MURPHYSBORO - Murphysboro football coach Tommie Liggins officially left the area hot seat late last year, and can now move forward to improving one of the worst stretches in the school's history.

Liggins was rehired in December by Murphysboro Athletic Director Len Novara after going 0-9 for the second time in the last three years last season. The Red Devils allowed an SIRR Ohio Division high 531 points last year and did not field a sophomore squad, but Novara said he could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"People are quick to forget that in his second season, his team was one or two wins away from winning the conference," Novara said Wednesday. "You just don't go to being a knowledgeable and effective leader, to not."

Murphysboro began the 2004 season with high expectations behind quarterback Charlie Weber and 14 seniors on the opening day roster, but after Weber was hurt and a few others followed to the sidelines after the Red Devils' opening game, Murphysboro finished winless. The Red Devils' closest game came in Week 7, when Massac County beat them 35-29.

There were approximately 17 sophomores out for football last season, Novara said, but with their playing time at the varsity level, fielding a full sophomore schedule quickly went out the window. With a strong freshman class coming in as sophomores next school year, Novara said he had hope for the future and the right man for the comeback.

"Things didn't work out this year," Novara said. "Football is a game of numbers. We had a small senior class, and at times, we had about only four senior starters. We're real happy with the corps of kids that are not basketball players or wrestlers, that are in the weight room. There's really a sense of urgency in the kids, and that's where it's got to start.

"If you have Jimmy Johnson or (Bill) Belichick, if you don't buy into their system, you're not going to be successful."

Carterville, Nashville among top girls seeds

Four local girls basketball teams earned top sub-sectional seeds earlier this week.

Carterville, Nashville, Massac County and Hamilton County all earned top seeds in their respective sub-sectionals - the Lady Lions and Hornettes under the Chester Sectional and the Lady Patriots and Lady Foxes under the McLeansboro Sectional.

Herrin (sub-sectional A with Carterville) and Sparta (sub-sectional B) earned second seeds behind Carterville and the defending SIRR Mississippi champs. Carmi-White County and Harrisburg stood behind Hamilton County and Massac County, respectively, in the McLeansboro bracket.

Class A girls regionals begin Feb. 7, while Class AA regionals open Feb. 14. The seeding meeting for AA is set for Monday.

Boys regionals begin Feb. 21 (A) and 28 (AA).

ETC: Murphysboro's Jim West was honored at the 2005 Track and Cross Country Coaches Association state clinic as a distinguished coach recently. West, who took Cairo to five state team championships, was inducted into the ITCCCA Hall of Fame in 1990. … The SIRR will holds its conference wrestling meet at Harrisburg Saturday. Murphysboro is the defending champion.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com 618-529-5454 x15087