Even after 10 years, winning the Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy sticks with you.

It certainly has for Moniteau graduate and 2009 winner James Shope.

“You know, back then I really didn't know what it meant,” Shope said. “But over the years it has meant a lot because I didn't go on to play college ball.”

The Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy is awarded to the football player who scores the most points in Butler County during the regular season.

During his senior year of 2009, Shope, now 27, scored 136 points and became the first Moniteau player in school history to win the trophy.

The 2019 season will mark the 30th year of the trophy's existence.

“I had a write-up about me almost every week in the Butler Eagle starting my sophomore year,” Shope said. “Thinking about it now, it's pretty neat — something I can tell my own kids about someday.”

During his time at Moniteau, Shope set all kinds of records and firsts for the program.

The list includes the first running back to post three 1,000-yard seasons, totaling 3,763 rushing yards, crushing Bill Staab's previous school record of 3,229.

He also scored 54 career touchdowns, breaking Matt Schandelmeier's record of 33.

“I literally could thank every one of my coaches,” Shope said. “Randy Armagost, Jeff Campbell, they have been there since I started playing football and that wasn't until eighth grade.”

“Also, my teammates, since eighth grade we all played together pretty much,” Shope added. “To be able to play with them guys, it was hard to take a play off no matter what — I was going to play hard for them guys.”

After high school, Shope did a few stints with some semi-pro teams such as the Butler County Bears and WPA Wildcats out of Pittsburgh.

He also attended Butler County Community College and was a general studies student.

When visiting Slippery Rock University, Shope was told by then-coach George Mihalik how he thought Shope should go about his future.

“I had to go to community college first, so (Mihalik) just told me to do general studies,” Shope said. “That way if I changed my major, I wouldn't have to wait another semester to play football.”

For the past six or so years, Shope has been working for the Concretes Works Company in Valencia laying concrete.

“We do 40 to 50 hours a week,” Shope said. “We do some pretty cool jobs. We did Ben Roethlisberger's house last year. Antonio Brown, Neil Walker — any of the Pirates or Penguins we do concrete for.”

Shope also expressed interest in starting up his own business to get away from concrete, but he says he doesn't have any ideas set in stone.

“I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do,” Shope said. “Obviously, it is going to be something I enjoy, like I'm not even going into work.

“I hope to be on a platform powerful enough to change the world for the better.”

Shope also says he hasn't hung up his football cleats just yet, as he plans to make a return to the game in some fashion in the near future.

“I definitely plan on playing football again,” Shope said. “More so to prove it to myself because I feel I never got that chance to prove my full talent — I still believe I could've played Division I ball.”

Out of 29 previous winners of the Butler Eagle scoring trophy, Jono Powell of Slippery Rock (2008) has been the only quarterback to win the award.

The school with the most winners is Karns City with eight, followed by Mars with seven and A-C Valley with four.

Shope remains the only Moniteau player to win the achievement.

Year Winner (School) Points1990 Brian Kurn (Freeport) 1041991 Ron DeJidas (Freeport) 1141992 Ron DeJidas (Freeport) 1581993 Rick Belles (Karns City) 801994 Cory Hooks (Union) 1181995 Jeremy Scherer (Karns City) 841996 Jason Hackwelder (A-C Valley) 1321997 Steve Spiker (A-C Valley) 1241998 Mike Leach (A-C Valley) 1461999 Mike Leach (A-C Valley) 1982000 Josh Kniess (Slippery Rock) 1922001 Billy Graham (Karns City) 1862002 Matt Carnahan (Karns City) 1522003 Josh Fiscus (Karns City) andTravis Sarver (Slippery Rock) 1162004 Josh Fiscus (Karns City) 942005 Paul Ferrese (Mars) 962006 Bill Bair (Mars) 1502007 Bill Bair (Mars) 2042008 Jono Powell (Slippery Rock) 1022009 James Shope (Moniteau) 1362010 Wes Phipps (Grove City) 1142011 Wes Phipps (Grove City) 1442012 Forrest Barnes (Seneca Valley) 1522013 Josh Schultheis (Mars) 1322014 Jerome Turner (NC) 1402015 Isaiah Johnson (Mars) 1082016 Isaiah Johnson (Mars) andKaiden Powers (Karns City) 1322017 Dalton Beham (Karns City) 1202018 Garrett Reinke (Mars) 132