Fred Huff's look at the hallowed and proud history of Du Quoin High School Football
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[After Du Quoin football fans had few disappointments in the 1980s, particularly after Al Martin's first seasson when he violated all "Coaching 101" basics by leading the Indians to a perfect 14-0 season and a state championship.
However, difficult as it may seem, the next decade was even more sensational.
The Indians, who by now had established themselves as the most consistent high school football program in the "Deep South", won a staggering 104 of 124 games played during the 10-year span. And, included was another undefeated, 14-0, state championship.
Completing one of the finest four-year careers in Du Quoin's history, Jim Cravens led his 1990 teammates to a co-Southwestern Egyptian Conference title and an 8-1 regular season record before being surprised in their second-round playoff game by a solid Belleville Althoff team which went on to finish the year unbeaten and with a state title trophy.
Cravens was credited with 67 of Du Quoin's 268 points including an unusually large number of 19 PATs.
The following year Du Quoin was led by Robbie Eaton and Jason Karnes who formed perhaps one of the finest one-two tandems in the school's history.
Both were named to the SEC's all-star first team along with Pat Maguire, Carlton Doerner and Tony Goldman as the Indians finished with a 10-3 record.
Just a year later the Indians set a new single-season scoring record by rolling area scoreboards for 435 points. Again it was Eaton and Karnes, who along with Jared Reid and Dennis Phillips, were primarily responsible for the bulk of the tallies.
And, with strong support from Richard Swiney, Matt Hagston, Adam Hill, Donnie Laur and Matt Siefert, Du Quoin claimed its second state championship in just five years and with an identical 14-0 record.
A slightly new conference alignment -- Murphysboro moved out -- greeted the Indians in 1993, but the results were basically the same as Du Quoin added still another league trophy to its crowded gymnasium-lobby case. Hill and another Karnes, this one Jarrod, took over for graduated leaders and had much assistance from Jason James, Trent Waller and Cecil Jones, all first-team all-conference selections.
Big scores took over during the next three seasons as the Indians scored almost identical 417, 420 and 421 points in 1994, '95 and '96.
David Lanum was the major contributor in 1994 when he posted 120, just two touchdowns more than Karnes.
Mike Brown, a junior who had lettered as a soph, grabbed scoring honors the following season with 60 reported points, but had a lot of assistance from Jaret Willi (54), Joe Little (48), Zeb Martin (42), Ryan Summers (40) and Terrell Craig (30) who completed the balanced offense.
Even more important, Du Quoin came close to gaining its third state championship as it took a perfect 13-0 record into the title game before losing by a single touchdown to Spring Valley Hall.
Willi more than doubled his point production the following season when he collected 120 points and was a unanimous all-conference selection along with teammate Matt Scaglione.
Dylan Lipe, Devan Jones, Mike Riggio, Matt Morris, Wade Waller, Brian Reaves, Chad Reams, Mike McCrary and Bryan Johnson also gained first-team recognition as the Indians dominated.
Another Lanum, this one Jon, became Du Quoin's scoring leader in 1997 although he had to share top honors with Chris Elder as Du Quoin was forced to settle with a 10-3 record.
Lanum repeated in 1998 with 134 points, but the Indians slipped somewhat to a 7-3 record before returning to a more impressive 9-2 mark in 1999.
It was the finest decade in Du Quoin football history and is well documented, along with names of defensive standouts as well, in our soon to be published book.
EDITORS NOTE: This is the latest in a 10-part series previewing a soon-to-be-published book by Fred Huff on Du Quoin High School's football history. It will be available three weeks after Du Quoin's final game of the 2009 season.