Athletics
Mounds Douglass had IHSA success in three different sports (www.ihsa.org). Boys basketball, cross country, and track & field all saw an “area” measure of success. Two kids on the track team even took their success to a state-wide level. The school even won hardware as a member of the Southern Illinois Conference of Colored High Schools (SICCHS).
As you can see in the “quick facts” portion, we are in need of a lot of information about Douglass High. Team colors, school fight song, and history of the school and its athletic program are all in need of research.
Boys Basketball
The schools most successful venture was in the sport of basketball. Seven District titles, including an incredible five in a row (1951-55), and two Regional titles highlighted the Douglass HS hardwood lore, to go along with two SICCHS titles during World War II. Unfortunately, the coaches’ names and team records of these and other great Douglass High School teams are not available at this time.
Several scores from Mounds Douglass participating int he IHSA State Tourney were located on a website titled “Illinois High School Postseason Basketball Scores.” The most relevant scores are listed below.
1943-44 SICCHS STATE CHAMPS Coach Joe Russell
Title Game Beat Madison Dunbar 49-34
1944-45 SICCHS STATE CHAMPS Coach James Price
The first year that the African American high schools were allowed to compete in the IHSA State Basketball Tourney was in 1945-46.
1945-46 Carbondale District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-Final Beat Cairo Sumner 51-35
Title Game Beat Carbondale Attucks 51-45
Benton Regional Runner-Up
1st Rd Beat Ziegler 36-32
Semi-Final Beat West Frankfort 55-51
Title Game lost to Johnson City 59-38
1946-47 Cairo District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-Final Beat Carbondale Attucks 57-40
Title Game Beat Mound City Lovejoy 51-41
Eldorado Regional Tourney
1st Rd Beat Carrier Mills 55-45
MOUNDS DOUGLASS (55): Harris 28, Ellis 10, Watkins 10, Higgenbotham 4, Bailey 2, McGee 1
CARRIER MILLS (45): Fort 18, Pritchett 12, Miller 10, Gilchrist 3, Osburn 2.
Semi-Final lost to Marion 75-50
MARION (75): Buckner 23, Hill 22, Riddle 16, B. Connell 6, J. Connell 3, Harris 3, Lingle 2.
MOUNDS DOUGLASS (50): Harris 22, Ellis 21, Bailey 3, Watkins 2, Higgenbotham 2.
Marion beat Harrisburg in title game
1950-51 Mounds District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-Final Beat Brookport Lincoln 105-19
Title Game Beat Cairo Sumner 57-50
Murphysboro Regional Tourney
1st Rd lost to Gorham 64-59
Marion beat Herrin in title game
1951-52 Mounds District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-Final Beat Mound City Lovejoy 68-39
Title Game Beat Cairo Sumner 64-36
Marion Regional Tourney
1st Rd lost to Carbondale 70-55
Carbondale Attucks beat Marion in title game
1952-53 Cairo District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-Final Beat Brookport Lincoln 114-24
Title Game Beat Cairo Sumner 84-74
Herrin Regional Tourney
1st Rd lost to Herrin 58-52
arion beat Carbondale in title game
1953-54 Anna District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-Final Score Needed
Title Game Beat Cobden 70-30
Wolf Lake Regional CHAMPIONS
1st Rd Beat Cairo Sumner 75-70
Semi-Final Beat Anna-Jonesboro 65-63
Title Game Beat Vienna 80-74
MOUNDS DOUGLASS (80): King 20, Morris 20, Shelby 11, Lowery 8, Chaney 8, Branch 7, Cattledge 2, Hughes 2, Wade 1, Watkins 1.
VIENNA (74): Walters 23, Shoemaker 14, Settlemoir 13, Powell 9, Cavitt 6, Wells 4, Hacker 3, Taylor 2.
Harrisburg Sectional Tourney
Semi-Final lost to Mt. Carmel 97-68
Mt. Vernon beat Mt. Carmel in title game
1954-55 Wolf Lake District Champions Coach’s name & record needed
Semi-Final Score Needed
Title Game Beat Mound City 68-63
Anna Regional Runner-Up
1st Rd Beat Mounds 99-85
Semi-Final Beat Shawnee 89-53
Title Game lost to Anna-Jonesboro 90-55
ANNA-JONESBORO (90): Coffman 33, Meyer 21, Bittle 16, Sauerbrunn 13, Jobe 7.
MOUNDS DOUGLASS (55): Morris 16, Branch 9, Wade 8, Le. Morris 6, Lowery 6, Hughes 4, Chaney 4, E. Humphries 2.
1959-60 Anna Regional Champions Coach Gene Cross
1st Rd Beat Cobden 86-53
Semi-Final Beat Mound City 84-59
Title Game Beat Cairo Sumner 77-74
MOUNDS DOUGLASS (77): Beckom 23, Childress 22, Madison 13, Clark 10, Smith 8, King 1.
CAIRO SUMNER (74): Wood 24, Solomon 15, Ferguson 15, Rush 11, White 7, Patton 2.
Herrin Sectional Tourney
Semi-Final lost to West Frankfort 71-69
WEST FRANKFORT (71): Brown 17, Weaver 15, Manis 12, Pike 12, Burton 8, Wilkinson 7.
MOUNDS DOUGLASS (69): Childress 25, Beckom 17, Clark 10, Smith 8, Madison 7, King 2.
West Frankfort Beat Metropolis in title game
West Frankfort would finish 3RD in the IHSA Tourney finals.
*Coach Gene Cross played basketball and was a star player for Mounds Douglass High School in 1944. He would go on to become the assistant coach for Jim Byassee when Mounds Douglass and Mounds High School merged in 1964. Coach Cross would leave his mark on the Illinois high school coaching circles being elected to the Illinois High School Coaches Hall of Fame. Sadly, Coach Cross passed away in the 2002.
Boys Cross Country
Two harrier teams of the mid-1950’s proved what a talented lot of athletes Douglass High School had. In consecutive seasons of 1954 and 1955 the cross country boys team won their District Championships and qualified for the state meet competition. Again, coaches’ names and team records are not available.
1953-54 District Champions
Qualified for State Meet Competition
1954-55 District Champions
Qualified for State Meet Competition
Track & Field
Three District titles and two individual medalists marked the IHSA success of the Douglass High School track program. This was done under the one-class track meet system. Their accomplishments are listed below.
1941-42 District Champions
SICCHS Champions
1942-43 District Champions
1945-46 Individual Medalist
Leonard Tucker High Jump 4TH Place
1952-53 District Champions
1953-54 Individual Medalist
Jesse Watkins 1 Mile Run 4TH Place |
Douglass High School and Grade School were demolished around 1981 when Meridian Elementary was completed. Until then, the grade school had been used as the unit office and the high school for storage since the Meridian consolidation.
Mound City Lovejoy HS actually closed in 1963, one year before the Meridian Consolidation. This made Mound City HS an integrated school. The three remaining schools continued to operate but shared staff until the Meridian building was completed.