Since the inception of the Illinois High School Association’s state bass fishing tournament in 2009, southern Illinois schools have been proving it is the size of the fish, not the size of the school that counts.
Schools in the Deep South have been major players in the state series since Dylan Vaughn, Kaleb Gardner, and Lane Murphy of West Frankfort brought home the state championship trophy in 2009. In addition to West Frankfort, Elverado (2016) and Pinckneyville (2018) have won state titles.
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