Coach Waggoner joins elite group as Panthers beat rival Du Quoin

As if Pinckneyville ever needs extra motivation when they play cross-county rival Du Quoin in any sport - well, they had it on Tuesday when the Panthers gave Head Coach Bob Waggoner his 500th career victory as a head coach.

The hard-fought 52-40 victory came against a pesky Du Quoin team that kept the game close throughout; Pinckneyville only hit the 12-point final margin two other times in the game. The Indians were determined to improve on the 58-32 loss in February at Pinckneyville, and they would give the Panthers a different battle in Anders Gym.

After the game, Waggoner reflected on his 500th career win, saying he's been "blessed to have great players and assistant coaches through the years" and most importantly, to "having support at home from his wife, Lori."

Waggoner hits the 500-win milestone only days after Harrisburg Coach Randy Smithpeters also reached 500 wins. And Cobden's Wendell Wheeler just hit 400 wins.

In 25 years, Waggoner has coached at Oblong, Lawrenceville, Lebanon, Columbia and Pinckneyville high schools. Last year, he celebrated his 300th win as Pinckneyville coach, where he is also the athletic director.

On Tuesday, he thanked former Coach Dick Corn for giving him his start with the Panthers in 2007, and said he couldn't have done it without the support of the Pinckneyville community and parents - and the dedication from his players that Waggoner says has led to the consistent, competitive teams in the Panther tradition.

Clearly, on Tuesday, his players were determined to seal his 500th win on the night. Senior Ben Restoff started strong for the Panthers with six points in the 1st quarter; and junior Vaden Szczepanski scored two for Pinckneyville against Du Quoin's 3-2 zone defense. Junior Nile Adcock added five with two free throws and a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 13-8 Panther lead at the end of the first quarter.

Du Quoin senior Wade Roberson and junior Jaden Smith each scored four points for the Indians in the first quarter. The score was tied twice at 2 and 8, but Pinckneyville maintained the lead throughout the rest of the quarter.

Du Quoin scored first in the 2nd quarter to cut the lead to 13-10. Senior Ethan Morris nailed a 3-pointer after the mask/media timeout and added another field goal in the quarter. Roberson added another field goal to his total, and junior Maurice Washington battled inside for four points. Sophomore Xavier Baxter scored two for the Indians as they patiently worked against Pinckneyville's switching man-to-man defense.

Restoff again led the Panthers with five points on a 3-pointer and field goal. Senior Dré Scott scored two; his brother, sophomore Kellen Scott made a 3-pointer, and junior Trey Moll scored two for the Panthers. At halftime, Du Quoin had closed the gap but Pinckneyville still led, 25-21.

The Battle of Beaucoup continued in the third quarter as Du Quoin would tie the game at 25 and again at 30, but Pinckneyville would never trail in the quarter or the game. Roberson led the Indians with six points in the quarter; Morris had three, and Smith had two.

On the Panther side of the ball, Pinckneyville's two seniors took over the quarter with Restoff scoring four on two field goals, and Dré Scott matching those field goals - and adding 5 points on free throws. The Panthers worked hard to get the advantage in the paint. Kellen scored on a driving layup at the buzzer on a nifty assist from Vaden Szczepanski to finish the quarter at 40-32 Panthers.

The end of the third quarter interrupted a 14-2 run that the Panthers picked up and ran with in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, to arrive at their biggest lead of the game, 44-32.

After that the teams traded scores. Kellen Scott scored the Panther's only field goal of the quarter as he slipped under the 6'8" Washington. Du Quoin hit field goals by Roberson, Morris, Baxter, and senior Jake Prather to stay close, but the Panthers answered with free throws as the Indians fouled.

Pinckneyville was a perfect 10 for 10 from the line in the fourth quarter as junior Duke Riggins scored four, and Restoff, Dré Scott and Szczepanski each hit two. The Panthers' scored their final eight points on free throws for the 52-40 win.

After the game, Coach Waggoner praised his team's effort, saying they communicated well, eliminated second chance points, and played strong defense in the post and on the perimeter. Du Quoin made only one 3-pointer for the game, and scored one point on free throws.

Offensively, the Panthers' intensity and their focus - finishing 18 for 21 on free throws - and scoring at the buzzer in the first and third quarters made a big difference in the game.

Scoring by team

Pinckneyville: Restoff, 17; D. Scott, 13; K. Scott, 7; Adcock, 5; Riggins, 4; Szczepanski, 4; Moll, 2.

Du Quoin: Roberson, 14; Morris, 10; J. Smith, 6; Baxter, 4; Washington, 4; Prather, 2.

Scoring by quarter

Panthers: 13, 12, 15, 12 - 52

Indians: 8, 13, 11, 8 - 40