On Feb. 25, a dream came true for the Western Dubuque Bobcat girls basketball team. On that night they defeated the number five ranked team, Waverly Shell Rock. That put the team one step closer to their ultimate goal: to become state champions. When starting forward Rose Simon-Ressler (11) was asked what helped the team make it to state, she replied, “The whole team worked hard in the season and the off season, and everyone wanted it.”
That was evident in their first round at state when the number seven ranked Bobcats took down the number two seed Crusaders. The girls weren’t satisfied on just making it to state. No matter who they were playing, the Bobcats were determined to find a way to win. Even though the girls were the underdogs, they were mentally and physically tough. The girls were willing to put up a fight against any team, and they proved that by defeating the number two ranked team Bishop-Heelan.
The next task was to take down Ballard in the semi-finals. The victory would not have been possible without the coaches scouting reports. The Bobcats knew the opposing players strengths and weaknesses. To help prepare for the game, the team practiced shutting down the strengths of opposing players. With the 30-23 win over Ballard, they were one step away from their state championship goal.
The final game was on March 8 against the returning runner-up team Harlan. Starting center Megan Maahs (10) said, “To prepare for the championship game, the coaches scouted the team, but the main thing was to focus on ourselves.” The players kept that focus during practice and even took ice baths to keep their strength. Finally, Saturday arrived and the girls were ready to play. Under strong leadership from Co-Captain Zoey Weber (12) the team kept their composure. Team captain Weber said, “I was 100 percent confident. I knew the game could go either way, but I didn’t let it show.” The Bobcats took the court with confidence, believing in not only themselves, but also in each other. During the first half, the girls battled hard, only down three at half time. Harlan extended their lead in the third quarter as the Bobcats struggled to score. During the fourth quarter, the Cyclones dominated with a 13-point lead, but the Bobcats weren’t giving up; they believed that they could still win it. They fought hard and came back to tie the game with 1:23 minutes remaining. Time ended in Harlan’s favor. They were able to take the lead and control the ball, and the ending score was 55-51.
The experience overall of going to state was incredible. The whole community was supporting the team. Assistant Coach Rolwes said, “It was amazing to see how much the Bobcats improved every game in the state tournament.” A big part of the Western Dubuque Bobcats was their team chemistry. Maahs said, “My favorite part about going to state was being with the team and getting to stay overnight with my team at the hotel.” She also said, “It was awesome to see all the fans.” Four year varsity player Weber said, “The most memorable thing about the season was how close I was to the team.” Team chemistry was a crucial part that helped the team make it to state. The girls had a great experience at state, but next year’s returning players hope to work hard and return to state next year for the state championship title.
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