April 24, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

5 questions with SJO football team captain Owen Birt

Why is being a team captain important to you?
Being a team captain is important to me because it is important to lead this team by example and know that guys will see you and want to work hard to make this program as great as it can be. It is important to be able to look back and see that we left the team as good as we can make it and see it prosper in the future.

How was this team able to win its final three games and clinch a playoff berth?
The last three games we played were great and I think that it comes down to the amount of energy that we came on to the field with which was unmatched to any other week during the season which was a result from the pre-game speech’s our coach had given us and really got us fired up right before the game and we came out and started with momentum.

When did you start playing football and why did you stick with it?
I started playing football my 5th-grade year in middle school because I had seen my classmates playing and I wanted to join them. When I started, I never played much but I loved it partly because it was really fun hitting people and not worrying about how rough we were being and also because I loved the game and it was fun to be a part of the team.

When you look back on this season 25 years from now, what are you going to remember most and why?
When I look back at the SJO football program in 25 years I will see a team with its formal glory that it has not seen for years. The thing I will remember is that we were the group that changed the trends and left these young guys who have lots of potential with a fighting chance to bring Football in St. Joe to a point where it once was.

How would you describe what it’s like running on to Dick Duval Field before a game?
Running onto the field on a Friday night right before a big game is like nothing else. There is no feeling as great as looking up into the stands and seeing the whole town cheering for our team. I do not think there is a better feeling in the world.

Banner
Related Posts

IPC announces all conference teams

March 5, 2024

March 5, 2024

1 st Team: (U: means Unanimous)PLAYER NAME GRADE WEIGHT CLASSAidan Scholwin (U) (Pontiac) Senior 106Holden Brazelton (U) (SJO) Junior 132Emmitt...

Live at St. Joseph Village Sept. 13, 2022

September 13, 2022

September 13, 2022

I am here. I am the only one in the audience. Here’s some big news if you missed it. https://www.stjosephrecord.com/2022/09/13/village-expected-to-accept-bid-for-boy-scout-building/...

Cohen, Seeley help guide SJO soccer to win

September 30, 2019

September 30, 2019

With less than two weeks left in the regular season, the St. Joseph-Ogden High School soccer team picked up a...

Spartans fall to T-Town

February 23, 2019

February 23, 2019

NORMAL— All basketball teams have an off-night shooting occasionally. It’s just too bad that the St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans picked the...

Witruk, Ward help SJO softball win regional title; Olympia awaits in sectional semifinal

May 22, 2019

May 22, 2019

Add another regional title to the growing collection for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball team. The Spartans earned their...

Get to know SJO Volleyball Player Mikyla Haley

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

What do you think makes the team so successful? I think the way our team is so close is what...

Haley’s lofty vision with SJO baseball has become reality

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

Josh Haley didn’t do anything elaborate after he achieved a coaching milestone earlier this month. For the St. Joseph-Ogden High...

Altenbaumer, Brazelton spark 19-game win streak for SJO baseball

May 12, 2022

May 12, 2022

Successful seasons have become the norm for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team. This spring is no exception. The...

Cain, Pence help SJO boys’ basketball post two wins

January 27, 2020

January 27, 2020

Playing a competitive nonconference schedule is nothing new for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ basketball team. The Spartans face...

SJO girls’ basketball tips off season tonight

November 14, 2022

November 14, 2022

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team has lofty expectations each winter. This winter is no different for the...

SJO football bows out in first round of playoffs

November 4, 2019

November 4, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School football team saw its season end this past Saturday with a 54-26 loss at Williamsville...

SJO5k Results for July 30, 2022

August 1, 2022

August 1, 2022

Name City Bib No Age Gender Age Group Total Time Pace 1 Austin Bridgman Potomac IL 632 22 M 1:Open...

5 Question Friday with Charlie Mabry

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

Every Friday we are going to ask an athlete to answer five questions. This week we talked to Charlie Mabry....

Get to know SJO volleyball player Shayne Immke

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

What do you think makes the team so successful? We all have such amazing talent and team chemistry and we...

Vallee, Lannert help SJO girls’ basketball increase win streak to four games

December 12, 2019

December 12, 2019

Winning close games has become a theme so far this season for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team....

Comments
Leave a Reply