Hall of Fame Inductee - Jim Bruce

1983 QHS graduate, Boys Soccer

The defensive anchor of one of the highest-ranked Quincy High School boys soccer teams in program history, Jim Bruce owns a unique distinction. He is the only QHS goalkeeper to receive all-state honors. The Blue Devils spent the entire 1982 season ranked in the top 10 in the Illinois Soccer Coaches Association state poll, reaching as high as No. 2. They were salty defensively, posting eight shutouts and allowing just 22 goals in a 14-6-2 campaign. Quincy won 12 of its first 15 games and beat Quincy Notre Dame in the regional. A loss to Springfield Lanphier in the sectional ended the season. Bruce, who was joined on the allstate team by Jim Sandercock and Roger Wilson, was a three-year starter at keeper, compiling a 43-16- 4 record with 28 shutouts. He earned a scholarship to Quincy College, where in 1984 he was named first-team All-Illinois goalkeeper. In 1986, Bruce played in the Senior Bowl Indoor All-Star game, and following his senior season, he had tryouts with Partick Thistle, a First Division team in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Wichita Wings of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Bruce is a member of the Quincy Fire Department and serves as lieutenant on Engine 5. He and his wife, Deborah, were married in 2003, and he has two daughters — 14-year-old Chelsea and 10-year-old Madison — who Bruce says he is very proud of.

Acceptance Speech

“To this day, I am always proud to say that I played for the Quincy Blue Devils. Being elected to the QHS Hall of Fame is such an honor, considering all the great soccer players that played at QHS before and after me. I would like to thank my two coaches from QHS — Dick Stewart and George Nelson. Besides coaching us in soccer, they also taught us to be responsible young adults. Thank you to my coaches at Quincy College — Jack Mackenzie, Elias Manassah and the late Frank Longo. Thank you to my first soccer coach — the late Bill Hickle. He was the person that talked me into playing soccer for QHS. I hope I made him proud. A big thanks to my mom for all the thousands of miles she drove going to practices and games and waching all those dirty uniforms. And thank you to the Hall of Fame committee, this truly is a wonderful honor.”