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Oct. 31—ST. JOSEPH — Marshall Schacht initially didn’t like the St. Joseph-Ogden football program.
Funny to think of now considering he’s spent the past 32 seasons coaching the Spartans.
But in the late 1980s, Schacht was all about Champaign Central football. Same for his good friend, John Wright Jr. Until Wright transferred to SJ-O when Unit 4 teachers went on strike.
“John was supposed to be the star quarterback at Central during my senior year,” Schacht said. “John established a residence at his parent’s lakehouse in the SJ-O district so that he would not miss games. I held a grudge against SJ-O for taking him away from Central, and I don’t think I gave small-school football much respect back then.”
His attitude towards SJ-O started to change in 1993, his first year teaching at the school that had just hired him. Schacht noticed a familiar face staring back at him while he walked through the SJ-O hallways.
“I saw his Illinois football picture up in the trophy case,” Schacht said of Wright, who went on play wide receiver with the Illini under John Mackovic and Lou Tepper and whose father, John Wright Sr., was a standout wide receiver with the Illini in the 1960s. “He was their hero. His parents still live in the district and support the program and appreciate that I am still here coaching and teaching.”
SJ-O football coach Shawn Skinner, now in his ninth season leading the Spartans, feels a similar sentiment. Not only for Schacht. But for all of his nine assistant coaches who have helped the unbeaten Spartans (9-0) compile a No. 1 seed in the Class 3A playoffs entering Saturday’s 2 p.m. kickoff against West Frankfort (5-4) in a first-round playoff game at Dick Duval Field.
“Everybody on this staff has so much to offer and to give,” Skinner said. “They respect the fact that if they see it and think it, they’re going…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/program-coaching-connections-sj-o-145000493.html
Author : The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
Publish date : 2024-10-31 14:50:00
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