FOOTBALL: Du Quoin beats Murphy, will host Johnston City in Round 1 of 2A Playoffs
The Indians came less than two minutes away from shutting out Murphysboro on Friday night, knocking off the Red Devils 19-8 as Du Quoin running back Shayne Baxter had his way with the opposition for 172 yards on 17 carries.
Then, on Saturday, the Indians learned that playoff football will be returning to Van Metre Field this weekend when Johnston City from the Black Diamond Conference visits in round one of the 2A bracket.
Listed at 418, Du Quoin High School will be the largest team as far as enrollment goes in the IHSA Class 2A Playoffs. It is the 28th post-season appearance for the Indians who have a school record of 63-25 all-time in playoff football.
Seeded eighth, DHS will meet BDC runner-up Johnston City (seeded ninth) in round one, likely this Saturday afternoon. Official game time will be released early this week. Should Du Quoin (7-2) handle Johnston City (7-2), a long bus trip likely awaits them in round two against unbeaten No. 1 seed Bismarck-Henning (9-0).
Other southern Illinois area teams appearing in the 2A bracket include Chester (#2), Belleville Althoff (#15) and Carmi-White County (#14).
Murphysboro hung around Friday's Senior Night contest for the Devils until the closing moments. Kane Wilson picked off Brenden Fred early in the fourth quarter, but the Red Devils couldn't make it past midfield down 13-0.
A turnover on downs set up Baxter's 42-yard touchdown run with 5:04 to play and assured the Indians of their seventh straight victory.
"We felt like that we blocked pretty well," said Du Quoin head coach Al Martin. "We told the kids that we felt like we could block their team and that's a big key - if you can get off the ball and block them up front. We had several kids blocking up front and they did a heck of a job."
Talented Murphy back Diamante Bradley managed to have a nice game with 24 carries for 143 yards, but for the most part the Indian defense was up to the challenge as they have been all season long. Du Quoin's defense finished the regular season with a points-allowed average of 12.7, helping account for an average margin of +18.1 points on the scoreboard.
"It's a total team effort, everyone has to play their responsibilities," Martin said. "I told the kids before the ball game to take care of your responsibility first and then if the ball is not coming your way, go hustle to help somebody else."
"This kid, Bradley, it takes a lot of kids to bring him down, he's a tough little high school running back. We had to get four or five people around the ball all the times."
Camden Youngman also had solid ground numbers for the Indians rushing 7 times for 50 yards. Fred added 3 attempts for 5 yards and completed 3-of-7 passes for 70 yards.
John Erwin (1-20), Jonah Spencer (1-23) and Baxter (1-27) hauled in completions.
Du Quoin heads into the playoffs relatively healthy. Although lineman Bryce Willi is recovering from appendicitis, center Landon Kern is closer to a return.
"We're still searching in the defensive line," Martin said. "We have the people to play there, but we don't want them to have to go both ways, offensively and defensively."
DHS is 6-2 all-time against Johnston City with the last meeting coming in 2005 when Du Quoin won 20-14 at Van Metre. Johnston City hasn't won in Du Quoin since 1945 and hasn't beaten the Indians since 1967.