hit it instantly out of the backfield, even a good running back like Alex McElvey is going to be greeted with interference within six inches of the line of scrimmage. And that makes it nearly impossible to get a running game established here. Not hard to read the tea leaves on this one and I don't think I ever even checked WCAZ for a score on this one Friday night. I did see from the stat sheet that Drake Schmudlach had his best performance as a varsity player with 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns. I also saw that Illini West's second/third string scored a pair of touchdowns in this game. Beyond that, Friday was just another ho-hum show of strength from what is fast becoming the Tri State's most balanced football team. I don't envy the West Hancock Titans their fate on Friday.

4. TRIOPIA (5-0)

Last Week: 26-7 win over Routt

This Week: vs Brown County (KHQA Game of the Week)

The Skinny: It was half of the signature victory that Rich Thompson was seeking. Tested for the first time by a defense that had not allowed a touchdown all season, Triopia's offense had some very sluggish and (to be blunt) ugly moments on Friday. I would not have pegged the Trojans for eight fumbles all season, let alone in one night. And Triopia was proficient, but not overwhelmingly dominant in running the football against Routt's defense. David Arendt had his standard 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but he also had four fumbles on the night and no other Trojan accounted for more than 35 yards. (At least one of those fumbles allowed Super Center Jacob Millard to pounce on his first varsity touchdown.) The greater story here is Andy Phelps' Defense. What Triopia did to a very quick and explosive Rocket Offense was downright staggering. Granted, knocking Ben Heinemann out of this game with a shoulder injury made Routt one-dimensional late, but you have to marvel at Triop limiting the Rockets to negative 35 rushing yards and under 100 total yards on the night. Heck, nearly half of that output came on one trick play. This was an eye-opening and very balanced Defensive effort. Jacob Fricke was a beast coming off the edge for the Trojans, with three quarterback sacks and the kind of disruptive pressure that makes everyone's job on Defense a little easier. Mark Williams stepped up with a key interception. Adam Brockhouse had another ultra productive night tracking the run. Tim Wise had a quarterback sack and enjoyed his best game of the season. To be honest, I did not know the Trojans Defensive ceiling was this high. You can put Friday's effort right with the benchmark offerings of Illini West and QND this season. And because of it, Triopia is in position to win the WIVC North outright for the first time since the Dustin Jacoby era, provided the Trojans knock off Brown County on Friday. The Hornets Offense has had its share of offensive struggles this week and that puts Tom Little in a real bind this week. Even on an off night, Triopia scored 26 points last week against a terrific Routt Defense. If the Triop defense is really as good as it looked against the Rockets (and all evidence suggests yes) BC is going to hard pressed to score the three or more touchdowns it will need to hang with Rich Thompson's brutish running game.

5. HANNIBAL (4-1)

Last Week: 37-0 win over Boonville

This Week: vs Moberly

The Skinny: There is no where near as much star power, but I am willing to now argue that from an overall talent standpoint this incarnation of the Hannibal Pirates has every bit as much potential as the 2006 model. The word we got all week from the Hannibal camp was just how scary Boonville's talent pool was and how far that team had progressed since Week One. In fact, Jim Coniglio told me before the game on Friday that in terms of overall progress, he thought the visiting Pirates were every bit as potent as the state ranked Fulton Hornets were a week earlier. Bottom line, Boonville had Hannibal's undivided attention; even with Moberly looming on the immediate horizon. It certainly showed. Friday's bludgeoning of Boonville was as complete a win as we've seen this year over good competition. It took the Pirates just four plays to get into the end zone as Zach Nichols took a simple 3rd and short situation and ripped it into a 36 yard touchdown run. Boonville instantly withered. The "other" Pirates should have been whistled with a fumble on the ensuing kickoff (quick whistle saved them) and got instantly decked on their first play from scrimmage when Jordan Strickland jumped into the Offensive Backfield and threw Boonville's tailback for a five yard loss. You could feel the confidence bleed right out of this foe from there. And lets be honest here, Hannibal gave up a pair of likely touchdowns on its second and fourth possessions with an ugly interception on 2nd and short and a fumble at the Boonville two yard line. Hannibal could have easily put up 45-50 points without much further effort. Plenty of good to celebrate this week, beyond just Mark Nemes' jaw dropping return. Chris Nicholas' defense clearly played its best game of the year. The aforementioned Strickland is just an absolute monster at Defensive Tackle. Scarier still, he is just scratching the surface of his talents. Jay'Kob King remains the best pound for pound hitter (not named Javis Vineyard) in Tri State Football. Michael Henderson, who assisted Strickland and unsung Derek Hicks on a safety, is just a very heady linebacker who gets in on a lot of tackles. Eric Rhodes made two really nice plays in the first half. The Pirate defense is really coming together up. And with Moberly and superb wide receiver David Tooley in town on Friday, that emergence is well timed. Going into this season, the secondary promised to be the strength of this defense and the Pirates will be thrown on Friday night. Mat Sims is a whale of player and I would assume he sees the bulk of duty against Tooley. Hannibal did not have to show much offensively on Friday after Zach Nichols hit Boonville with two quick touchdowns. Nichols and King combined for over 150 rushing yards on a very short night before giving way to the subs. Ian Hatton threw the ball with his typical efficiency, but did not have his best game. Every single Pirate better be at Max-Q on Friday as the Spartans bring a 12 game conference win streak to EA Porter Stadium as the number three team in the Class 4 Missouri Football.

6. PITTSFIELD/GRIGGSVILLE-PERRY (5-0)

Last Week: 54-14 win over Beardstown

This Week: at CSE

The Skinny: With Porta rising fast, the Saukee's Week Four second half collapse at Petersburg becomes slightly more forgivable. It was, however, PGP's elevated play against Beardstown that put Don Bigley's crew back in positive momentum. Clearly, the Tigers are a rebuilding team but the Saukees needed to build for a difficult stretch run that finds them battling three desperate playoff hopefuls (CSE, Rushville/Industry and West Hancock) sandwiched around a Division Title game with long time tormentor Illini West. A week after going AWOL, the Saukees Linebackers limited a very explosive Tiger running game to negative 11 yards. Sam Ghrist and Trent Conrad were the cornerstones of a refocused defensive attack with ten tackles apiece. Conrand, Devon Johnson and Elijah Hoover each added a pair of stops for loss as well. PGP is an incredibly fast defensive squad with great potential. The Saukees just have yet to put it all together for four quarters on that side of the ball. Unlike a QND or Clark County, PGP has been susceptible to the big play. With Derrick Hull and Michael Lafferty on tap, that needs to become a real point of emphasis. Offensively, you can't help but marvel at just how good the Saukee run game has become. Devon Johnson belongs in any Player of the Year conversation you can have, but we came away from this week realizing just how good Elijah Hoover is as well. Some of that success clearly can be attributed to a greatly improved offensive line, but either of these guys would be an asset to any team in our area. Hoover's utility comes here not from the fact that he is some other worldly speed demon or athlete, but that the things he does well, he does as well as anyone in the game. In Elijah's case, that is run with purpose. There is no trepidation or messing around with this kid. He gets to the hole as fast and forcefully as he can, commits instantly to a running lane, and goes full tilt in that direction until there is nowhere further to go. Johnson has some of that grit as well, but his value comes from his natural athleticism and strength. Hoover's efforts are full blown heart. Just a very inspirational kid. And if I am Don Bigley, I am not sure I trade running back tandems with anyone in the Tri States.

7. SOUTH SHELBY (4-1)

Last Week: 53-0 win over Louisiana

This Week: at California

The Skinny: Much like Illini West to the East, the Cardinals were just kind of shooting fish in barrel Friday against a mismatched Louisiana club. Ordinarily, we would have passed on this game but the nomadic Redbirds haven't been close to home in a month and we needed to upgrade our archives with some new South video. Matthew Schuman returned to the fold this week and looked no worse for wear after his minor knee injury. Rob Wilt told me that Schuman was actually cleared to go last week against Putnam County, but that he wanted to error on the side of caution with such an important set piece in the Cardinal Offense. The big fullback rumbled his way to 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns in very limited work. Stefan Andress, who has really infused this offense with a sense of suddenness, worked his big play mojo again; rolling up nearly 100 yards and three touchdowns on just six touches. South isn't a very deep team, but running back is the one area of significant depth here. As evidence, both Will Mefford and Shannon Hall caught touchdown passes as "backups." Truth is, Hall is good enough to start for 60% of the teams in the CCC and he is clearly the future here. Mefford has become a really important cog as a freshman. Speaking of underclassmen, we continue to be impressed defensively with the development of sophomore Shane Smith, who looks like he might be the next quality Defensive Linemen to come out of the Cardinal Tradition. Beyond that, there really isn't a whole lot of meaningful info to glean from a win like this; save for the fact South might have the best group of blocking receivers in the Tri States. Mitch Greenwell isn't the biggest kid in the world, but his block to spring Mefford was a joy to behold. And I am told that Justin Wilt blew up two different Bulldogs with one block shortly after we left Louisiana on Friday. That will be tough to top. And given that the Road Warrior Cardinals are bound for California, Missouri this week, it may be a while before we get to see them try again any time soon.

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THE NEXT LEVEL

8. ROUTT

Rockets suffer first loss in 24 WIVC games against Triopia. While Ben Heinemann's shoulder injury is cause for concern, we are still looking at an 8-1 finish here and home playoff date in Week Ten.

9. BROWN COUNTY

Homecoming King Jackson Yingling catches a pair of touchdowns in blowout win over West Central. That kind of elevated passing presence will be critical this week if the Hornets have any hope of putting enough points on the board to beat Triopia and make a mess of the WIVC North standings.

10. BOWLING GREEN

Jimmy Tucker pulls off a critical road upset of North Callaway to help the Bobcats to the season's most surprising 4-1 start. All hail Touchdown Machine Cody Spegal, who is fast becoming the Calvin Johnson of NEMO Football.

11. MONROE CITY

Panther defense forces seven turnovers against Lexington and Austin Reynolds gathers a botched PAT snap, runs over two defenders, and scores a game winning two point conversion on sheer force of will to give the Panthers a critical boost. Divorce yourself for a moment from that awful showing at Centralia and realize Monroe has been one of the good stories of the 2008 football.

12. BPCA

Colin Douglas and Logan Lovejoy power their way to 100 yards of rushing apiece as Spartans batter a much improved South Fulton crew in route to third straight WPT Southeast win.

13. NORTH SHELBY

Terry Ahern has done a fine job getting the Raiders back to respectability. Tipton debacle proves there is still plenty of work to be done, however. And the schedule isn't getting any easier.

14. MACOMB

Matt Gordy strikes again, returning the opening kickoff 85 yards to power Macomb to a quick 20-0 lead on Monmouth-Roseville.

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YOUR WEEKEND FOOTBALL PLANNER: Week Six

Let's see, here. Automatic playoff berths will be clinched in Western Illinois this week. Bubble teams like CSE, R/I, Quincy High, Jacksonville and Pleasant Hill face must win games in their quest for November. The WIVC North title could either be decided or thrown into chaos. Over in Missouri, the NCMC title will likely be settled at Porter Stadium in a battle of powerhouses. Jonathon Nutt returns. Monroe City and South Shelby get their most critical road tests yet. What is not to love about this slate of games, my friends?

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GREY POUPON

MOBERLY AT HANNIBAL

Does it really get any better than this? The Spartans are ranked third in Class 4 and have not lost a conference road game since their last trip to America's Hometown in 2006. Jason Ambroson's crew might have the most pedigreed list of wins we've seen from any visiting foe this year, with Blair Oaks, School of the Osage, Fulton and a pretty salty Kirksville crew among the victims list. David Tooley is the marquee name at wide receiver but Trenton Snodgrass and James Bradley are proven targets in their own right and Joe Dixon might be the most physical running back Hannibal sees this season. It's a pick your poison proposition for the Hannibal Defense, which is coming off its finest effort of the year. The Pirates are no slouch in the weapons department either, having tagged state ranked Fulton and surging Boonville with 86 points in the last two weeks.

BROWN COUNTY AT TRIOPIA

The Trojans look to put the finishing touches on a WIVC North Title in this battle between the 7th and 9th ranked teams in Class 1A Football. Brown County struggled with the size and physicality of Routt's Defensive Front two weeks ago. Unfortunately for Tom Little, Triopia is bigger and stronger than the Rockets on both sides of the ball. A heavy burden falls on the Hornets talented Defense to disrupt Triopia's Arendt Avalanche and try to get the Trojans to play outside its comfort zone. Nothing short of a perfectly executed Hornet game plan might get that done.

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GULDENS

PGP AT CSE

The Panthers are fighting for their postseason lives and could desperately use an upset of the Saukees to make up for that damning loss to Athens. On the plus side for Bill Reed, Derrick Hull is coming of a 300 yard passing effort and has the hot hand against a PGP secondary that may well be vulnerable through the air. On the down side, if your team can't tackle Cody Mundy, Devon Johnson is not going to be a welcome sight in Camp Point on Friday Night.

R/I AT BEARDSTOWN

The single nastiest rivalry in all of Tri State sports is back on the books after a year's absence. And while both teams have struggled mightily at times, this is a pairing of evenly matched squads who will play this thing with State Championship level intensity. How can you not enjoy that?

NORTH SHELBY AT BROOKFIELD

The Raiders get a do-over after getting taken behind the woodshed by Tipton. This might be North's best bet for a win in this brutal three game swing.

TAYLORVILLE AT JACKSONVILLE

Moment of truth time for the Crimsons. Tornadoes are the only team left on the slate with a winning record, the line of demarcation between five and six wins. Taylorville is also statistically, the Central State Eight's best defensive team. How right did JHS get in the big win over Lanphier? Is there hope for this defense? Stay tuned.

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FRENCHS

SOUTH SHELBY AT CALIFORNIA

Where have you gone, Geary Labuary? The Pintos have become incredibly pedestrian under new coach Lance Johnston and may catch their worst beating yet at the hands of a red hot Cardinal squad.

KNOXVILLE AT MACOMB

Bombers final four opponents are a combined 5-15 on the season. Macomb has had flashes of brilliance this season and there are few more enjoyable homecoming venues in the Tri States.

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FEARLESS DUERR PREDICTIONS

Illinois

R/I 28

BEARDSTOWN 20

BROWN COUNTY 3

TRIOPIA 21

ATHENS 14

BPCA 27

PGP 44

CSE 30

ILLINI WEST 42

WEST HANCOCK 7

JACKSONVILLE 18

TAYLORVILLE 31

KNOXVILLE 0

MACOMB 30

PLEASANT HILL 14

CARROLLTON 21

QUINCY HIGH 26

GALESBURG 10

MANUAL 0

QND 49

ROUTT 34

ISD 0

PORTA 42

UNITY 8

PLAINS 42

WEST PRAIRIE 20

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Missouri

ORCHARD FARM 0

BOWLING GREEN 42

SCHUYLER COUNTY 0

CLARK COUNTY 48

MOBERLY 18

HANNIBAL 21

HIGHLAND 18

PALMYRA 24

PUTNAM COUNTY 24

KNOX COUNTY 12

MACON 34

LOUISIANA 16

CENTRALIA 38

MARK TWAIN 12

MONROE CITY 34

SHERWOOD-CASS 6

NORTH SHELBY 12

BROOKFIELD 28

SOUTH SHELBY 40

CALIFORNIA 12

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RANDOM MUSINGS

Jacksonville alum Brian Anderson helped the Princeton Tigers to their first victory of the year with a 20 of 29 passing effort against Lehigh. Anderson finished with 244 passing yards and no touchdowns or interceptions in the 10-7 win. The former Crimson is now fourth in the Ivy League in both passing yards per game and passing efficiency through two games. The Tigers travel to Columbia on Saturday.

QND Offensive Tackle Jimmy Holtschlag told the Peoria Journal Star that he has narrowed his college choices to Illinois, Kansas, Western Illinois, Northern Illinois and Illinois State.

Despite a bumpy start to the season, Illinois College's Mitch Niekamp (Central-Southeastern) leads the Midwest Football Conference in passing yards per game and total offense. The Illinois College signal caller has also created ample opportunities for his wide receivers to shine. Fort Madison's Michael Jennings and Jacksonville's Justin Darwent are ranked first and second respective in the league in receptions per game.

Through ten games this season, Quincy Notre Dame alum Bobby Ridder is SIU-Edwardsville Soccers' points leader with six (2 goals and 2 assists) and has posted a team high 14 shots. Fellow Raider alum Grey Genenbacher, who is currently at Eastern Illinois, has been told he will redshirt the rest of this, his freshman year, unless an injury situation dictates that he is pressed into action.

The Quincy Herald Whig is reporting that the Great Lakes Valley Conference is on the verge of adding Illinois-Springfield and Maryville as member institutions and will likely go to a three division alignment with Quincy University joining Lewis, St Joseph's, Wisconsin Parkside and the Prairie Stars in the Central Division.

I am sorry but can someone again tell me why the high profile Quincy Soccer Classic is now squired away in Collinsville? Eric Stratman and Matt Longo created this phenomenal showpiece for the sport, complete with visits from the best teams in the entire nation, and it has now been ripped away from the city because of "logistic" concerns? This is Quincy, right? Frank Longo/Jack MacKenzie Quincy no? How can the Gem City, of all places, not have enough "soccer infrastructure" to make this work here? I am not buying that argument. There have been whispers from the middle of last years tournament that the organizers of this event were fighting for cooperation from the city's various soccer bodies from the outset and just flat grew frustrated with the lack of support. And so, they simply pulled up stakes. And without support from the City and the Soccer Powers that be, who can blame them? I don't care how you feel about Soccer, this was money into this community and given the dicey state of our economy, can we really afford to lose this kind of dollar draw?

Field Turf soccer is an instantly faster brand of the sport, as we saw at EA Porter Stadium on Friday. How soon before we see it at Flinn Stadium? There are forces at work trying to make this a reality for both the Soccer and Football programs; our lousy economy withstanding. By the way, Tyler White became the answer to a future trivia question by becoming the first player ever to score a goal at Porter Stadium.

Julie Schultz has gotten plenty of ink as the most impresssive Freshman in Tri State Softball, and rightfully so. She is not only an unbelievable pitching talent, but an emergent hitter as well. Just don't sleep on some of the other tremendous frosh talents in Northeast Missouri. Na'Kea Shepard out of Louisiana make swing the most power packed bat of any girl in our area not named Jessica VanNostrand. And speaking of Palmyra, Katie Serbin, who delivered the game winning bunt in the Panthers win over Mark Twain on Tuesday, has already proven to be poised beyond her years.

Taylor Baxter and Kachina Hudson tend to eat up all of the media oxygen, but how about a little love for North Shelby ace Jillian Yoder. Where Kachina Hudson has always been reknowned for her phenomenal intensity on the hill, Jillian is a young lady who has gone from timid underclassmen to scary-focused on the hill for Angie Resa. She's got a miniscule .91 ERA at this point and has developed an obsession with overpowering her competition. Even in the wake of wins, Jillian will walk away from the game unsatisfied because she did not register enough strikeouts and wasn't as good as she thought she should have been. The perfectionist streak isn't limited to the diamond. Jilian is also number one ranked in her senior class and boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA.

If you are a hardcore NBA fan, we have a limited number of spots left in the KHQA Fantasy Basketball league on Yahoo. This is a serious, cutthroat league and we are looking for active players who will devote serious time and effort to the endeavor from November through the end of the season. If you are interested, the league ID number is 7601 and the password is "duerr" and you can take your shot at league savants Matt Wiltanger and Derrick K.

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THE SEVEN COOLEST PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH AT THIS VERY MOMENT (AT LEAST FOR THIS WEEK.)

AMBER RIEFESEL

Thanks to Tuesday's win over Fulton, Hannibal controls its own destiny in quest for an NCMC Volleyball Title and currently the Lady Pirates are a perfect 4-0 in league play at just under the halfway mark. This is one heck of resurgence for a program that has rattled around at or below the .500 mark for the better part of the last decade. Riefesel, herself a Hannibal Spikes alum, has built around a nucleus of quality setters led by terrific setter Ashley Treaster and Outside Hitter Chelsea Reutenauer. The future appears bright as well with the development of six foot Middle Hitter Camille Hackamack as true game changing defensive force up front. With many of the other Lady Pirate's more visible programs mired in struggle, the success of Hannibal Volleyball is a beacon of hope and a product of one of the finest coaching jobs turned in anywhere this fall.

JONATHON NUTT

The Tri State's most special signal caller makes his long awaited return to the gridiron this week against Highland and brings a much needed shot of enthusiasm to a Palmyra program that has taken it on the chops this fall. After talented Defensive Lineman/Running Back Chris "Jaws" Paro went down last week with a broken jaw, Jason Keilholz had to feel like he was living under a bad sign. Nutt's recovery from a torn toe ligament is the first real flash of good fortune thrown P-Town's way this season. And more bluntly, the easiest thing in the world would have been for Nutt to sit out the rest of this season and protect his future prospects for college football or basketball. Instead, the kid is such a competitor he can't get back to the field fast enough to help his teammates try and turn this thing around. Would you bet against him? Me neither....

LANE KIFFIN

It is now my goal in life to be fired in manner in which my crusty and half-senile boss holds a press conference to spend 30 minutes doing nothing but assailing my character...all the while using an overhead projector to do so!!!  What, no one could get Professor Al Davis a Periodic Table of Elements and Bunson Burner to complete the backdrop? Should I have been taking copius notes in my Trapper/Keeper? Will there be a mid-term of Kiffinism 101?? The Oakland Raiders owner could not be more a cartoonishly pathetic figure now if he were sketched by Mike Judge. I haven't seen a more awkward public press conference moment since John Cheney threatened to kill John Calipari. What a phenomenal entertaining train wreck.

JESSICA VAN NOSTRAND 

We have really good softball hitters in these parts who go whole seasons, heck whole careers, without hitting three homeruns. The Palmyra slugger hit three in a single day at the Centralia Tournament, including the game winner in the Title Game against North Callaway. JVN's numbers on the day: 7 of 11 at the plate with 10 total RBI and the Mark Whiten-esque three dingers.

UNITY K-CLUB

The Unity Mustang Volleyball faithful have taken their Spikes Mania to the next level with a Dwight Gooden style display of K's for every Kill the Lady Mustangs throw down. Great Volleyball squad, even better fans.

JIMMY TUCKER

His best player opts out before the season, just as the Bobcats were putting in a new spread system to maximize his talents. Then Bowling Green goes and lays an absolute egg in the jamboree. How did that disasterous off-season equal this: a 4-1 start with thrilling wins over both Mark Twain and North Callaway. The Bobcats confidence has grown with every game and now Bowling Green is a team that is going to hit District Play brimming with confidence. Terry Ahern has done an amazing job in resurrecting North Shelby Football, but Tucker's amazing work is every bit as worthy of Coach of the Year consideration. On a down note, apologies to Jim and the Bobcats as we picked them to bury Orchard Farm this week. They apparently have been deriving great satisfaction in blowing up my Fearless Predictions every week.

PAT FITZGERALD

Look, I have been a closeted Northwestern fan since I was very little. Used to read "The Bottom Ten" column every week in the Sacramento Bee and constantly found the Mildcats at or near the top of College Football's worst ratings. A glutton for sports punishment, I adopted the Purple and Black as my team of choice. Rooted for Sandy Schwabe. Even got a Northwestern ball cap and jersey, the only kid in Northern California I dare say so attired. Now the Wildcats are 5-0 and sporting one of the best Defenses in the country, not to mention good guy Wide Receiver Eric Peterman out of SHG. If I get a NU/Mizzou BCS Title Game (who would have thunk me ever uttering those words 15 years ago) I will seriously blow off all those January High School Basketball Tournaments and make a roadie to see this once in a life time event. I may even feel a tinge of remorse when the Tigers drop 50 on the Wildcats...nah.