Du QUOIN ROLLS INTO ELITE EIGHT

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ The Du Quoin Indians advanced into the quarterfinal round of the IHSA Class 3A State Football Playoffs Saturday, rolling to an ultra-impressive 51-19 win over previously unbeaten Carterville.

Next up, the Indians (10-1) host undefeated Decatur St. Teresa (11-0). That contest will likely be played next Saturday. An official game time will be determined Monday.

Senior quarterback A.J. Hill passed for 257 yards and what's believed to be a DHS school record of six touchdowns in the rout. David Rose and Seth Flint each caught a pair of scoring passes. Dalton Morgan and Cale Bastien also had scoring receptions.

With the score deadlocked at 7-7 and just over two minutes remaining, Morgan blocked a punt out of the end zone to put the Indians ahead for good.

On the enusing free-kick, Marcus Clarry ran Jeremy Rasor's punt back 34 yards to the Cartervile 42. Hill then threw to a wide open Flint for an easy TD. Clarry then forced a fumble on Carterville's first offensive play and Matt Gossett recovered. Two plays later, Hill found Morgan across the middle for a 25-yard score as the lead stretched to 23-7.

In the final half, Hill's TD passes to Flint and David Rose covered , 25 and 29 yards. David Gayton's 21-yard accounted for the final Du Quoin score.

Gayton finished with 77 yards rushing. All totalled, Du Quoin rolled 456 yards against the Lions defense.

The Indians also forced five turnovers. Flint and Jamor Reed intercepted passes. Fumbles were recovered by Reed, Gossett and Bryce Hamburger.

Defensively, the Indians had five players with at least eight stops; Collin Jones, Gossett, Kyle Paxton, Morgan and Flint.

St. Teresa defeated Anna-Jonesboro 49-21 Saturday. Also in the southern bracket of 3A, Columbia blanked Pittsfield 28-0 and Greenville defeated Vandalia 28-10. Greenville visits Columbia next week.

A complete story on the DQ-Carterville game will appear on this site Monday.