Schuck’s Clipboard

It’s difficult to get an entire row of reporters or broadcasters to all utter the same phrase, but Sean Robinson did it.

During last Saturday’s Class 4A state quarterfinal game against Quincy Notre Dame, the Rochester senior quarterback had nearly every person in the press box at Rocket Booster Stadium using one simple word.

Wow.

As good as he was delivering the ball with pinpoint accuracy and eluding the rush on the select times the Raiders were able to pressure him, it wasn’t his athleticism that impressed people. Don’t get me wrong, the QB is athletic, quick and mobile.

More importantly, he’s poised. Robinson, who has verbally committed to Purdue and plans to sign with the Boilermakers during the February signing period, is comfortable in the pocket. He doesn’t get rattled. He doesn’t have any knee-jerk reactions. He’s in control at all times. He surveys the field, picks his spot and makes plays happen.

As I replayed bits and pieces of the Rockets’ 45-26 victory, I knew I had to put Robinson on the short list of the best high school football players I have covered since I started doing this on a full-time basis in 1993.

Where does he rank? Right near the top.

Who else does? Well, here you go …

Grant Wistrom, Webb City (Mo.)

In the 1993 state championship game against Columbia Rock Bridge, Wistrom played tight end and defensive end for the Cardinals and had one of those wide-eyed moments in the first half on offense. Taking the handoff on an end around, Wistrom outran the Bruins cornerback Skyler Graves down the sideline. Right then, it was easy to see why he was one of the most recruited players in the state. Wistrom went on to star at Nebraska and for the St. Louis Rams.

Corby Jones, Columbia (Mo.) Hickman

I actually covered Jones more during his college career for the University of Missouri, but watching him his senior season at Hickman was special, especially when I saw him throw a pass to Shaundale Coleman, a fleet-footed receiver, that carried more than 50 yards in the air. Jones was known more as an option quarterback, but his arm was as strong as any high school quarterback I’ve seen.

Trevor Frericks, Quincy Notre Dame

Frericks is wrapping up his career at Eastern Illinois University this fall, but he earned his spot with similar qualities as two others on this list. He’s was surprisingly quick and bullishly strong. He dominated games up front, too quick for big burly tackles and too strong for undersized guards and centers. His quickness off the ball allowed him to be in attack mode before offensive linemen sometimes got a hand on him.

Justin Smith, Jefferson City (Mo.)

One of the most respected and most successful programs in Missouri produced one of the finest defensive linemen in Mizzou history. But before he played for the Tigers and was selected as the fourth pick in the NFL Draft by the Bengals, Smith overwhelmed offensive linemen with speed and strength. He was truly a man among boys playing for the Jays.

It’s been five years since the Quincy Notre Dame football team last walked onto the field at Rochester’s Rocket Booster Stadium and left a lasting impression.

QND’s 47-0 victory was filled with spine-tingling hits, some harsh words and plenty of ill feelings.

Courtesy Illinois Helmet Project

A lot has changed since then. Specifically, the Rockets are now coached by Derek Leonard, the son of Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin coach Ken Leonard.

Success seems to run in the bloodlines. So does personality. I enjoyed my conversation, albeit somewhat brief because Leonard was teaching, when he had the chance to speak earlier this week. Leonard also joined WGEM SportsCenter on ESPN 1440 this week, breaking down what figures to be one of the top games in the state this week.

His presence, attitude and demeanor makes you believe this could be a healthy rivalry, not one with animosity like there was the last time these two teams met.

Even so, one thing hasn’t changed. These teams will knock heads and deliver crushing blows, just as you would expect from teams that pride themselves on physical play.

So for QND to advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 2004 — the same year is last played at Rochester — here are three keys to success:

1. Under pressure

Rochester quarterback Sean Robinson is legit in every respect. He has a big-time arm, mobile feet and the kind of savvy you would expect from a player headed to a Big Ten school. But how does he handle pressure? You would expect him to be cool and confident.

But can QND rattle him? That’s the Raiders’ hope. They want to knock Robinson off his game, forcing him to dust himself off and show he can take a hit as well as deliver one. The more pressure they put on him in the backfield, the more likely he is to make a mistake.

He hasn’t made many miscues, so it’s going to be tough to get him off his game. If the Raiders do, they gain an edge.

2. Be special, extra special

The last time these teams met in the playoffs, QND returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, something QND coach Bill Connell envisioned the entire week and even told his returner, Nick Paul, how they’d celebrate.

As far as I know, Connell hasn’t tried to be prophetic this time, but he has emphasized the need to make plays on special teams. Andrew Juette, Daniel Weiman and Brandon Ley all have the capabilities of taking a kick or punt and returning it deep into Rochester territory.

Plus, QND has a legitimate kicker, who hasn’t made a mistake yet this season. Blake Doane is 56 of 57 on PATs and 2 of 2 on field goals. If it’s a close game, he becomes the X-factor.

3. The full arsenal

QND has had a tendency to lock up offensively in the playoffs. The second against Breese Mater Dei in 2007. The second half against Bloomington Central Catholic last year. The second half against Effingham last week.

The Raiders have too much talent on offense to get complacent. If QND can get a lead, it needs to keep extending the lead, not sit on it and protect it. The spread offense QND has used this season is perfect for such a situation. It keeps multiple players involved, a defense back on its heels and can be effective either running or passing.

Using every available weapon will make QND effective for 48 minutes, something the coaching staff has stressed.

Although football continues to create headlines, basketball season is rapidly approaching. With high school teams on both sides of the river now practicing, I’ll offer some initial thoughts on teams I see in practice as we put together our annual prep basketball preview section, which will be published Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Today’s stop: Quincy High School boys basketball

Blue Devil Gym has a slightly new feel to it with new bleachers adorning the gym’s lower bowl. What hasn’t changed are the expectations of a team blessed with experience, talent and an understanding of the game.

Sean Taylor, now in his seventh season at QHS, looked as comfortable and calm as he’s ever been three practices into a season. Much of that has to do with the fact he isn’t teaching as much as he is refining with a group of eight players, most of whom are three-year varsity members.

And they all seem to be in impeccable shape. None better than Robert Gay, a 6-foot-3 senior, who has added a little mass to an already chiseled physique. His strengths have always been his leaping ability and athleticism, but the face he can muscle up in the post gives him an edge even when he gives up a couples inches in height.

This is a team that will score, but don’t expect it to light the nets on fire from 3-point range. Returning Zach Forbes and Alex VonderHaar, who are dynamite in transition and solid from the 15-foot range, the Blue Devils more than likely will bury teams with mid-range jumpers.

Isaiah Johnson and Mitch Marold are quick off the dribble and always look to attack the basket, while Nick Doellman is a space-eater inside who needs to do a better job of finishing. In practice is any indication, Doellman wants to control the block and give Quincy a physical presence inside.

Keep your eye on sophomore Michael Davis. He’s a raw kid with a huge upside as a power forward who could help the varsity in limited minutes as a rebounder and defender.

During a phone conversation Tuesday, I asked Rochester football coach Derek Leonard what impressed him most or what he liked the most about the Rockets. He pause, not just because there are so many things to like about his undefeated, top-ranked team.

The pause allowed him time to think and not give a cliched answer.

“They come prepared for every game,” said Leonard, now in his fifth season at Rochester. “No matter how big or small the opponent is, they are ready. You don’t have to motivate them too much. They play hard no matter what.”

Sounds a lot like another Leonard-coached team. And it should.

Derek Leonard is the son of Ken Leonard, the long-time Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin coach and member of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Ken Leonard has led SHG to state championships in three of the previous four seasons.

Since taking over the SHG program in 1988, Ken Leonard has won more than 240 games and led the Cyclones to the state quarterfinals nine times, including this season. SHG (11-0) is at Peoria Richwoods (10-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday, and Derek Leonard expects his father and the rest of his family should make it to Rochester by the second half.

To read more about the Leonards and their relationship, click here for a story written by Todd Engle of the Springfield State Journal-Register.

The Quincy Notre Dame football team will travel to Rochester for Saturday’s Class 4A state quarterfinal matchup with kickoff officially set for 4 p.m., QND head coach and athletic director Bill Connell confirmed Sunday afternoon.

This will be the Raiders’ third trip to Rochester for a playoff game.

In 2001, QND lost 13-6 in the Class 4A opening round when Rochester defensive back Chris Katzmark intercepted a D.J. Venvertloh pass at the goal line with two-tenths of a second remaining in regulation. Venvertloh had spotted Vy Nguyen open in the end zone, but Katzmark read the play for his second interception of the game. He also caught a 19-yard TD pass.

“The feeling on the sideline was we were going to score,” Connell said after that game. “That was the good feeling. Now that we’re sitting here, I can’t believe we didn’t score.”

In the second round of the 2004 playoffs, QND kickstarted a 47-0 rout of Rochester with an 85-yard game-opening kickoff return for a touchdown by Nick Paul. QND’s defense did the rest, limiting the Rockets to 17 yards rushing and creating five turnovers.

Luke Stamerjohn caught four passes for 90 yards, including TD receptions of 30 and 36 yards, in the Class 4A playoff victory over Effingham. (H-W Photo/Michael Kipley)

Hands team

Zach Marquess was in uniform and on the sideline Saturday, but the Quincy Notre Dame coaching staff planned to use the junior defensive end sparingly as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered last week against Harrisburg.

That meant finding a replacement for him on the kick return team.

They choose junior wide receiver Mark Grawe.

Good choice.

Effingham opened Saturday’s Class 4A second-round playoff game with an onside kick, catching most of the Raiders by surprise. Not Grawe. He stepped up, grabbed the bouncing ball and returned it to the Effingham 35-yard line.

The Raiders scored four plays later, setting the tone for a 35-0 victory that sends QND to the state quarterfinals for the second time in as many years and the fifth time in school history.

“That’s a heck of a play,” QND coach Bill Connell said. “He came up in there, caught that ball, wiggled and got us about 5 or 10 more yards. If he doesn’t go get it, it’s a 50-50 ball laying there. That set the tone.”

Tone setter II

After Kramer Barnes scored on an 11-yard run to put QND up 7-0 just 1 minute, 25 seconds into the game, it became the QND defense’s turn to deliver a message.

Few deliver it better than junior linebacker Ian Hinkamper.

On Effingham’s first play, the Flaming Hearts handed the ball to Kyle Garland, who was the wing back in motion. Hinkamper read the play, split a gap in the offensive line and drove Garland to the ground for a 7-yard loss.

“Those type of plays, that’s just getting the job done for us,” Connell said.

Tell me what to do

Effingham’s decision to minimize the effectiveness of QND’s running game gave Barnes plenty of options in the passing game. He tried to use them all, completing 11 of 19 passes for 165 yards.

“They were putting so many people in the box, they were giving you the pass,” Connell said. “When they are putting eight or nine guys in the box, they are telling you that you can throw the football.”

Barnes also completed two touchdown passes on seam routes to Luke Stamerjohn, connecting on a 30-yarder on second and 11 and then hitting him on a 36-yard on third and 10.

“Barnes did a good job of reading and finding out who the deep receiver was that would be open,” Connell said.

Doing their job

Barnes did not get sacked, let alone touched, while in the pocket. Only once did he have to throw a pass away, but he was out of the pocket and moving toward the sideline when he felt the pressure.

Why was he so secure? His bodyguards made sure of it.

The offensive line — left tackle Matt Hugenberg, left guard Connor Miller, center Dalton Emery, right guard Zach Reichert and right tackle James Aschemann — paved the way for another 300-yard effort as the Raiders finished with 309 total yards.

“If the offensive line doesn’t block the way they block, Barnes doesn’t stand back there and Barnes doesn’t make these plays,” Connell said.

The boxscore

Class 4A Second Round
QND 35, Effingham 0
EFF QND
7 First downs 16
34-71 Rushes-yards 36-122
46 Passing yards 187
117 Total yards 309
7-22-3 Comp-Att-Int 12-20-2
3-42 Penalties-yards 5-45
0-0 Fumbles-lost 3-2
Effingham 0 0 0 0—0
QND 21 14 0 0—35
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
Q—Kramer Barnes 11 run (Blake Doane kick), 10:35
Q—Ryan Terstriep 80 interception return (Doane kick), 5:56
Q—Luke Stamerjohn 30 pass from Barnes (Doane kick), 2:05
Second Quarter
Q—Stamerjohn 36 pass from Barnes (Doane kick), 8:24
Q—Daniel Weiman 20 run (Doane kick), 4:57
Individual Statistics
RUSHING—Effingham, Alex Steppe 12-43, Sean Dammerman 3-12, Jaron Allred 8-9, Ethan Fulk 5-8, Grant Johnson 2-3, Kyle Garland 4-(minus 4). QND, D. Weiman 13-79, Barnes 9-39, Ian Hinkamper 3-6, Nick Weiman 3-2, Terstriep 2-2, Stamerjohn 6-(minus 6).
PASSING—Effingham, Steppe 6-21-57-3, Allred 1-1-(minus 11)-0. QND, Barnes 11-19-165-2, Stamerjohn 1-1-22-0.
RECEIVING—Effingham, Jordan Tate 3-9, Brian Meyers 1-21, Brad Reedy 1-19, Johnson 1-8, Cole Morrow 1-(minus 11). QND, Stamerjohn 4-90, Quenton Keating 2-31, Brandon Ley 2-29, Anthony Bruns 2-23, Mark Grawe 1-17, Terstriep 1-7.

Quincy Notre Dame coach Bill Connell does a pretty darn good impression of Lou Holtz, selling his team short to anyone who will listen and making world-beaters out of the Raiders’ next opponent.

This time, Connell wasn’t blowing smoke.

Effingham’s only loss is to undefeated Mount Zion, a program knocked QND out in the first round of the 2004 playoffs. What strikes fear in Connell more is the Flaming Hearts’ ability to put the clamps on such teams as Breese Mater Dei and Belleville Althoff.

“Those are darn good football teams they beat,” Connell said.

It wasn’t by mistake.

“Just a good solid football team across the board,” Connell said of Effingham.

So is QND, which should make for an entertaining second-round playoff matchup at 2 p.m. Saturday at the QND field.

If the Raiders are to advance to the state quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, here are three keys to the game:

1. Precision

QND quarterback Kramer Barnes has been working overtime to regain his rhythm with his wide receivers. Last Saturday, in the 42-0 victory Harrisburg, he looked as good as ever, completing 7 of 11 passes for 151 yards. It’s imperative he keeps those connections with the way the Flaming Hearts pick off passes.

Effingham has returned five interceptions for touchdowns, including a pair that have gone for more than 100 yards by Cole Morrow.

“They do a very good job of finding the football,” Connell said.

2. Patience

QND cannot panic or get discouraged if the Effingham defense, which shut out its first five opponents and has allowed only two of its eight opponents to score more than eight points, puts the clamps on the Raiders early.

QND needs to stick to its gameplan, allow Barnes to spread the field and keep giving the ball to junior tailback Daniel Weiman. As the Raiders have proved over and over, eventually everything works. Although the sluggish moments have been rare, the Raiders have had to deal with fumbles and tough defenses before.

This team seems prepared for whatever is thrown at it, as long as it stays patient and doesn’t get discouraged.

3. Presence

Let the Flaming Hearts know they’re in for a battle immediately. That’s up to the QND defense. By staying aggressive, flocking to the ball and delivering big, bone-crunching hits, the Raiders can send the right message.

Effingham will want to set its own tone for the game, especially with its defense. If QND’s unit, which ranks among Illinois’ best in points allowed per game, can assert itself, the fans gathered at 10th and Jackson should settle in for an entertaining tug-o-war for field position.

QND’s defense hasn’t failed to show up for a game this season. Don’t expect the Raiders to back off now.

Several comments were made to an earlier post regarding questions of Quincy High School’s enrollment. I tried to give those who were curious all the answers I received from the school district and the Illinois High School Association.

However, what started as a point-counterpoint discussion ended with several comments being made that were distasteful. One even went as far as taunting other commentators. That won’t be tolerated and some comments were not approved.

The Herald-Whig has a policy for comments made to its blogs, and you can click on the link to this policy on the right side of this page.

The Herald-Whig welcomes comments to all of its blogs, and like many of the readers, I enjoy a good debate. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I offer mine through this blog, and I encourage you to offer your opinions and comments as you have been. Being able to agree and disagree keeps discussions lively.

Hopefully you continue reading and I continue to spark lively debate.

Just do everyone a favor and keep your comments in good taste.

One of the biggest challenges Saturday for the Quincy Notre Dame football team was to contain the speed Harrisburg brought out of the backfield.

Connor Miller met that challenge head on.

The junior defensive tackle racked up seven tackles, beat the Bulldogs’ line to the point of attack and helped the Raiders limit the Bulldogs to just 19 yards rushing in a 42-0 whitewashing in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs at QND.

“He’s 195 pounds full of muscle,” QND defensive tackle Zach Reichert said of MIller. “He’s a worker. … Hard work pays off eventually.”

MIller’s ability to beat his blocker off the snap was contagious.

“You’re like, ‘What can I do to help him out?’” Reichert said. “If he misses a tackle, I want to be right there to help him out.”

Field conditions

After both of the Raiders’ second-quarter touchdowns, they took a delay of game penalty on the conversion attempt to help kicker Blake Doane find solid footing. The extra 5 yards didn’t matter nearly as much as having a little bit of grass under his feet.

Doane made both PATs, but it left fans talking about the condition of the field.

“It was tough,” Reichert said of playing in a soggy mess. “But it could always be worse.”

Members of the football committee and players in both the freshman and sophomore classes spent a majority of Friday afternoon sucking water off the field and adding rubber chips to the field’s base where there were extremely muddy spots. It helped, but the affects of the overwhelming amounts of rain that doused the field lately couldn’t be completely overcome.

As Reichert left the field, he was caked in mud, including spatters all over his face.

“That’s OK,” he said. “It’s football.”

Pass of the year

Sophomore quarterback Evan Roush saw extensive playing time in the second half as many of QND’s starters were relegated to the bench, and he took advantage by making what might be considered the pass play of the year.

Facing third and 9 from the Harrisburg 28-yard line in the fourth quarter, Roush took the snap and floated toward the right sideline. He lost his footing and stumbled, eliminating the chance for him to get around the corner.

So, under defensive pressure, Roush flipped an underhand pass to tailback Nick Weiman, who rambled for 11 yards and the first down.

“That was a tricky pass,” QND starting quarterback Kramer Barnes said. “I barely even saw it come out of his hands because he was getting hit. All of a sudden, the receiver caught it. I’m like, ‘What in the world just happened?’ It was Brett Favre-esque.”

The Boxscore

Class 4A First Round
QND 42, Harrisburg 0
HAR        QND
5    First downs    19
16-19    Rushes-yards    35-252
66    Passing yards    162
85    Total yards    414
8-18-3    Comp-Att-Int    8-13-1
4-20    Penalties-yards    6-35
1-0    Fumbles-lost    2-1
Harrisburg    0    0    0    0—0
QND    21    14    7    0—42
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
Q—Anthony Bruns 30 pass from Kramer Barnes (Blake Doane kick), 9:56
Q—Daniel Weiman 11 run (Doane kick), 8:35
Q—Weiman 1 run (Doane kick), 2:51
Second Quarter
Q—Weiman 32 run (Doane kick), 10:45
Q—Barnes 14 run (Doane kick), 5:03
Third Quarter
Q—Luke Stamerjohn 50 run (Doane kick), 8:40
Individual Statistics
RUSHING—Harrisburg, John David Rollins 11-12, Dawson Montfort 2-7, Issac Behme 3-0. QND, D. Weiman 12-83, Barnes 6-65, Stamerjohn 3-61, Aaron Reiter 4-13, Ryan Terstriep 2-12, Zak Thompson 4-3, Nick Weiman 3-3, Ian Hinkamper 1-3, Conner McLaughlin 1-(minus 1).
PASSING—Harrisburg, Reid Roper 8-18-66-3. QND, Barnes 7-11-151-1, Evan Roush 1-1-11-0, Stamerjohn 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Harrisburg, Noah King 2-35, Rollins 2-7, Keelin Rasch 1-13, Behme 1-10, Austin Younger 1-2, Montfort 1-(minus 1). QND, Bruns 2-54, D. Weiman 2-14, Mark Grawe 1-48, Stamerjohn 1-25, Brandon Ley 1-10, N. Weiman 1-11.

The potential for distraction is high. So is the potential for some spectacular to happen. With that in mind, the Quincy High School football players weren’t going to let any shenanigans go on Friday night at the hotel to ruin their chances in today’s Class 6A first-round playoff matchup with Chicago Morgan Park.

Courtesy Illinois Helmet Project

“We’re here for business,” senior fullback D.J. Powell said. “We ain’t here for fun.”

There’s potential for fun if the Blue Devils pull off the upset. For Quincy (7-2) to potentially come home for a second-round game, a lot has to go right. Here are three keys that could determine if the season of dreams continues:

1. Churn, baby, churn

Morgan Park has an explosive offense, with lots of speed and lots of athletes. How do you control that? Keep them on the sideline. Quincy needs to have exhaustive drives, the kind that last six, seven, even eight minutes. If the Blue Devils can pick up 3 or 4 yards a play and methodically move the chains, they might just frustrate the Mustangs.

“It’s a good matchup from the standpoint what we do they may not like,” Little said. “They want the ball quick and we try to go on long drives. We’re not going to get into a toe-to-toe matchup and try to duke it out. We’re going to do what we do and try to hang onto the football as long as we can.”

2. Take away big plays

The Blue Devils have not been beaten by the big play this season, and it’s critical the defense continues to be sound and forces Morgan Park to beat it with a methodical drive. It’s a simple philosophy that has led to Quincy’s defensive success — everyone flows to the ball.

“It’s how we all try to get there, every hat on the ball every play,” said senior linebacker Reed Cox, who leads the Blue Devils with 78 tackles. “It’s about trying to beat the other guy there basically.”

3. Ignore the skeptics

At the end of practice Thursday, Little made a simple request. If you don’t believe, don’t make the trip. In essence, he wanted to find out if any of the Blue Devils were listening to the skeptics who think Morgan Park is an overwhelming favorite or those who say Quincy has the toughest first-round draw of any opponent. He found out the Blue Devils believe they are as good as advertised and can complete with a Chicago Public League team.

“We play to win,” Powell said. “We feel like we’re going to win every game. We haven;t gone into one game yet thinking we were going to lose. This isn’t any different. It’s a playoff game, but we have the same attitude.”