Hall of Fame
Virgil earned four varsity letters each in basketball and tennis and two each in football and track. He served as captain of the tennis team all four years and consistently placed first in singles matches and in doubles matches with his brother, Leon. The Church brothers represented McKendree in doubles all four years at the Little Nineteen district tournaments and took second at the state tennis meet in 1929. On the basketball court Virgil was known for his speed and deadly accuracy in long shots. He is specially remembered for sinking the ball from center court with less than a second left in the game, creating a tie that the Bearcats broke in overtime. As a forward and guard, Virgil was among the team’s high scorers and was the Bearcats’ high-point man in conference games in 1929, with a season record of 50 field goals and five free throws. Lettering in football his freshman and sophomore years, Virgil quickly overcame his lack of high school football experience with his speed and agility. He proved himself his freshman year with a 65-yard end run that set a record for the season at McKendree. As a javelin thrower his freshman and sophomore years, he was a consistent performer, adding points to his team’s scores in almost every meet.
