FOOTBALL: Baxter an All-Stater in 3A
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Du Quoin running back Seth Baxter has been named to the 2010 Illinois High School Football Coaches' Association All-State team for Class 3A.
A surprised Baxter said head coach Al Martin delivered the news to him during basketball practice last week.
"At first I was like, 'are you playing with me?" said Baxter, "and when he told me I made it, I was real excited."
As a senior, Baxter led the Indians to a quarterfinal appearance in this year's IHSA Class 3A state playoffs, rushing for 1,490 yards and 15 touchdowns during the season.
"I had a blast (in my career at DHS)," Baxter said. "I'm sad it's over but it was fun while it lasted. I'm going to miss playing football for Du Quoin."
Baxter is joined on the 3A all-state team by Nashville's David Gill (Sr., OL/LB) as representatives from the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference, Mississippi Division.
The complete list of honorees from Class 3A:
Willie Allen (Sr.), WR, Hales Franciscan; Phillip Arnold (Sr.), RB/LB, Pana; Jeremy Bailey (Sr.), RB, Wilmington; Seth Baxter (Sr.), RB, DuQuoin; Jake Bock (Sr.), TB, St. Joseph-Ogden; Dylan Bone (Sr.), LB, Greenville; Jacob Buehne (Jr.), OL/DE, Breese Central; Jack Carlisle (Sr.), OL/LB, Illini West; Jacob Conley (Sr.), LB, Camp Point Cen.-Southeast Coop; Tanner Crum (Sr.), OL/DL, Mt. Carmel; Mitch Curry (Sr.), OL, Unity; David Gill (Sr.), OL/LB, Nashville; Seth Gooch (Sr.), WR/DB, Unity; Bruce Gray (Sr.), WR, Leo; Josh Griffin (Sr.), DL, Paris; Sam Miller (Sr.), LB, Aurora Christian; Matthew Miller (Sr.), OL/DL, North MAC; Ser Whitaker (Sr.), RB/DB, Illini West.
Other southern Illinois winners were (2A) Taylor Kirkman (Jr.), FB/LB, Johnston City and (1A) Danny Roth (Sr.), LB, Chester.
All players honored were invited to this weekend's state finals in Champaign, where presentation ceremonies will be held for each class.