March Finished Draft

The Lady Bulldogs basketball team made school history not only by advancing to the state tournament but also by winning their first game there! The farthest any previous team had gotten was in 2002 when the girls made it to the quarterfinals. The 2018 team was led by head coach Judd Kopperud and assistant coaches Cody Dyhrkopp, Shane Dreckman, and Tyler Phelan. This girls’ basketball season was an exciting one, as usual. When tournament play came around, the girls, coaches and fans were all eager to see how it would turn out. The Lady Bulldogs got a first-round bye and ended up playing Sergeant Bluff-Luton in the second round. The team blew past SBL and looked forward to playing 11th-ranked Dension at home. The Dogs won easily with a score of 56- 29. These ladies then headed to Des Moines on Monday, February 26 to see how far they could make it in tournament play. The Bulldogs’ first match-up was against Lewis-Central, the team who defeated them in the sub-state game last year. Senior Sidney Baumgartner said, “We wanted revenge from our previous season and a different ending.” The Titans of Lewis Central put up a tough fight, but the Dogs were not fazed by them, advancing to the semi-finals with a score of 52-43. Their next opponent would be the Grinnell Tigers. Many alumni, students, family, and fans of the Lady Dogs traveled to Des Moines to support the girls. The first quarter ended with only a one- point difference, but the Tigers pulled away during the second quarter, and the Bulldogs could not recover, losing 68-47 to a very talented Grinnell team. The Dogs ended their season impressively at the Wells Fargo Arena, and many of the girls agree that it was a very memorable week. Now looking back at the regular season, the girls went through many spectacular wins and a few heartbreaks. This varsity team’s regular season record ended at an impressive overall 15-6. They finished third (12-4) in conference play after splitting losses with Western Christian. The JV team also saw much success, ending their season 17-3. The freshman team ended the year 18-0. Alivia Milbrodt claimed, “[The last game] was my favorite win because we kept our perfect season, ended on a win, and finished as champions.” The Lady Bulldogs have seen much success from all three levels this year. Most of the girls’ two favorite varsity wins were against Sioux Center...as it was the first time these ladies have ever beaten them...and the exciting, nail biting win against Western Christian at Western! Brooke Haage comments, “My favorite part of the season was beating Western and Sioux Center in the same week!” Coach Kopp also said that this season was a “memorable” one. The team ended their season last year with a tough loss that kept pushing these girls in the off season. The ladies went on several team camps, Kopp held numerous open gyms, and whenever the girls got a chance to put in work in the weight room, they took it. The girls this year wanted to get a different outcome than last year, so their slogan walking into the season was “Unfinished Business.” This slogan helped push them to have a different ending to their season. The Dog Pound March 2018 It’s a great day to be a Bulldog! Advisor: Sherri Permeswaran by Grace Milbrodt Once again in February, Crush orange soda cans were being sold during lunch. The fundraiser is put on each year by HOPE, a group focused on Helping Others Pursue Endurance. HOPE is a subgroup of FCA, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. HOPE started after LCHS sophomore Evan Athay died of leukemia in 2001. “HOPE was originally created to raise money for Make-A- Wish, a foundation that grants the wishes of children with life- threatening medical conditions to help the human experience with joy, strength and hope, and the money raised went directly to them,” explained FCA leader Al Engebretson. “Now the money is in a HOPE account, and it is used to give financial gifts of encouragement to students fighting difficult health problems.” This year the HOPE fundraiser raised over $200! Every year the Crush Cans are donated by Walmart and sold in the front lobby during lunch for $1. Students who receive a crush can have the opportunity to find out who sent them one by paying $1. However, senior Chandler Grosenheider states, “I did not need to pay the extra dollar because I already knew who gave it to me.” Senior Breanna Martin responded, “I like having a secret admirer.” “I think the Crush Can fundraiser is an easy and helpful way to give money to a great cause,” said senior Maddy Mahan. Senior E Ihrke agrees: “It makes me feel good to help others who are having a rough time in life. You never know when you will need the help of others to make it through the day.” by Anna Ahlrich Crush cans sale raises funds for HOPE Girls’ basketball teams makes school “herstory” Front row, l to r: Jennifer Schneider, Christina Konz, Dakotah Owens, Grace Milbrodt, Sidney Baumgartner, Maddy Mahan; back: Annie Ellis, Brooke Haage, Kristen Heimgartner, Madison Dreckman, Jaelynn Dreckman, Brook Berkenpas, Dacia Buss, Brianna Kibby.