By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph Christian School announced Dr. James Schoonover as the new head football coach for the 2024-2025 school year.
Schoonover succeeds Troy Schenk, who had held the position since 2018. The Lions are coming off of a 7-4 season in 2023 - their highest win total since 2015.
Schoonover started coaching with the Lions as an assistant coach for baseball and football in 2023.
Schoonover was born and raised in Mound City, where he graduated valedictorian. He lives in St. Joseph with his wife, Holly and his two sons, Jet and Jordy.
During his high school tenure at Mound City, Schoonover's teams won three 8-man football state championships. He earned All-state awards at three positions and was named 8-man Player of the Year his senior year.
Through high school, Schoonover participated in football, basketball, track and baseball, earning all-conference and all-state awards in multiple sports.
Following high school, Schoonover played football for the Griffons at Missouri Western. He was on the team from 2011-2014 and is a part of the 2012 squad that won the MIAA and is in the Griffons' Athletic Hall of Fame.
Following a career ending injury, Schoonover switched his major to pre-med and transferred to Cleveland University where he completed the remainder of his eight-year college stint. He finished with a bachelors degree in Human Biology and a Doctorate in Chiropractic being awarded academic honors for his GPA.
Schoonover comes from a sports family. Both of his parents had successful sports careers, playing and coaching college sports. His four siblings had successful high school and college careers as well, with one currently serving as Special Teams Coordinator at Ole Miss.
In 2022, Schoonover started Thrive Family Chiropractic. In 2023, he and his wife started their own IV clinic in St. Joseph, where they provide intravenous and intramuscular injections to patients for health and wellness goals.