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Bishop Lynch High School

Bishop Lynch High School
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This Year Meant More: A Look Back at 2024–2025 Friar Athletics

| By: Ryan Plugge
As the 2024–25 school year closes, I find myself thinking about two things that changed my life this year: becoming a dad and covering another unforgettable year of Bishop Lynch athletics. Both have reminded me just how special it is to witness growth, whether it's on the field, in the pool, on the mat, or in the stands. And from start to finish, our Friars gave us something to be proud of.

While this reflection highlights many of our major moments and accomplishments, it does not cover every sport, team, or student-athlete who contributed to this year's success. Please know that each one holds immense value, and I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to support, celebrate, and share in the journey of every Friar student-athlete who wears the black and white.

Show Me the Numbers

You know what's so special about Bishop Lynch athletics? We have more than 750 student-athletes participating across our programs. With that many athletes and teams, that means games on games on games. This year, Bishop Lynch athletics participated in 470 events (games, signing days, etc.) over a span of 266 days. Of those events, 349 were varsity sporting contests that gave us countless memories — and probably 2,000 Instagram posts.

It's clear that I'm a huge numbers guy. The number of Excel sheets and Hudl Assist tabs I have open at once is a little alarming. Through all of the facts and figures, I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who follows, likes, shares, and reads our content.

We also added baseball to our free livestream offerings, which helped lead to a record-breaking year for viewership. We had over 14,000 views and more than 2,200 hours watched on YouTube this year. And views are just screens, so a conservative estimate is that about 21,000 people tuned in to watch Bishop Lynch athletics this year.

One thing I've worked hard on is making sure our website looks and feels like a Power 5 college athletics site. A big reason for that? We had 272,752 visitors to blfriars.org this past athletic season. Our primary social media platform — Instagram — also saw a jump, growing to more than 5,000 followers. Despite being the shortest month, February was our busiest, as we hit over 1 million views for the first time, from 52,179 different accounts. As of this writing in May 2025, we've already reached 3,932,017 views on our Instagram account alone.

I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who follows, likes, shares, and reads our content. We've got some phenomenal student-athletes to cover, and it's an honor to tell their stories.

Witnessing Greatness

Bishop Lynch captured two more state titles this year, bringing our total to 107 in our vaunted history. Not only did two of the most dominant Friar programs of the 2020s win again, but they did it in completely different ways.

The women's swim team was thought to be in a rebuilding year after graduating the most decorated class in program history in 2024. But the younger, deeper squad shocked the TAPPS world by winning back-to-back state championships, and their third in four years.

The men's wrestling program, long a source of Friar pride, continued its legacy under Head Coach Tom Trautman. This year's team was loaded with senior talent and leadership, and at the state meet, they outlasted St. Thomas by just four points to claim another TAPPS state title.

The Boys (and Girls) of Fall

There's just something about Friday night lights in Roffino Stadium in the fall. Maybe it's because I attended games with my dad as a kid when the stands were packed and there were no livestreams, just a game under the East Dallas lights. Or maybe it's because I had the privilege of running through that tunnel wearing black and white. Either way, the Friar spirit was alive this fall — and for good reason.

Volleyball kicked off the athletic year with a thrilling five-set win over Mesquite Horn in front of a rowdy Friar Nation. The program continued to build with young talent and peaked with a massive upset over No. 1 Liberty Christian in the TAPPS playoffs.

Friar football made noise this season with several big wins, including a 4-1 home record at Roffino Stadium. The highlight was a three-game winning streak over Legacy Christian, Nolan Catholic, and Trinity Christian, which aligned with Senior Night and Homecoming. The senior class made a major impact on the program, and while they'll be missed, I can't wait to watch them grow into young men beyond the field.

Winter Is Coming

Winter is easily our busiest and most thrilling sports season, with multiple teams competing at the highest level nearly every night of the week. These are the weeks I don't cook much; fast food and late-night coffee are regulars in the Plugge household. It's also the time when I'm reminded just how amazing my wife is for holding down the fort while I'm covering games.

One of the biggest surprises of the year, though maybe it shouldn't have been, was the men's basketball team. The definition of a true team is that they fought their way to become Co-District Champions and left everything on the court in the playoffs.

Another standout was women's soccer, which had one of the best seasons in program history. They finished as runners-up in district play, outscoring opponents 90-10 and compiling a 14-2-1 record. Unfortunately, the TAPPS playoff bracket had them face Ursuline again in the semifinals, a game many believed should have been the final. Ursuline advanced on penalty kicks, but our Friars walked off the field with unmatched grit and pride.

Also on the rise is men's soccer, which made a big jump in year two under head coach Stewart Brown. The Friars advanced to regionals this season and will return more than 80% of their production. The future is bright.

Record Spring Fling

I use the term fling for a reason. The spring season starts out fast and busy, but as it winds down, I really get the chance to dive deep with the final few teams still in action. This year, that meant baseball and women's track and field, and both delivered incredible stories and broken records.

Under Head Coach Justin McFadden, baseball has been a model of consistency. The Friars have won at least 27 games in each of the past three seasons, an incredible feat in our talented district. Senior Bryce Rapavi broke a school ERA record I never thought would fall, posting a 0.333 ERA to surpass John Dodson's 2008 mark of 0.580. In the world of baseball, that's unreal.

Women's track and field also rewrote the record books, literally. The 4x100 relay team of Ra'Nyah Lockhart Sadler, Ava Sanders, Zoe Turner, and Sarah Sullivan broke the school record not once, but three times this season. They surpassed the 2013 team's mark and then beat their own record twice more.

Not to be outdone, the same relay group broke the 4x200 relay record at the state meet, running a time of 1:43.11, topping the previous best of 1:44.05 set in 2014.

And let's talk about Ra'Nyah Lockhart Sadler, a freshman phenom. She already owns the school record in the 200-meter dash, taking down a mark that had stood since 1997, held by Chandra Rideau. Buckle up, the next three years are going to be fun.

Black and White Culture

What makes Bishop Lynch special isn't just the trophies, it's the culture. It's the seniors leaving behind a legacy of leadership. It's the freshmen learning what it means to compete for something bigger than themselves. It's the student sections, the pre-game festivities, the long road trips, and the packed gym moments that leave your ears ringing and your heart full.

I've always said there's nothing better than sports — they're truly the best. And I've always said high school sports are the purest form. You compete against people you grew up with. There's no NIL, no gambling, no recruiting, just the opportunity to strap up and play a meaningful, organized sport for the last time before life starts pulling you in different directions.

Until Next Year

This year, I became a dad, and it shifted how I see everything. Watching my son grow while watching our student-athletes compete reminded me just how precious these moments are. Covering Bishop Lynch sports isn't just a job, it's a privilege. These aren't just stats and scores, they're stories. They're memories being made, traditions being carried on, and futures being built.

From early morning practices to late-night bus rides, from state title celebrations to comeback wins in front of our home crowd — this year was a reminder that Friar Nation is something truly special.

Thanks for letting me be a small part of it. See you next season.
 

STAY CONNECTED WITH BISHOP LYNCH ATHLETICS

To stay up to date on all things BLHS athletics, follow the Friars on social media:
X: @blathletics
Instagram: @bishoplynchathletics
Facebook: Bishop Lynch Athletics
YouTube: Bishop Lynch Athletics
Threads: Bishop Lynch Athletics

 
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