Quincy Senior High School
Encyclopedia
History
The third Quincy Senior High opened at 30th and Maine in 1957. Enrollment again started to climb in the Quincy Schools and another building would be needed. It was decided to construct a second high school to the east of the current high school (the site of the former Gem City Drive In). The new school was named Quincy Senior High II and would house students in grades 11 and 12. The current high school would then house grades 9 & 10 and be renamed Senior High I, and the junior high would include just seventh and eighth graders. All of these changes happened in 1973. In the 1980s, the district experienced several finance problems and an enrollment decline. Because of this, the entire district was reorganized. Senior High I closed in 1982. Tenth grade was moved to Senior High II and ninth grade was moved back to Quincy Junior High. Senior High I was converted into Baldwin Intermediate School for grades 4-6 .
Sports programs
Quincy Senior High School participates in the Illinois High School AssociationIllinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
and is a member of the Western Big 6 Conference
Western Big 6 Conference
The Western Big 6 Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association...
..
Basketball
HistoryQuincy, in a 2004 statistical report, was the fourth-winningest high school basketball program in the country, with 1,809 wins since its first game on December 23, 1907 .
Quincy holds some Illinois state records, including state tournament appearances (29), regional titles (57), sectional titles (30), state tournament games won (44), tournament games lost (30), tournament games played (74), and state trophies won (13) . The Blue Devils have claimed two Illinois state championships in their history. The first was in 1934, capping off a 31-2 season with a 39-27 victory over Thornton High School in the championship. The second championship came in 1981. The Blue Devils were led by future Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
standout Michael Payne and Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
legend Bruce Douglas
Bruce Douglas (basketball)
Bruce Douglas is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'3" guard, he played varsity basketball for Quincy Senior High School four years, and was a four-year starter at the University of Illinois...
. The Devils compiled an astounding 33-0 record, winning their final four state tournament games by a staggering average of 28.25 points. The Blue Devils were also named the National Champions of high school basketball by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
that year. The Blue Devils didn't lose again until the state semifinal game in 1982, compiling a 64-game winning streak, which was a record at the time.
Tradition
On Friday and Saturday nights during basketball season, thousands of Gem City Citizens flock to Blue Devil Gymnasium in Baldwin School to watch the games. Quincy's pregame ritual makes it one of the better places to play in the state of Illinois. Before the national anthem, all the lights in the gym are turned off. The visiting team's lineup is announced with a single light illuminating their team. After the fifth starter is announced, that light is extinguished, and the pep band begins to play an ominous medley of the theme from The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
and Maynard Ferguson's
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
"Conquistador." Then, a student clad in blue shorts, a blue cape, and blue devil horns, emerges from the locker room carrying a flaming trident. He runs around the perimeter of the court, inciting loud cheers from the crowd. The devil stands at mid-court while the starting lineup is announced. As he goes back to the locker room, the lights are turned back on, and the players are ready for the opening tip-off.
Recently, Quincy Herald-Whig sportswriter Matt Schuckman authored a book entitled "Stand Up and Cheer: A Century of Blue Devil Basketball," chronicling the history of the program.
Newspaper
The school's student newspaper is a monthly publication known as The Q-Review. The Q-Review is completely student-run, with the help of a faculty advisor.Art
The many artists of QHS showcase their displays many times during the year. Various works of art can be seen throughout the lobby of A Building, in front of the auditorium.Theatre
The QHS Theatre Department presents 2 plays each year in the winter and spring. The Theatre Department combines with the Music Department to present a Fall Musical, Winter Play, Spring Play, and a Spring Variety Show entitled "New Faces" which has been presented since 1955. Quincy Senior High offers drama classes to all QHS students.Notable alumni
- Bruce DouglasBruce Douglas (basketball)Bruce Douglas is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'3" guard, he played varsity basketball for Quincy Senior High School four years, and was a four-year starter at the University of Illinois...