By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
They had talked about it all season and for many months before it started.
This Bishop LeBlond boys' golf team knew that 2021 could be something special. They felt that they were capable of taking the program back to state as a team.
Right they were.
After winning every regular season dual and tournament, the Eagles steamrolled their way through the Class 3 District 4 tournament at Fairview Golf Course Monday with a team score of 301 - 48 strokes ahead of second place Kirksville.
All five LeBlond golfers - senior Jeffrey Johnston, sophomore Sam Schoeberl and freshmen Davis Jungbluth, and Pat and Tim Johnston, have qualified for the Class 3 state meet at Crown Point Golf Course in Farmington May 17-18.
"It should be a good time," Jungbluth said after tying for 11th at districts. "Hopefully we'll play some good golf on Monday and Tuesday and hopefully I can clean up some parts of my game."
The only other school to qualify five golfers for state in Class 3 is Westminster Christian Academy (St. Louis County). In fact, the only other teams that qualified four golfers and are eligible for a team championship in Class 3 are Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) and Blair Oaks.
"It just shows how hard these kids have worked all year to reach that goal," LeBlond head golf coach Mitchell Girres said. "It's something they've talked about all year and something they wanted to do as a team. It's never really been about individual accomplishments for these guys. The talk among the team has always been, 'Let's get to state as a team.' So, for them to do that is pretty special."
This will be the third state appearance for senior Jeffrey Johnston, who captured the individual district title with a one-under par 71 Monday. He now looks to become LeBlond's first golfer to win medalist honors at state since Brooks Jungbluth did so in 2018.
"I played pretty well at districts," Jeffrey said. "Hopefully, with some of the misses I had at districts, I can get it together this week and play well next week."
While older brother Jeffrey has been on the scene for some time, his younger brothers Tim and Pat look to end their first year of varsity competition on a high note.
"We've all worked really hard for this moment," Tim said. "I think we'll be prepared heading into state."
"I think we'll be prepared also," Pat added. "It's pretty fun that we all get to do it as a team and compete with more competition outside of our district and stuff. So, it'll be interesting to see how we do."
Sophomore Sam Schoeberl missed out on his freshman season in 2020 due to COVID-19.
That notwithstanding, Schoeberl is grateful to be where he is now.
"I couldn't have asked for better people to be on a team with me," he said. "So, I think looking into next week, we should have a lot of fun competing for a state title."
LeBlond being good at golf is nothing new. This is the sixth straight season that the Eagles have qualified for state as a team, and they seek their fourth team title since 2016.
Girres, a former Missouri Western golfer, considers himself lucky to have taken over a program that 37-year coach Pat Clark so firmly established before his retirement last April.
"Right place, right time situation," Girres said. "Coach Clark did such a great job with these kids for years. I'm just really lucky to be a part of it. I don't change a whole lot of things for them. They go out and perform on their own, but I try to help them a little here and there."
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