MURPHYSBORO - They're still in one of the toughest Class A conferences in the state, but Murphysboro High School's coaches breathed a current of comfort from the school's first-ever move out of the AA postseason.

In what could be the Illinois High School Association's last two-class divider, the organization sank the Red Devils below the AA line earlier this year with a cutoff of 735. Murphysboro became the only team in the state to fall from AA to A after it came in with an expected enrollment of 720 for the 2005-06 school year, which may have gotten the school closer to its first team state championship after so many close calls.

"When we won the conference in 2002, I think we could have gone to state in Class A that year," Murphysboro volleyball coach Mike Layne said. "We've had some wonderful years in Class AA, always being the extreme underdog as far as numbers are concerned with our school hanging around 750. It's hard to imagine being Class A, but the coaching staff and things of that nature are looking forward to the challenge."

Murphysboro track and cross country coach Jim West said the move could reinvigorate the school's program purely through possibilities.

"It doesn't change my approach, we'll still have the same schedule and still tackle the same schedule," said West, who's coached over 20 years and led Cairo's boys to five Class A state titles. "It just changes the goals. I think you can get better by running the best competition you can run, but the kids may seem more optimistic. Because - let's face it - every kid wants to make it to state, and this gives us an awful good chance.

"I think it'll be a very big help. My girls love to compete against East St. Louis and O'Fallon during the regular season, but when it comes down to the end of the season, the kids that you've hung with or even beaten are going to state and you're going home."

Close Calls

Red Devils boys basketball leader Daryl Murphy had as many close calls as any for the Class AA state tournament. Between 1997-2000, Murphy, the school's all-time winningest boys basketball coach, went 21-8, 27-4 and 25-5, respectively. All three won regional crowns and were eliminated in the sectional.

In 2003-04, the Red Devils went 24-6 only to lose to Carbondale in the regional. Last year, with a 25-5 mark, they were, again, knocked out by the Terriers.

"Those teams were able to get to the state tournament in AA those years. We just had some bad luck," Murphy said. "Mount Vernon had a good team one of those years, they were No. 1 in the state, it was (Kent) Williams' senior year, and I read somewhere they were, like, 15th in the nation. Last year I thought our team was good enough to get to the state tournament, but you run into a Carbondale, which gets second in the state."

Four of the last five representatives from the region advanced to the Class A state boys basketball tournament from the SIRR Conference. Murphysboro, champions of the Ohio Division six of the last eight years, hopes to be the fifth rep in the last six years next March.

"In the same breath, I honestly think we could have made five trips to Peoria in the last eight years," Murphy said. "You always need some luck. I think (Jamar) Avant and (Reggie) Tillitt's team, and the team that was behind them could have won it."

Avant, a 6-foot-7 junior that averaged 20.5 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 blocks in 1998-99, teamed with the 6-1 senior guard Tillitt to help Murphysboro finish 21-8. Tillitt became the school's all-time leading scorer that season.

"I don't know if it'll be that much different or not," said Murphysboro Athletic Director Len Novara. "We've had our fair share of success. Some of the Class A schools that have gone on to win sectionals or even advance to state, we've been able to compete with them. We understand there are no sure things.

"We think the River-to-River is the strongest Class A conference in the state of Illinois, whether it's Benton in volleyball, Harrisburg in baseball or track, or Nashville in girls basketball. We think the direction is to move forward."

Herrin volleyball coach Karen Jurich, a Murphysboro grad, said she could see the Red Devils on the state tournament horizon with the move down.

"The thing about being a big school in Class A - they'll be competitive in winning a regional and sectional championship every year," said Jurich, whose Herrin squad reached its own sectional last year. "They've had a few teams in the last few years that could have gone to state."

Last year, Murphysboro defeated four teams that qualified for the Class A state tournament - Herrin and Benton's volleyball teams, Nashville's boys basketball team and Pinckneyville's softball team.

'Success breeds success'

One former coach said Murphysboro was already on its way to success at Class A through its baseball, volleyball, wrestling, cross country, track and basketball programs.

"There's been years they could have been the state champion in wrestling, boys basketball, track and field; and their school has never won a state championship because they're one of the smallest schools in AA," said former football coach Jim Woodward. "Success breeds success. I think the perfect example is Nashville, Du Quoin, and Harrisburg in track and baseball. I look for Murphy to do a rebound."

Now a member of the IHSA Board of Directors, Woodward said Murphysboro would have to get its athletes out for different sports, as a lot of Class A schools do. Nashville's Andrew Wilson, for example, not only went to the state football playoffs with the Hornets' football team, he won three medals at the state boys track meet and helped Nashville's boys basketball team reach the state tournament. Pinckneyville's Mason Woodside was All-South in basketball and baseball.

Plus, Massac County's Josha Rogers was also a standout in two sports - girls basketball and track, where she won the Class A high jump title.

"You still have to have athletes, and a lot of the kids at Murphysboro haven't been out," said Woodward, now the principal at Anna-Jonesboro High School. "Their basketball players just play basketball, their wrestlers only wrestle. And when you're in Class A, you can't do that. You have to have your best athletes out for your best sports."

And with the IHSA considering multiple classes later this year at the annual discussion sessions, Murphysboro's first chance at a Class A state championship might be it's last.

"The IHSA is talking about going to a four-class system, which I bet they do," Murphy said, "so we probably have one shot at this, don't we?"

Yup. And after a declining enrollment in the district that began before Novara's four-year term as AD even started, Murphysboro finally arrives in a more competitive playing field this fall.

"I think Murphy's going to do well," said Herrin Athletic Director Mike Mooneyham, who coached the Tigers through a dropdown shortly after they finished second in the state in AA. "They've had some great teams lately, but had to battle Carbondale. If they had been Class A the last two years, they might have made some noise."

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com

618-351-5087