Recap, Western Dubuque’s Superb Football Season

By Brad Prier

Western Dubuque football ended their season on a high note, getting to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. The Bobcats, coached by Brian Kuhle, had a 6-4 record this year. Because the Bobcats had such a great season, we decided to take a look back at this year.

The Bobcats started the year off with a 34-7 loss to longtime rival Beckman, upsetting fans of all ages. Following that, the Bobcats pulled a close win over West Delaware, winning 17-16. The Bobcats won their next game by a touchdown—7-0 against Marion at home. After that, the Bobcats went on the road for their next game versus Vinton-Shellsburg, winning 41-28. Center Point-Urbana came to town for the WDHS Homecoming the following Friday, the Bobcats winning the game 27-8. WDHS Football then went to Central Clinton for their next game, winning 31-14 to make their win streak 5. Union came to town next week with plans to win and ended the Bobcats streak as they defeated the Bobcats 42-17. The Bobcats went to Maquoketa the week after that, losing 28-14. Thereafter, the Bobcats went to Anamosa and ended the regular season with a 51-25 win over the Raiders. On October 26^th, the Bobcats were sent to Grinnell for their first playoff game. The Bobcats suffered a disappointing loss to the Tigers 52-27. The Bobcats were down 24-21 to start the fourth quarter and threw 3 interceptions, all of which eventually making their way to the end zone.  The Bobcats got one touchdown in the fourth quarter but failed on a 2-point conversion.

The Bobcats started the year ranked 9,153rd in the nation and 119th in the state. However, WDHS rose to be 5,335th in the nation and 52nd in the state. The Bobcats achieved their goal of making it to the playoffs, but the team did not achieve their next goal of getting to the UNI-dome. We salute head coach Brian Kuhle, his assistants, and all his players on their great season.  

Seeking Support for Selected Spanish Students

By Alicia Errthum

Sleeping in, swimming pools, and sunscreen.  These are a few of the items that can be found during the first week of summer vacation for most high school students.  However, for a group of lucky Spanish IV students at Western Dubuque High School, the first week of summer will entail airplanes, passports, and tamales. During the first week in June of 2012, this small cluster of students will have the opportunity to travel to Guatemala to learn about the culture there, as well enhance their Spanish-speaking skills. While in Guatemala, these teenagers will also make time to visit and assist at a local orphanage.

Fundraising for this fantastic opportunity includes a Mexican dinner at Fiesta Cancun Restaurant at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 6th. The price of a ticket is $10; tips and donations are also greatly appreciated. To purchase tickets, please contact Mrs. Witter, the Spanish teacher who is organizing and chaperoning the trip.  People in attendance are reminded to sign in. Due to the limit of 50 total participants, tickets will sell quickly, and it is high recommended that you purchase your tickets right away.

The Clubhouse

By Brenna Wolfe

This month, the following Western Dubuque High School clubs have news about their current activities:

Environmental Club: We are selling 32 oz. official Western Dubuque Bobcat water bottles for $8! Two for $15. See Ms. Zangara in Room 600.

Student Council: The Western Dubuque Student Council recently received the Outstanding Chapter award! This is the second highest award for student council in the state of Iowa. Congratulations to Mr. Danner and student council members!

Book Club: This month the Book Club is reading the young-adult science fiction novel Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. This is the second book in the Hunger Games series.

FFA: This Fall, the FFA’s State Dairy Team finished eighth overall out of 18 teams at State Dairy Cattle. Team members were Andy Dougherty, Codey Waller, Emily Neumueller, and Kyle Kass. At the Kirkwood Horse Judging Contest, the team members were Jordan Lattner, Collin Kramer, DeAnn Ostwinkle, and Hailey Ahmann. They finished fifth overall.  Jordan Lattner finished third place overall individually. Lastly, at the Tri-State Dairy Expo, our FFA club received first place. Our team members were Kyle Kass, Andy Doughety, Codey Waller and Ryan Kluesner.  Andy Dougherty was first place individually, receiving a $200 cash prize.  Kyle Kass was second, receiving a $100 cash prize. Go Bobcats!