Coach Al Martin Coaching Children of Champions

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[When Du Quoin Indian football coach Al Martin and Scott Baxter meet fieldside, nobody has to say a word. Behind the quick smiles are the unspoken remembrances of one of the two greatest football seasons in Indian football history--the 1988 IHSA Class 3A state championship.

Martin was the coach. Baxter was the Indians' quarterback and free safety.

Martin had coached Scott three years earlier as a freshman and that team went 8-0. Martin left Du Quoin to work in the Carbondale school district and returned as head coach in time to coach Scott as a senior. That state championship team would go 14-0, allowing Scott to end his career unbeaten (22-0) under Martin.

It doesn't get any better than that.

Twenty-one years later, Martin takes Du Quoin into its 26th consecutive playoff season with Scott's son, Seth--a junior--standing tall on Du Quoin's roster as a running back.

Seth goes into Saturday's Round II playoff game with six touchdowns to his credit. He's also a key member os Du Quoin's specialty kickoff and punt teams.

"Everything was there on that 1988 team," Scott remembers. "Coach Martin has the ability to turn non-athletes into champions," he says. "Talking about it never gets old," says Scott. "I am thankful."

"I look at Seth and he's a better athlete at his age today than I was at my age back in 1988," he says. "It was evident early that Seth was going to be a good athlete," Scott says with a great deal of pride.

For Scott, he borrows from singer Toby Keith's anthem "I may not be as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was."

And, it shows in the family's Saturday morning games of one-on-one. "It's a workout. When we're done, I'm sore and I'm beat," Scott smiles.

"Seth's turning into an alpha male," Scott laughs.

And, the Baxter gene pool is fully intact for three or four more seasons on an Indian roster. Seth is only a junior and Seth's brother, Shayne, is only a freshman.

Scott and wife Beverly also have a daughter, Sydnee.

In a couple of years you'll be able to stand all three--Scott, Seth and Shayne-- side-by side and lay a yardstick across their heads--perfectly level.

The Baxters have a way of leveling the playing field, as well, against even the toughest of opponents.

That mindset began with the Baxters in that 1988 state championship game and ended during the 2 a.m. celebration in what is now Anders Gymnasium when the team returned as heroes.

Martin and Baxter's team polished off a 14-0 season by beating Herscher 25-13 in the championship game Friday, November 25.

That day, Martin had gotten all the offense he needed from halfback Gonnie Morgan and quarterback Scott Baxter. Morgan scored a pair of touchdowns. Baxter had rushed for 112 yards and scored once.

That same class had been unbeaten as freshmen. Fans had told the freshmen three years earlier they'd be at state. And, they were. On Saturday, Du Quoin heads into the second round of playoffs against Tolono Unity High School outside Champaign. The kickoff is at 1 p.m.

In 1988, Herscher had been behind 12-0 at the half then scored early in the third quarter on a 22-yard pass from Daryl Connor to Chris Bisaillon. The pass brought the Tigers to within 12-7 of Du Quoin with 9:23 left in the third. The seven play drive would cover 61 yards.

Du Quoin answered on the following possession with a 20-yard pass from Baxter to Morgan to the Herscher seven. After a 13-yard rushing gain by Morgan, the halfback slammed into the end zone from the Herscher four and Du Quoin led 19-7. The TD, with 6:49 left in the third, capped a seven-play, 52-yard drive.

The O'Connor-Bisaillon connection came through again in the fourth quarter. O'connor hit the split end on a 53-yard TD toss with 10:07 left in the game to make the score 19-12. The point-after attempt failed.

Baxter and the Indians came roaring back in the next series. The Indians constructed a seven-play 55-yard drive that ended when Morgan scored from the Herscher 5 to make the score 25-13. The Indians' two-point conversion attempt failed.

All told--in rushing, Gonnie Morgan would have 16 carries for 90 yards. Scott Baxter would have 17 carries for 108 yards. Sid Boyett would have eight carries for 73 yards and Eric Green would have four carries for 51 yards..

Baxter started the scoring for the Indians with 6:38 left in the second quarter. He gave Du Quoin a 6-0 lead when he ran for 53 yards to cap the Indians' four-lay, 94-yard drive. Du Quoin's point-after attempt was bobbled by the holder. Du Quoin's Sid Boyett, a two-way starter, set himself up the end of the first half when he intercepted an O'Connor pass at the Du Quoin 29. Nine plays later, Boyett powered in to the end zone from 11 yards out with 50 seconds to go in the half. The entire drive covered 71 yards. The two-point conversion failed.

The night's biggest compliment came from Herscher coach john Wakey. "It seemed like they could turn it on whenever they wanted," he said. "Whenever they needed a score they got it. They did a great job."

Why should anything change on Saturday?

"If Saturday's game was on the moon, I'd be there," says Scott.

Good luck, Indians!