FOOTBALL: Indians get back on track in Sparta
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Du Quoin had no problems extending a ten-year-plus streak of not losing consecutive games on Friday night in Sparta, manhandling the Bulldogs 56-0 with the clock running continuously the entire second half and most of the second quarter.
Trevon Jones scored three touchdowns (6 carries, 21 yards) and Antoinio "Buddy" Smith rushed 8 times for 117 yards to become the first Indian over the century mark in 2011.
Sam Gossett was 4-for-6 passing for 65 yards and a touchdown pass to Brandon Williams, who also scored on a 4-yard run in the second quarter with 8:19 to go in the half to get the clock moving for good at 42-0.
The Bulldogs got nothing against the first-team Du Quoin defense, finishing the first half with -2 yards rushing while going 0-for-2 on pass attempts. Sparta wound up with 58 yards on 28 carries and 34 passing yards on 2-of-7 throws.
The Indians played turnover-free while forcing three by the Bulldogs. John Galik returned an interception down to the one-yard line late in the first quarter to set up one of Jones' touchdown runs.
Daulton Donoghue led Du Quoin in receiving with 2 catches for 30 yards, Williams (1-29, TD) and Austin Mansker (1-6) hauled in the other two Gossett completions.
Du Quoin racked up 308 total rushing yards on their 35 attempts, scoring seven touchdowns on the ground. Jones, Williams, Smith, Haeden Sweetin and Nate Boss all found the end zone in Friday's rout.
Sweetin (8 carries, 75 yards), Boss (6-24), Williams (3-23), Jonah Spencer (1-20), Deeja Cole (1-13) and Austin Pinski (1-15) carried the load behind Smith's big effort.
Brenden Fred was six-for-six on point-after attempts in addition to playing a relief role for Gossett late in the game at quarterback.
The Indians (3-2, 1-1) are now part of a four-way tie for second place in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division after week five, trailing first place Nashville (3-2, 2-0) by a game.
Du Quoin is at Carterville (2-3, 1-1) in week six while Pinckneyville (3-2, 1-1), another team tied at 1-1, hosts Nashville. Anna-Jonesboro (4-1, 1-1) meets Sparta (0-5, 0-2) after their loss to the Panthers in week four.
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