Duerrisms hunkers down for QND/Richwoods; Illini West/PGP slugfests

This is Duerrisms for the Week of October 9th, 2008. We are presented, as always, by the fine folks at ADVANCE PHYSICAL Therapy. And we are in full-on sprint to the finish mode. Believe it or not, the Fall Sports Postseason avalanche began this week with Golf and Missouri Softball leading the charge. And I have the soggy shoes and plugged up sinuses from my trip to Alton on Tuesday to prove it. Neither wind, nor rain, nor snow keeps the KHQA Sports Team from its appointed postseason rounds....

That said, it does not guarantee on-time delivery of Duerrisms. Sorry folks, too many early mornings and long drives this week and too little time to finish the column before Thursday morning.

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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 late 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

Week Two: AMANDA DARNELL, Quincy Notre Dame Cross Country

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 SIX POSTMORTEM

Biggest Upset: Hannibal over Moberly

Most Impressive Week Six Winner: Illini West

Best Game: BPCA/Athens

Biggest Surprise: Manual scoring on QND's first team Defense

Biggest Star Turn, Offensive: Shawn Maloney, Monroe City

Biggest Star Turn, Defensive: Braxton Stewart, Jacksonville

Surging Teams: Hannibal, BPCA, Jacksonville, Monroe City

Regressing Teams: CSE, North Shelby, West Hancock, Rushville/Industry

Week Six Bullet Points:

LESSON ONE: One man can indeed make a difference. Jonathon Nutt's return in Palmyra had not only a tangible impact on the gridiron but a psychological lift as well for the struggling Panthers. The Panthers All State Quarterback looked very sharp early with his passing, showing very little rust (he completed five of his first seven passes, with two dropped passes.) The Panther offense hit the inevitable lull when the adrenaline waned in the late first half/early third quarter, but found their groove again with the game on the line late. Simply put, everybody played a little better with Nutt around. Without everyone on the field gunning for him, Adam Wright put 140 yards of rushing on the board. Jacob Bross caught three TD passes. Jeremy Hultz instantly showed off his receiving chops. And even the defense looked sharper. Palmyra is still a somewhat flawed team, but the Panthers are now dangerous and maybe enough so that they can legitimately make a move for one of those two District invites.

LESSON TWO: Don't sleep on Jacksonville. The Crimsons had that horribly disappointing start to this season and were largely written off after receiving so much hype in August. The bottom half of this schedule gives Mark Grounds the chance to rebuild his team's psyche and the Crimsons should roll into the playoff riding a five game win streak and going in as a 6-3 team. Few coaches have proven as dangerous over the years as first or second round 'dogs as Grounds (just ask Metamora, SHG, et al) and the offensive weapons remain in place here to give opponents fits. If the JHS Defense can ratchet up the screws, there are good works here yet to be done.

LESSON THREE: The playoff bubble is all but burst on Rushville/Industy for the first time in nearly two decades. The West Hancock Titans, Pleasant Hill/Western Wolves and Quincy High Blue Devils are just about done as well. Central-Southeastern has three weeks to win three games, the toughest of which comes Friday at Havana. Our Illinois Postseason locks at this point are QND, Illini West, PGP, Triopia, Routt, Brown County, Macomb and I will go out on a limb and say BPCA, who could do a ton of damage in Class 2A as a 7-2 /6-3 team. Jacksonville is likely. South Fulton is on a more tenuous bubble than CSE. On the plus, side we have legitimate State Championship hopefuls in three classes of Illinois Football and as many as six first round home playoff games on our radar.

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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

Week Six Winner: GAGE JOHNSON, Illini West

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

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THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

7. KENDALL PHELPS, WR, Jacksonville

5 Receptions, 99 Yards, 2 TD; 4 Carries, 61 Yards, TD vs Taylorville

6. JACOB BROSS, WR, Palmyra

6 Receptions, 75 Yards, 3 TD vs Highland

5. RYAN COX, QB, Bowling Green

19 of 34 Passing, 308 Yards, 3 TD vs Orchard Farm

4. JAY'KOB KING, RB, Hannibal

20 Carries, 115 Yards, 4 TD vs Moberly

3. JORDAN CAWTHON, QB, Pittsfield/Griggsville Perry

7 of 9 Passing, 189 Yards, 2 TD vs CSE

2. ZACK BURLING, DB/WR, Illini West

64 Yard Punt Return for TD, 41 Yard Interception Return for TD vs West Hancock

1. STEFAN ANDRESS, RB, South Shelby

21 Carries, 231 Yards, 3 TD vs California

KHQA Player of the Week:

SHAWN MALONEY, QB, Monroe City

Tri State High School Football's closest approximation of Juice Williams, you would be hard pressed to find a quarterback anywhere who did more to help his team win this week. The Panther Signal Caller had a hand in five touchdowns in Monroe City's 50-20 win over Sherwood-Cass at Central Methodist. Maloney completed six of his thirteen passing attempts for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That alone would be enough to merit him consideration here but the multidimensional Maloney also reeled off 164 rushing yards and three touchdowns (including a 76 yarder) to augment his resume. And just for fun, he also added four PAT's to the stat column as well for a grand total of 34 points off the sweat of his brow. Given their ugly loss to Centralia, Monroe City is kind of quietly floating below radar right now but this team is a gathering Offensive Storm with the capability of winning a shoot out against any team in their district. Consistency is the buzz word here but if Tony DeGrave continues to build mometum off wins like this, don't be stunned to see Monroe City giving opponents absolute fits in the District and beyond.

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

Week Five: SHEA SIBLEY, RB, Quincy Notre Dame

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KHQA PIGSKIN POWER POLL

1. CLARK COUNTY (6-0)

Last Week: 61-0 win over Schuyler County

This Week: at North Shelby

The Skinny: Seriously, what more do you say about a team that has outscored its opponents 283-6 thus far this season? The Indians dropped 61 points in a single half against Schuyler County and may have been merciful in limiting their 24 minute output to just those 61 points. Heck, Matt Smith's team only had 174 yards of total offense in the process before halftime. You want dominance? How is this: Javis Vineyard touched the football five times on Friday and scored five touchdowns, averaging 30 yards per carry on the night and in the process raising his obscenely bloated 14 yards per carry average overall. We may sound like a broken record about this kid but what do you when Vineyard ups the ante every week? And for all of his huge hits and home run touchdowns, I still haven't even touched on the most telling Vineyard moment. That came two weeks ago when the Indians Safety chased down and stopped a breakaway Knox County touchdown run...sixty yards from the line of scrimmage. Short of an injury, a monumental playoff collapse, or someone else going all James Vandenberg or Wyatt Green on us, Vineyard is going to be hard to beat for Player of the Year honors. But I digress. Ethan Allen also added a pair of rushing touchdowns Friday and a passing strike to Mason Owen, who also had a 30 yard pick six interception (one of seven forced turnovers on the night) Granted, the only way Clark County's schedule could be any weaker is if the Indians were annexed into the ACC, but still, all Matt Smith's crew can do at this point is play the hand they are dealt. And you can't find much to quibble with in the way the Indians have handled their business in any phase of the game. North Shelby may be the best team Clark may have played to date and we saw what both Tipton and Brookfield did to the Raiders in the last two weeks. Clark is a better team than either of them. Again, we find ourselves awaiting Week Ten for any kind of reliable referendum on just how good these guys really are. In the interim, expect the Turbo Clock to get plenty of use.

2. QND (6-0)

Last Week: 48-6 win over Manual

This Week: vs Richwoods (KHQA Game of the Week)

The Skinny: Word that lowly Manual scored a first quarter touchdown on QND's First String Defense raised a few eyebrows around the region. And while I know there are a lot of Raider detractors looking for any sign of hope this time of the year, don't go getting all excited about that aberration. Lets not forget that in similar circumstances, Brown County's outstanding defense also gave up points to a struggling ISD club, for example. In much the same fashion, Friday's Manual game was a no win proposition for the Raiders. The bar of expectations on Manual was set so low that the Rams could not help but look good with an act as simple as picking up a first down. And with Richwoods looming, QND likely fell into the same trap that Brown County, Triopia, and Routt did earlier this year when they played lousy teams in advance of big weeks. Not every opponent "stirs the soul." And to be honest, no one was probably more secretly happy about that Manual touchdown than Bill Connell, who finally got an excuse to tear into his defense and refocus the troops. Hard to make teaching points when you have been as close to flawless as QND's Defense has been. From that point on, QND did not surrender another score the rest of the night. Brandon Kientzle led the charge with eight tackles and a pair of interceptions. Anthony Hendren finished with a team high nine stops. With Richwoods standout Tyler Willis and bruising fullback Dan Ardis awaiting, this was a good week for Manual to expose a few previously unseen chinks in the Raider's run defense. Those flaws will get corrected and a more inspired goal this week figure to return the Raiders to form. Plus, the return of Ryan Spohr should greatly enhance QND's ability to negate mistakes. He's the kid who makes everyone around him look good. On the flip side, you'd be hard pressed to quibble with what may have been the Raider Offensive Line's best game of the year. We had camera problems on Friday at QND, so our photog had to leave the game, but as best we can tell, there was not a single penalty thrown on QND's Offensive Line against Manual. The Raiders dominated the point of attack and Shea Sibley had another monster game without really even having to break a sweat. The senior tailback had four touchdowns in his ten touches and 231 yards of rushing, including a 85 yard home run burst punctuated with one of the best moves of the year at the end of the run. Kramer Barnes was his typically efficient self with six completions in ten attempts and a touchdown strike to Patrick Smith. It is striking how much Richwoods and QND have in common. Both have emerging young quarterbacks (though Mike Davis is more of Blake Schnitker type versus Barnes as a traditonal drop back passer) franchise type tailbacks, and really stingy defenses. Bottom line, expect to see a game very similar in tenor and tempo to what Geneseo/QND would have been on dry field. Very blue collar. Very hard hitting. And likely ultimately determined by which team does the better job sustaining drives and dominating the time of possesion. This would seem an ideal sport for someone, anybody to finally end the Knights 30 game conference win streak. And a hungry QND club, which hasn't won a conference title since a 1997 River Trails strap, seems well suited to the task of doing just that.

3. ILLINI WEST (6-0)

Last Week: 60-6 win over West Hancock

This Week: at PGP

The Skinny: Friday's thirty seven point first quarter against West Hancock (and that is all we stayed for) was Illini West at its dominating best. And it should have been. This incarnation of West Hancock's Double Wing offense is plagued by the methodical pace at which it unfolds. Conversely, the Chargers might well have the fastest defense line in Western Illinois. As result, there was nearly immediate disruption on the Titans side of the line of scrimmage on every play, running or passing. Bottom line, the West Hancock game proved to be little more than target practice for guys like Carl Hartweg, Jesse Holtsclaw and Kris Vincent. And for a Titan team whose confidence was already a little shaky coming in, Zack Burling's game opening punt return for touchdown was about the worst thing that could have happened. As Don Bigley so aptly pointed out this week, if you want to beat the Chargers, you have to get a push in the Special Teams department. Not only did Burling do his return thing (again) but Dakota Hicks blocked a Titan punt attempt out of the end zone to add two more points to the cause. And if you saw our Fraternity of Pain segment, you can credit Gage Johnson with one of the best hits of the year on Special Teams too boot. Offensively, it was a night of very limited work for all of the usual principals. Stefan Flynn only got three carries. Mitch Beals got six. In their wake, Avery LeJeune (64 rushing yards, 2 TD) and reserve Dillon Pollock got the bulk of the carries in a game that was well decided before they ever reached paydirt. Michael Lafferty was 4 of 8 passing for 100 yards and a touchdown to Kris Vincent, who finished his night with 81 receiving yards. So the Chargers come rolling into a game that for my money is the best on their regular season schedule. Granted, the Saukees have a history of tripping over themselves any time they play a Jim Unruh team. Still, I think Don Bigley's offense is at least equal to the test that Aledo/Westmer gave the Charger Defense. Devon Johnson is clearly the best running back Illini West has faced and Jordan Cawthon has brought balance to the offense. In full disclosure, however, I think PGP is plagued by the same kind of defensive strengths and more importantly flaws that Aledo/Westmer had. Comparable speed, but unfortunately for the Saukees, the same galling habit of disappearing for stretches at a time. And while the Saukees did a respectable job holding CSE's passing attack in check last week (with a lot of disruptive help up front from Chase Vose) Michael Lafferty is an all together different type of threat. PGP may have to pack the box to stop Stefan Flynn and past history has shown us that Jim Unruh has no qualms about reading that key from the Saukee Defense and going to the air frequently. Bottom line, this game will be as good as PGP's defense makes it.

4. TRIOPIA (6-0)

Last Week: 12-3 win over Brown County

This Week: at ISD

The Skinny: It was one of those games where you walk away with more respect for both teams. Give Eric Grady and the Brown County defense a ton of credit for being the first team this year to not allow Triopia's Offensive Line to run roughshod over them. The Hornets gave up just 200 total yards (all rushing) and just eight total first downs. Unfortunately for Tom Little, the Trojan Defense was just as good if not better. Andy Phelps crew completely negated the Hornet rushing attack. And while the Hornets got 133 passing yards from Jered Yingling, the Triopia defense forced three critical interceptions, including two that led directly to scores in the second half by Kellan Phelps. Tyler Fulghum came back from this contest calling it the hardest hitting game he had seen in his two years covering Tri State Football. That is a credit to both teams. To some degree, Triopia's size and strength also helped to wear out the smaller Hornet Lines. David Arendt did the bulk of his damage (140 yards on 19 carries) late and a breakdown in protection late cost the Hornets a chance to cut the deficit when Yingling fumbled during a quarterback sack. More than anything, this game was merely a test of wills and the Trojans proved they could beat a quality opponent without their best fastball. It is just a very gritty win. And because of it, Triop is a virtual lock to win its first Conference title since 2005. That said, the Trojans have to evolve from this game. Brown County has given future foes a template on how to finally slow the Trojans previously unstoppable running game. Rich Thompson is confident that his passing game can help Triopia win when opponents pack the box. By the same token, Triopia was in a tight game Friday and only attempted one pass. I am not sure if Thompson was going the Jim Unruh/Jay Wessler route in taking the conservative approach to securing victory or if the Trojan boss is just loathe to give away to much of his future game plan. At this point, why quibble? There is ample confidence inside ranks that the Trojans have only shown people a piece of what they can do offensively and if Rich Thompson and crew isn't worried, neither am I.

5. HANNIBAL (5-1)

Last Week: 41-14 win over Moberly

This Week: at Mexico

The Skinny: I resisted every urge to bump these guys all the way up to number one this week because this team might have the most impressive resume on the books right now. No squad has a more pedigreed victims list than Mark St Clair's crew, which completed its second win in three weeks over a team ranked in the top three of its respective class. Moberly came into Porter Stadium riding a 12 game conference win streak and left looking like a team playing way out of its depth. The Pirates held highly regarded wide receiver David Tooley to just one reception, which got him blasted by Jay'Kob King after a negligible gain, and blasted his quarterback Kris Kupp into next week. Tooley's only real impact came when he was forced under center in place of Kupp and broke off a 55 yard touchdown scramble on third and long. Beyond that, Chris Nicholas and Jim Coniglio executed a nearly perfect defensive game plan. Mat Sims had an interception return that should have by rights netted him a touchdown. He got whistled out of bounds when hitting the pylon in the end zone. Ben Dunn had a couple of nice tackles. Offensively, the Pirates weathered a injury to workhorse fullback Zach Nichols with a combination of Michael Forrest and Jay'Kob King (4 TD) handling the running duties and Ian Hatton delivering wonderful efficiency under center. The Pirate Quarterback had a series in the third quarter, when the score was still just 21-14, to answer Tooley's TD run in which he completed three huge passes on successive 3rd Downs to push the Pirates to the goal line. You talk about an impressive drive from a field general fully in command of his team. Hatton is just really poised and very steady. Bottom line, this Pirate team has tremendous resolve and game savvy; so much so you wonder where all of this good karma was last season. There is a different vibe at play here than in 2006 because this team is so balanced in its talent distribution. There is not a single Player of the Year candidate here or rainmaker on par with Jacob Saxton and Andrew Bergeson. There are, however, more weapons overall than there were two years ago and a bottom line that shows precious little in the way of glaring weaknesses. Watch these guys churn out workman like win after win and you too will be a believer.

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

Last Week: 52-21 win over CSE

This Week: vs Illini West

The Skinny: Jordan Cawthon's ascent at quarterback hit warp speed on Friday. The Saukee Quarterback put up stellar passing numbers and marshalled his offense to nearly 530 yards of total production against a CSE squad fighting for its playoff life. Granted, Jordan was given the quarterback's golden ticket in Camp Point as the Panthers left the middle of the field wide open for Kyle Harris and speedster Michael Johnson to feast for long range touchdowns on simple slant routes. The Saukees ability to run the football with relative ease has given Cawthon a tremendous comfort zone. Jordan finished with 64 rushing yards and 185 passing yards on seven of nine attempts in the game he needed to properly propel him into the huge showdown with Illini West on Friday. Suffice it to say there is now as much big play ability at the edge of this offense as there is provided between the tackles by Elijah Hoover and Devon Johnson. For me, the salient lesson of Friday nights win is just what a nice dimension Michael Johnson gives this squad. He opened the game with a 92 yard kick off return for touchdown, caught a 37 yard touchdown and had two rushes for 88 yards. He provides Don Bigley an ample amount of options and one could argue, if so inclined, that his emergence makes PGP's skill position talent as impressive as any team in Western Illinois. Meaningful football games, however, are almost exclusively won on the Offensive and Defensive lines, which is what makes this week's showdown with Illini West so potentially telling for the Saukees. We suspect that the PGP Offensive Line is excellent and that the Saukee Defensive Line is very solid. How those units handle the size and speed of the Chargers front lines will either confirm or deny our suspicions. There is no question that PGP has the kind of bullets to win this game; but until the Saukees prove they can rise to this level of challenge for the first time, there are still questions as to just how legitimately good PGP is now and can be down the road. A victory this size would be a game changer for the entire PGP program and the kids themselves are relishing the opportunity to garner the kind of respect and hype their opponents generate every year.

7. SOUTH SHELBY (5-1)

Last Week: 49-21 win over California

This Week: vs Macon

The Skinny: Forget the Pintos. As well as Rob Wilt's crew has played of late, the Cardinals might have been just successful against Jeff Tedford's crew last Friday. South sloughs off a somewhat sluggish first half in "The House that Geary Labuary built" to drop 35 second half points on the Red, White and Blue. Look, this California team is in coaching transition and a long ways from what the Pintos were back in the 1990's, but this was still an impressive road performance in a difficult environ. I have to pay a little respect here first to Justin Wilt. Long before this season started and anyone else was banging the drum, the South Shelby Tight End told me that Stefan Andress would be an elite level back in Tri State Football this year. I hear that about every transfer and every newcomer that rolls into every town in Tri State Football. This time, the prediction proved dead on. From a construct standpoint, I'd put South's offense right with Hannibal and Clark County in terms of attack diversity. With Andress and Shannon Hall bringing an element of suddenness to the running game, Rob Wilt is left with an infinite number of ways to attack. Matthew Schuman can cut you between the tackles. Hall and Andress to the outside. Justin Wilt is the best option in Tri State Football in the short passing game. Mitch Greenwell gives the Cardinals a vertical threat. This is a team that can attack you at every level of the defense and that is very impressive. I am also impressed that all of the Cardinals good works of late have come in hostile climates. These guys have not been on their home digs since Opening Night. The reward in that is that the Cardinals will play three straight, including their pivotal district contests with Monroe City and Palmyra at home. South has also made great strides defensively since the Jamboree and Matt Patterson is as good a cover man as exists in Tri State Football right now. It will fun to watch these guys tangle with Jonathon Nutt and Shawn Maloney over the next few weeks. But for now, the focus is arch rival Macon in front of the home fans Friday Night. What a treat for Shelby County.

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THE NEXT LEVEL

8. ROUTT

Barry Creviston's crew worked out its Triopia loss frustrations on ISD with a very nice quarterback cameo from super sub Tyler Schmidt (3 of 4, 110 yards, 2 TD) and a pair of 100 yard rushing efforts from Tim Denney and Michael Tonry.

9. BOWLING GREEN

Strength of schedule, for those of you who have asked, is what is keeping Bowling Green off the state rankings radar. Quietly, Jimmy Tucker's Defense is really finding its own with Brandon Brown (7.5 tackles, 7 assists, and 2 TFL vs Orchard Farm) and Huntley Leverenz heading up the charge. Both Leverenz and Cody Spegal hit right at the 100 yard receiving mark this week as well.

10. MONROE CITY

Jordan Holland jumps in to the Panther backfield and provides 104 rushing yards and touchdown in support of Shawn Maloney's monster night. Did not see defensive stats from Friday night but according to our friends at MOSports.com, Joe Chinn is leading the state of Missouri with six interceptions right now. Wow.

11. BROWN COUNTY

Best two loss Class 1A team in the state of Illinois. Hornets defensive effort against Triopia was one of the year's best, marred only be BC's Offensive giveaways. Still, the Hornets inability to establish an effective ground game against good foes is a bit troubling.

12. BPCA

Spartans overtime thriller with Athens, punctuated by Logan Lovejoy's overtime touchdown, may go down as the game of the year. Trey Yocum is an absolute beast between the tackles (134 yards) and Lucas King had another return touchdown. Just imagine how good these guys might be if they stopped committing silly penalties.

13. MACOMB

Welcome Back Davis Hendrickson, who tallied 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just nine carries in his return to the Bomber fold.

14. SOUTH FULTON

Rebels rally from 26-8 third quarter deficit to beat Havana and improve to 4-2 on the year.

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YOUR WEEKEND PLANNER: Week Seven

Week two of the season was supposed to be the bench mark for great Tri State High School Football but I am not sure that this week won't trump it for marquee value. Granted, there are a lot of people who believe that Illini West/PGP could end up going the way of Jacksonville/SHG and thusly devalue this thing faster than my 401K. (Who needs a retirement nest egg anyway? I will just keep writing this column for you fine people until my aged, gnarled little fingers fall off) Still, with so many Illinois playoff fates potentially decided and Missouri teams getting in their last sparring before Districts, I am inclined to think that the top to bottom strength of this slate will rival anything we have seen yet this season.

THE BENTLEY IN THE GARAGE: RICHWOODS AT QND

If it is glitzy, high octane football you seek, seek your entertainments elsewhere. If you want to see a pair of the state's most fundamentally sound programs bludgeon each other for a Conference Championship, this is your ticket. Back in the preseason, the Peoria Journal Star bequeathed Mid-State Six Favorite status on QND, which could not have sat well with a Knights program that has won 30 straight conference games and five straight titles. Dave Lang's crew plays stingy defense, rarely makes mistakes, and more than anything, doesn't waste offensive possessions. The Knights are either scoring or moving the chains and eating up clock. That is a direct challenge to the Raiders defense which has been as good as any team in memory at getting off the field. The trick here for Bill Connell is to use his teams natural point of attack advantage (see also size, strength; Jimmy Holtschlag) to take Richwoods considerable running ability of the table. The trick here is to make quarterback Mike Davis have to beat you. He is a mobile kid and maybe on pure ability, the best signal caller the Raiders have seen since Kendall Hocker. He is also, however, relatively green and a kid that you would like to see put to the test with some serious pressure in his face. He has not had that yet and QND brings that kind of force to bear, especially with the quantum leap the Raiders Defensive Ends have made this season. Offensively, the Raider Offensive Line is playing at Max-Q with is going to give Shea Sibley plenty of chances to find a seam. He has become an excellent back in all facets fo the game and proved his big state worth against Woodruff. This is a bigger stage and the over/under on Sibley carries might be 27 this week. Past history aside, I actually think Richwoods is a better stylistic fit for QND then Woodruff was. The teams that scary me against the Raiders are the teams that have unbelievable athleticism. Richwoods is more of a mirror image of QND, but without extraordinarily special linemen like Jimmy Holtschlag, Dominic Pagliara and Zach Reichert. Richwoods draws its strength in the trenches on tenacity. QND's kids up front will match that with the same demeanor, but better physical assets. In that respect, I like the Raiders by ten.

THE FERRARI ON BLOCKS: ILLINI WEST AT PGP

I've watched far too many of these games over the years to not be a little weary of the ultimate value of this matchup. Pittsfield has brought very talented teams to the table before only to watch Jim Unruh's squads swat them away like they were some mid-level Bi-County Conference squad. There is enormous potential in this game, both for boom or for bust. That said, I remain cautiously optimistic that this will be a compelling head-to-head. Don Bigley's team is faster across the board than any we've seen in this pairing (and you ain't beating the Chargers this year unless your lineman on both sides of the ball can run) and there is a lot of legitimate confidence at play here on the PGP side. There is a lot of legitimate mental and physical toughness on this PGP roster this year, where in years past you might have only seen that from two or three top kids. The Saukees have dealt with some adversity (Porta game) and proven they can rise above, so I guess we shall see. On balance, I see Illini West as superior to PGP in every facet of Defense. The Saukees will present the best Offensive Line the Chargers have seen, but if Aledo could not handle the Chargers Defensive Front Five, the Saukees are going to have their hands full. PGP's hopes in attacking that defense hinge on balance. Clearly, Devon Johnson and Elijah Hoover are excellent runners, but Jordan Cawthon has to make the Chargers respect the passing game to allow the Saukees Backs a chance to do their thing. Truth be told, with Devon Johnson and Michael Johnson in the mix, PGP might have an edge here in skill position assets. The question remains will Don Bigley get the chane to exercise it?

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THE INFINITI ON LEASE

PLAINS AT BPCA

A WPT Southeast Title hangs in the balance as the Cardinals put their stunningly effective defense to the test against the sledgehammer that is BPCA. Call my cynical, but there isn't an impressive victim among Plains six wins (no team on the slate currently has a record over .500) and I am bewitched by the Spartans ability to pound the football at people with Yocum and the glamour backs. Those losses to PGP and Illini West pay off huge this week for John McCormick and I think the Spartans take the strap.

MACON AT SOUTH SHELBY

We are just giddy to see the Cardinals again after six weeks. For all of its youth, Macon has had some big game moments (see also Kirksville) and the natural rivalry that flows here should at least make this fun...for two quarters.

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THE TAURUS THAT IS PAID FOR

CLARK COUNTY AT NORTH SHELBY

If only this had happened three weeks ago. The ability to suspend our disbelief would at least be a little easier. The intrigue here is whether or not with Daniel Jones and Josh McEwen, North can snap a five week run of Indian shutouts. Hang in their Raiders, life gets infinitely better next week with three very winnable district games.

FORT MADISON AT KEOKUK

Todd McGhghy comes home to the Gate City in the hope of giving his rebuild a boost. The Hounds skipper will paint this thing like a playoff game for his troops and I think we see a far more interesting contest than you would imagine. It doesn't mean anyone is stopping Aaron Zetterlund, but at least it will be fun.

ROCK ISLAND AT QUINCY HIGH

One more loss kills the Blue Devils playoff hopes. Top ranked Rocky visits Friday. Rick Little might be wise to show his troops the Buster Douglas/Mike Tyson highlight tape this week.

KNOX COUNTY AT MILAN

John Dabney has Milan on the rise and an opportunity to torment his former employer.

CSE AT HAVANA

The Panthers must win on the road or kiss all playoff hopes goodbye

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FEARLESS DUERR PREDICTIONS

VAN-FAR 6

BOWLING GREEN 41

CLARK COUNTY 48

NORTH SHELBY 12

HANNIBAL 44

MEXICO 7

LOUISIANA 13

MARK TWAIN 31

MACON 16

SOUTH SHELBY 38

CENTRALIA 49

PALMYRA 28

PARIS 18

SALISBURY 0

BROOKFIELD 28

SCOTLAND CO. 0

MONROE CITY 34

HIGHLAND 21

KNOX COUNTY 13

MILAN 27

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Iowa

FORT MADISON 12

KEOKUK 32

HARMONY                40

MAROVIA                    6

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Illinois

PORTA 20

BEARDSTOWN 17

BROWN COUNTY 40

VIRGINIA/AC CENTRAL 0

PLAINS 28

BPCA 35

CSE 18

HAVANA 27

ILLINI WEST 35

PGP 20

JACKSONVILLE 38

SOUTHEAST 10

MACOMB 30

ROCKRIDGE 0

PLEASANT HILL 16

BUNKER HILL 6

ROCK ISLAND 35

QUINCY HIGH 12

RICHWOODS 14

QND 24

ROUTT 49

WEST CENTRAL 7

R/I 12

WEST HANCOCK 24

TRIOPIA 44

ISD 0

WEST PRAIRIE 18

UNITY 8

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RANDOM MUSINGS

Congratulations to Concord Triopia alum Alex "Spotty" Beard, who was named the MSFA-Midwest Division Special Teams Player of the Week for his two field goals and two PATs in the win over McKendree. Hawk Linebacker Dustin Keevan was also so honored as the Division's

best defender the an upset victory. Let's put that Hawk win in perspective here. Beating McKendree, the standard bearer in the Midwest, allows the Hawks to open the League slate with legitimized designs on chasing down a title. It signals that the Hawks have turned a corner and can (and likely will) play at the top of this division. It also makes Saturday's home date with Olivet Nazarene, also 1-0 to start the MSFA Midwest season, as crucial a game as the team has played in recent memory.

Fort Madison product Michael Jennings has been recognized with inclusion in the D3 Football Team of the Week for his 222 yard receiving effort against Lawrence. Jennings finished the game with 12 receptions and midway through the season has 58 total catches, which has already shattered the previous Illinois College single season record of 57 receptions in a year.

Princeton Quarterback Brian Anderson (Jacksonville High) had 237 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the Tigers 27-24 win last weekend over Columbia.

The third ranked Hannibal LaGrange Trojan Mens Soccer squad surrendered its first goal and first loss of the season Wednesday in a 2-1 defeat at home at the hands of Illinois-Springfield.

Still kicking myself for pulling my Beardstown over Rushville/Industry pick off the board last week. Aaron Elmore's first indoctrination into the Tri States nastiest football rivalry was a successful one as Quarterback Cole Carlock had his best game under center with 5 of 9 passing for over 100 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Again, there is still a lot of work to be done changing the culture of Tiger Football, but there have been some incredibly positive signs out of Beardstown this season in the manner in which this program no executes its business on the field. The Tigers have two of the most intriguing prospects in Tri State Football waiting in the 7th and 8th grade levels and a nice foundation is being built for when they arrive.

I found it amusing this week that so many QND Football fans wanted to text message me or e-mail with the result of their 42-0 junior varsity win over Clark County, as though that provided some clear evidence that the Raiders Varsity team was superior to this year's Clark County varsity squad. I wish you would have provided a Pop Warner score from the Quincy YMCA Redskins win over Keokuk's crew last season as well as proof you could have beaten James Vandenberg and friends at the varsity level. Come on, kids. I love the football myopia. QND is great but all you dismissing Clark County as being too "small school" tend to forget that Par Pitts bested a number of really good QND teams with far less overall talent than Matt Smith has at Clark County right now. And Matt Smith spent the last three years besting Par Pitts head to head. When QND beats a team with a legit passing offense that at least approximates what Clark County can do with the spread, lets talk. Styles, after all, make fights (and that is not even factoring for Javis Vineyard, who has Adrian Smith game-breaking ability) When the best quarterback on your victims list is a dressed up wide receiver (Justin Chapai) I am not buying the argument. Ask any neutral observer who has actually seen both Clark County and QND (I know, they are hard to find in the local media) and they will gladly tell you that it would be a very tightly contested game. But by all means, keep the texts coming. I am very excited to know the QND JV squad is doing so well.

With Jonathon Nutt back on the field, don't be surprised to see Adam Wright emerge as a nightly 100-150 yard threat for Palmyra. Now that opponents must respect the Panthers vertical passing game, the brusing Wright will get far less congested running lanes in which to work.

Don't write off all of Southeast Iowa's playoff hopes just yet. Farmington Harmony could go to 4-3 this week with a win over winless Marovia in Iowa Eight Man Football and the Rockets control their own destiny in the District Playoff picture.

Conditions at Spencer T. Olin Golf Course on Tuesday could not have been less conducive to a Regional Golf setting but the Quincy High Blue Devils gritted it out to earn a berth in the Pekin Sectional on Monday. It rained so hard at one point that a small lake formed on the third green. Tom Castillo may have been the unsung hero of the day, rallying after a frustrating front nine to level his score off at 82 and give the Blue Devils a credible third score. Mike Davis and Nick Burry came up big as well an 83 and 84 respectively off the back end of the roster to help QHS finish a respectable 2nd. With better weather on Monday, QHS should get a better shot at Regional Champion Edwardsville. Parker Freiburg and Connor "Big Tournament" Daniels led the charge with a second and fourth place finish respectively.

Don't be stunned if the Macomb golf squad makes a run in the postseason. Gary Saunders crew has plenty of depth, getting a 77 in the regional from senior Eric Mutch, who was technically playing 4th for the Bombers at the Macomb Country Club on Wednesday. Macomb posted a 29 point win over second place Central and really did not get a banner day from Shawn Lotz or Matt Sullivan, who are both pretty solid. Instead, it was the young guns who helped bridge the gap with sophomores Tyler Thorman and Brady Dakin posting an 84 and 80 respectively. Macomb has a ton of balance. And to be honest, youth was served overall at the MCC. Central qualified for its own sectional with with just two seniors and Freshman Alex Walter leading the way. Individual qualifiers included Rushville/Industry junior Tyler Barr, who finished second with an 80, and youngsters Mac Schlicher of West Hancock, Evan McGaughey of Illini West, Corey Roseberry of Pittsfield and Patrick Rothert of Illini West (who had a wonderful sand save on 16 that did not make the 10 pm newscast on Wednesday due to time constraints) all punching sectional tickets as sophomores and freshman. And the Macomb Country Club's difficult layout certainly certifies these players as gentlemen who can handle the postseason jitters.

The week's most pleasant surprise found the Quincy Blue Devil Girls Golf Team punching a Sectional Ticket this week at the loaded Belleville East Regional. Sophomore Amanda Burke set a wonderful standard by firing an 83 to help power the Blue Devils off to Mascoutah next week. Also kudos to Southeastern's Alexis Slater, the medalist at the 1A girls regional in Camp Point and the only player in the field to break triple digits on a rough layout.

After some early growing pains, the QND Volleyball team is stirring to life. The Lady Raiders bested a very credible Jacksonville squad on Monday and rallied from a 24-17 deficit in game one against Southeastern to pull of a 2-0 win over the Lady Suns at home. QND may never be the cleanest passing team in Tri State spikes but the Raiders don't lack for girls who can put the ball away. Lexi Frese was the star on Tuesday with 10 kills.

The Volley for the Cure fundraisers have been incredibly classy. We took in Payson Seymour vs Pittsfield  on Tuesday and while the pink uniforms take some adjustment calling highlights, it was a wonderful show of solidarity by the girls from both schools in supporting Breast Cancer Research.