The Bishop LeBlond football team bounced back from their first loss of the season last week as they cruised to a 34-14 victory Thursday night over Chillicothe at Missouri Western’s Spratt Stadium.

The Golden Eagles used a big play passing attack in the first half to build a 21-0 lead at halftime.

LeBlond quarterback Matthew McCullough started the game 1-for-5 for -1 yard and one interception.  That all changed with 59 second to play in the first quarter.

McCullough threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Thrasher that put the Eagles ahead 7-0, and then McCullough’s next two passes also went for scores in the second quarter as he connected with Thrasher from 55 and 42 yards out.

Bishop LeBlond picked up in the second half right where they left off as the two juniors found the end zone for a fourth time on their first possession as Thrasher caught a jump ball and raced in from 29 yards away.

McCullough capped off his big night with his fifth touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as he found Patrick Dillon wide open from 15 yards out.

McCullough finished the night 8-for-14 for 227 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.  Thrasher had five catches for 196 yards and four TDs.

Senior running back Austin Dawkins helped open up the passing game as he pounded the Chillicothe defense for 192 yards on 22 carries.  McCullough added 54 rushing yards for LeBlond as they ammassed 473 total yards of offense.

The Eagles improve to 4-1 and 2-1 in the MEC, while Chillicothe drops to 1-4 and 1-2 in league play.

Bishop LeBlond is back in action Friday, September 28 as they travel to Smithville.

The Bishop LeBlond and Savannah baseball teams each captured district championships Wednesday night in St. Joseph.

In the Class 2 District 16 title at Missouri Western’s Spring Sports Complex, LeBlond downed West Platte 9-6 to advance to sectionals for the second time in three years.  The Eagles are now 13-9 this season and they’ll play Monday against the winner of Distrcit 15, as Lafayette County and Summit Christian plays their title game Thursday.

In the Class 3 District 16 championship game at Phil Welch Stadium, Savannah avenged an earlier loss to Smithville with a 4-1 victory for its second straight district title.  The Savages improve to 21-4 and will play Richmond in their sectional game Tuesday.

Blake McFadden threw a complete-game one-hitter as he struck out 16 batters and didn’t allow a walk.

Savannah broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning as Tyler Wilt and Preston Bailey had RBI singles, and Clayton Holt drove in two runs with a double.

McFadden’s no-hitter was broken up by Eric Gromacki with a single up the middle to lead of the seventh.

Bishop LeBlond High School Principal Solon Haynes has announced the selection of Jeff Sullivan as the school’s varsity girls basketball coach. Sullivan has been the junior varsity and varsity assistant coach at Central High School the past seven years.

Haynes said he was pleased to get someone with Sullivan’s experience and his connections to the Bishop LeBlond community. “Jeff brings more than 12 years of basketball coaching experience as well as a relationship with Catholic education,” Haynes said. “Jeff’s wife Poppy Barbosa Sullivan is a 1996 graduate of LeBlond, his children attend St. Francis Xavier elementary school, and he spent a year here as a girls assistant coach working with Randy Grosdidier.”

Sullivan worked his way up within the Central High School boys basketball program beginning as the sophomore coach for one year in 2002, then spending two years as the freshman coach, and has been the JV and varsity assistant coach the past seven years. He also has been an assistant boys and girls soccer coach at Central since 2000. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University and a master’s in secondary education leadership from Northwest Missouri State University.

Sullivan said he looks forward to working with the LeBlond student-athletes, the staff and the extended school community. “I am very excited for the opportunity to carry on, and add to, the tradition of Bishop LeBlond girls basketball,” he said.

Sullivan will begin his duties as LeBlond’s coach at the conclusion of this academic year. He will continue to teach physical education at Central.

— Bishop LeBlond Press Release —

Bishop LeBlond High School Principal Solon Haynes introduced Tim Wenkel as the new boys basketball coach on Monday.

Wenkel comes to LeBlond after being head boys coach at Hermann (Mo.) High School for the past five years. He led the Hermann Bearcats to an 83-50 record, and captured the school’s first district championship in 31 years in 2010. He was named the 2010 Central District Coach of the Year. Six of his former players are now playing collegiate basketball including Jake Schannuth who signed last year to play at Benedictine College.

Under Wenkel’s guidance, the Bearcats earned two 2nd place finishes in the Four Rivers Conference although Hermann is the 2nd smallest school in the conference. Some 28 of his players earned Academic All-Conference honors and 10 earned Academic All-State Honors.

Haynes said the search committee was excited to find someone with Wenkel’s credentials. “We were really impressed with not only his knowledge of the game, but his emphasis on developing young men in all aspects of their lives,” Haynes said. “Everyone I talked with commented on how they would hate for Hermann to lose him, but that we would be getting a dedicated, hard-working coach who cares about his student-athletes.”

Prior to arriving at Hermann, Wenkel spent one year as an assistant coach at Steelville High School, and two years at Chamois High School. He also has been a track and field coach and helped design and equip a new 2000 square foot weight room at Hermann.

“I am very humbled and excited about being the next coach at Bishop LeBlond. There is a tradition of excellence here that we can only build upon. Everyone here is committed to winning in the classroom, on the court and in the community,” Wenkel said.

Wenkel attended Owensville (Mo.) High School, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University. He took additional coursework in theology and philosophy at St. Louis University and earned a theology degree from Conception Seminary College. He is certified to teach Physical Education, Health and Social Studies.

Haynes said Wenkel will teach religion at Bishop LeBlond.

— Bishop LeBlond Press Release —