Fred Huff's lool at the hallowed and proud history of Du Quoin High School Football

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Du Quoin's 1961 season which resulted in an 8-2 record highlighted the first half of the decade although it could hardly compare to the closing three years -- 1967, 1968 and 1969 -- when the Indians won 26 of 30 games.

Paul Restivo's fourth season in '61 was the most successful of his overall five-year tenure in which his teams won 28, lost just 14 and tied four.

The Indians' only losses in his big year were to Jackson County opponents -- Murphysboro and Carbondale -- as they were led by a half-dozen or more individual standouts including Bob Conte, Tom Marek, Chuck Poiter, Tom Cook, Chuck Koerner, Charles Scott, Ron Maguire and Donn Parker

Du Quoin's 34-6 win at Pinckneyville even allowed Restivo to provide Scott, a 5-11, 289-pound center, with his highlight moment as a prep. Scott moved to the backfield and scored Du Quoin's 34th point on a line plunge.

The Panthers, however, gained some revenge for that plus the humiliating 68-6 loss of several years earlier, when they blasted Du Quoin 65-12 in 1963 when the Indians were struggling to a 1-7-1 finish.

The middle years in the sixties were highlighted by Du Quoin's first truly successful quarterback. Successful in the way of impressive statistics.

In 1964 Gary Malone completed 61 of 127 passes for 753 yards and nearly duplicated the feat the following season when he hit on 54 of 128 for 743 yards. George Foster was his principal target the first year while Jim Bailey replaced him in 1965 when Willie Anders balanced the offense by rushing for 14 touchdowns.

Then it happened . . . or at least in our opinion 1966 was the beginning.

In our book on Du Quoin's football history we open that season's review by writing, "Mark the season . . . 1966. The 1966 season was the start of Du Quoin's football dynasty."

Don Anderson, a guy we described as a "who's he" replacement for Chuck Keene, guided the Indians to a 6-3 season and followed up the following season with a 9-1 record.

Only three sub-.500 seasons would follow in Du Quoin's football history.

Admittedly in Anderson's first year he was blessed with a large group of returning lettermen. He had a standout ball-carrier in Larry Britton who became just the second Du Quoin player ever to win the conference individual scoring title. He did it by scoring 57 points in league games when the Indians scored only 92 points while finishing third with a 3-3 record.

Another "happening" that season was that a sophomore by the name of Don Stanhouse was shifted from an end position to quarterback. It proved to be a worthwhile switch.

The following year, 1967, Du Quoin rolled to a 9-1 season, a conference championship and laurels galore. Only a 7-0 loss to Johnston City prevented the Indians from an undefeated season.

However, it was in the immediate future as first-year coach Bob Karnes guided Du Quoin to just that -- and unbeaten season -- in 1968 behind the leadership of Stanhouse and the superb support of other individual standouts like Mike Pullis, John DeMarie, Dave Martin, Al Porter, Sidney Jefferson, Mike Downs and others.

As previously stated, it was the start and the 1970s will follow next week.

EDITORS NOTE: This is the latest in a 10-part series previewing a soon-to-be-published book on Du Quoin High School's football history. It will be available three weeks after Du Quoin's final game of the 2009 season.