Golden Eagles seek redemption: Bishop LeBlond faces Plattsburg in crucial 8-Man showdown
By Calvin Silvers
It’s Week 4 of the high school football season and this week’s ‘Game of the Week’ features two 8-man teams in the 3-0 Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagles, traveling to Plattsburg to take on the 2-0 Tigers, who moved to 8-man football two seasons ago.
Like last year, LeBlond will face the Tigers twice in the regular season with the Golden Eagles coming out of both contests last year with a loss. However, major changes were made within the program in the off-season.
“A lot of those guys have taken this offseason really seriously and hit the weights hard, putting on good weight,” head coach Chuck Davis said. “We have great senior leadership with nine seniors this year. Cooper (Tabor) has taken huge strides in the offseason, he’s got an 80% completion rate right now.”
This senior class has tasted success recently, as in 2022, the Golden Eagles left Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri with a hard-fought second-place finish in the state tournament, eager for a return.
Flipping the calendar, the 2023 season brought disappointment, with the team managing just four wins. Despite Tabor taking a major step in the off-season, other factors were improved throughout the team.
“He (Tabor) has definitely been hitting the weights a lot, I think we all have,” running back Carson Staggs said. “We’ve all grown as a team, I think the chemistry’s really there.”
“I would definitely say it’s our defense, we got some new faces on defense and everyone’s rowdy,” linebacker Trey Icke said. “They’re all working to the ball and we just get along really great.”
Along with a significant boost in team chemistry, LeBlond welcomed a new offensive coordinator and revamped their schemes. Last season, they faced challenges with a first-year quarterback, a sophomore at center, and just four seniors on the roster.
While Plattsburg won’t have star quarterback Isaia Howard this year, fans can still anticipate a thrilling, fast-paced shootout.
“It’s going to come down to who can be the most disciplined,” Davis said. “I think that the atmosphere is going to be crazy. We play them twice, they’re in our district, so we see each other a lot. The games are always fun, loud, and exciting.
In Week 4, LeBlond has the opportunity to match last season’s win total, but the Tigers present a fresh challenge.
While North Shelby and Schuyler County relied on a powerful run game, Plattsburg is all about spreading the field and passing, making the defense eager to take on this different style of play
“I think that if you let the moment get in your head and you play outside yourself, that’s when mistakes happen,” Davis said. “Whoever makes fewer mistakes and stays disciplined is going to have a good shot.”
With this senior class having experienced the thrill of a state championship game, they’re embracing a focused mindset, determined to make their return. Taking it one week at a time, they’re channeling their past experiences and lessons learned to fuel their drive.
“We definitely know how to get there, we know what it’s like, it’s just a matter of not repeating it, but just doing as good as we did that year and just playing good all around,” Staggs said.
