District 300 to retire Nick Hill both jerseys

The Du Quoin Board of Education Thursday voted to retire the high school Number 35 basketball jersey and the Number 17 football jersey of Nick Hall, recently named head football coach of the SIU-C Salukis.

The request came from alum Monte Kuhnert, who shares the distinction of having scored more than 2,000 points during his high school career with only two others--Alan Crews and Hill. Kuhnert presented the request during the opening public comment section of the Thursday night 6:30 p.m. board meeting. It was unanimously approved.

The honor is well-placed.

Nick graduated from Du Quoin High School in 2003.

He was a three-year starter in football and played basketball, as well.

As a junior, he was a first-team All-State selection in basketball, averaging 26.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. As a senior, he was a first-team All-State selection again after averaging 22.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.0 steals.

His senior year he helped DHS to a 28-5 overall mark and finished eighth in the state's Mr. Basketball voting. He was a first-team IBCA all-state selection and second-team AP all-state choice having ended his high school career scoring over 2,000 points.

In football, he was a first-team All-State and first-team All-Conference selection after passing for 1,451 yards, 19 touchdowns and one interception, and also rushing for 543 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

He became the school's first 4,000-career yard passer in 35 years, the first since former major league pitcher Don Stanhouse in 1968.

Hill wore the No. 35 jersey through his DHS basketball career and wore No. 17 in football, a number that carried through to his career at Southern Illinois University.

At this writing the jerseys of five basketball all players have been retired: Alan Crews, Darrell Anders, Monte Kuhnert, Louis Baxter and now Nick Hill.