By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
SEDALIA - The Bishop LeBlond boys' golf team return to St. Joseph as the 2022 Class 3 state runner-up, while junior Sam Schoeberl is the co-state champion.
Schoeberl shot a 144 (+4) on the tournament, tying him for first with Hallsville's Logan Cox. Schoeberl, who finished tied for 8th at state last year, shot an even par 70 on Monday and a 74 Tuesday.
"Winning state today is a dream come true," Schoeberl said. "It's something I thought I could never do. All of the hard work paid off today. Next year, I'm looking to defend my title."
Schoeberl had six birdies in the state tournament, including on holes 5 and 14 Tuesday.
He led by three strokes through 12 holes and led by two entering 18. Schoeberl two-putted for bogey, while Cox birdied to even the score.
After that, no one knew what to do. In other levels of golf, this would typically mean a playoff hole. LeBlond coach Mitch Girres and Hallsville coach Brian Anderson gathered in the clubhouse with MSHSAA officials to determine what to do next.
After about 15 or so minutes, it was determined Schoeberl and Cox would be co-state champions.
"At first, I thought (Schoeberl) tied," Girres said. "Then, I talked to one of the officials, who said he lost by one (stroke). So, then I was a little disappointed. Then, we talk again and found out he tied and we realized there wouldn't be a playoff."
"I didn't realize it at first, but thinking back, I don't think there's ever been a playoff for an individual champion."
The Eagles shot 601 as a team - 34 shots ahead of 3rd place Dexter and 14 shots behind state champion Father Tolton.
"Yeah, we played good," sophomore Pat Johnston said. "You can't really be mad at how we played. It was also awesome that we had a player that tied for first."
Schoeberl is the first individual state champion in boys' golf at LeBlond since Brooks Jungbluth in 2018 and just the second in school history.
"It's just something you always think about," Schoeberl said on the win. "You're out practicing with your friends and you have a five-footer and you're like, 'If I make this, I'm going to win state.' Today, it actually came true."
Sophomores Davis Jungbluth and Pat Johnston finished as state medalists, tying for 15th with a 154 (+14). Fellow sophomore Tim Johnston tied for 9th with a 149 (+9) in the tournament.
"We played solid golf," Jungbluth said. "Not as good on the second day as we would have wanted necessarily, but it's good to get second and hopefully we'll be back next year."
This marks seven straight years of LeBlond placing in the top four as a team at boys' state golf and the eighth time since 2013. The Eagles won state in 2018, 2019 and again in 2021.
While LeBlond is used to bringing home the gold, Girres says there's nothing his team has to hang their heads about.
"We had four kids in the top 15," Girres said. "Four all-state players. Obviously, Sam winning a state champion. So, I'm super happy about it. I know they're disappointed with second, but sometimes you just get beat by a little bit better team."
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