November 3, 2022

Sports 7 The Bear

Football kicks off season with big wins,

looks to Dome after making final 8 in playoffs
Miley Shields
Staff Writer
An undefeated WB FB team has
taken down two opponents in the play-
offs: South Hardin Tigers, 42-0, and Wa-
terloo Columbus Catholic Sailors, 27-14.
The Bears head back to the Little Rose
Bowl this Friday to tackle the MFL-Mar-
Mac Bulldogs in the final 8 at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets MUST be boutght online at
https://iahsaa.org/tickets/.
Current stat leaders on the team
include: Andy Henson, Rushing, 193
carries for 1365 yds. and 29 touchdowns;
Henson, Tackles, 84 total (36 solo, 48
assisted; Tye Hughes, Passing, 96/142
(67.6%) for 1309 yds., 12 touchdowns
and 2 interceptions; Carver Boelk, Re-
ceiving, 23 receptions for 476 yds. and 6
touchdowns; Kinnick Boelk, Intercep-
tions with 4. K. Boelk, Punt Returns,
14 for 135 yds. (9.6 AVG/R); Logan
Wright, Sacks, 7 total (5 solo, 2 as-
sisted); and Cale Seydel, Kickoff Re-
turns, 2 for 94 yds. (47 AVG/R) and 1
touchdown.
Head Coach Butch Pedersen
has led the varsity Bears for 40 years
(since 1983), acruing 336 wins and 3
state championships. The lengendary
coach has recently been diagnosed with
myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood
cancer., so the Bears are facing an emo-
tional time in the post season.
While present at the Waterloo
Columbus Catholic match up, Pedersen
sat in the press box wearing a mask and
was unable to be on the field with his
team. Offensive Coordinator John
Hierseman stepped up to lead the deter-
mined Bears. At the end of the Bear vic-
itory, the entire team pointed up to where
Pedersen sat in the box, showing that the
win was for him.
Pedersen is joined by several
hard-working assistant coaches: Hierse-
man, offensive coordinater since 2013;
Tyler Bailey, defensive coordinator since
2012; Kevin Braddock, special teams,
defensive backs, and wide receivers since
2016; Ronnie Hughes, offensive and de-
finsive lines since 2022; Jason Ped-
ersen, offensive and defensive lines since
2018; Dan Zuniga, offensive and defen-
sive lines since 2019; and Jacob Graves,
defensive backs since 2022.
Seniors C. Boelk, K. Boelk,
Evan Striegel, Wyatt Fiderlein, and Hen-
son have acted as the captains for this
season.
WB football started off their
season strong with a win of 61-20 against
the Lisbon Lions on August 26. The next
week under the Friday night, they faced
the Sailors at Columbus Catholic. The
34-13 win was a hard-fought victory for
the Bears.
Fiderlein said it’s all about "tak-
ing the field with the boys, winning some
games, and making some memories."
This team’s bond is strong as they sup-
port each other and treat each other like
family.
Similar to Fiderlein, Pedersen
said, "Be a close knit family - be as good
as they can be" as his main goal for the
2022 football season. He also mentioned
how being good in school is just as im-
portant as on the field.
On Sept. 9, the Bears played
Maquoketa Valley, winning 59-0. On
Sept. 16, WB traveled to Muscatine to
defeat the Falcons handily, 86-0. This
was a new high scoring record (since
1994)
Henson tied an old school
record as well with 6 touchdowns in one Vee. C. Boelk added, “Going to 7 on 7s
game. He said he was “glad that I tied a in Mount Vernon this summer” was one
school record ,but it's just a number, and of his favorite team memories.
it wasn't just because of me; it's because Also, throughout the season, 2
of the whole team and coaches.” WB football players were nominated for
Sophomore JV quarterback KCRG Athlete of the Week.
Connor Rios stepped up and got some The Bears finished off their reg-
playing time with such a big lead by the ular season play with three more wins:
Bears. He said his personal best play in the Durant Wildcats, 49-13, Sept. 30;
the game was “my pitch to Aaron Marsh Regina Regals, 23-0, Oct. 7; and Wilton
for a 24 yard touchdown.” Due to the Beavers, 54-7, Oct. 14. The Regina win
Bears’ huge lead, most (if not all the re- was particularly satisfying for the Bears
serves and JV players) got the chance to as the Regals have beat WB the last 5
go in and get some varsity experience. seasons.
The uncommon player of the
game was Shae Farmer. He
said, “What I think got me an
uncommon player award was
my interception that I ran
back for a touchdown.”
On September 23,
the Bears played their home-
coming game against Media-
polis. The Bulldogs managed
to get a touchdown in the
first few seconds of the
game, which made many of
the WB fans wary of how the
homecoming game would
end. However, the Bears
pulled out the big win, 35-13.
Junior Max Lodge
said the season’s biggest
competition was, “probably
Mepo (Mediapolis) because
it was our homecoming
game.”
So, was have been
some of the players’ favorite
memories with their Bear
family members? Some of
their collective favorite mo- Andy Henson runs for the touchdown.
ments are from team meals Photo By Olivia Naber.
and going out to eat at Hy-

Volleyball begins year with new coaches

Alyssa Vargason goes up for an attack
aganist Regina. Photo by Olivia Naber.

Emily Coleman games have been going, the new coaches

Staff Writer
At the time of this writing, WB
Volleyball was 13-11 on the season and
were hoping to keep the wins coming.
Team captain, junior Alyse Klinkkammer
said, “I am pretty happy with how the
season has gone so far, I feel like there
are some games we should have won and
didn’t, but that will happen.”
The Bears have been able to
take wins over equally-matched teams,
such as Regina and Tipton, also taking
West Liberty to a fourth set.
Klinkkammer said that the
game she was most looking forward to
was West Liberty because “the at-
mosphere is always so loud, and it is al-
ways the biggest game of the season.”
Aside from the team and how
are really fitting in this year. First year
coaches Monica Tylee and Becky Hosier
have been leading the Bears through all
their victories aand defeats.
Tylee said that she is “excited to
get back into coaching at the high school
level. We have a great group of girls on
and off the court.”
Tylee added, “I didn't want to
leave Jake [Stenburg] or the girls hang-
ing, so I was excited to step into this role
this year.”
Feelings all around the team and
the coaches have been of excitement, and
they want to really show the whole po-
tential of everyone. Senior Iva Senio said
she is “super excited to have new coaches
and try new rotations with the team; we
have a lot of potential.”
The Bears collective team goal
was to make it to state this year.

Cheer team brings many new additions

Miley Shields program, leaving Ellyson to be next
Staff Writer year's head coach, but for now, they work
together to make a solid cheer team and
The 2022 cheer season started an even better environment for the girls.
with practice over the summer, which This year, just like last year,
continued through the first game on Au- they are sending three girls to All-State
gust 26 for both the varsity football Cheer: seniors Karley Staker, Gabby
players and varsity cheerleaders. For the Ruston, and Emmerson Thomas.
first time in years, the cheer team has Rushton said, “I think I would
both a varsity and JV cheer squad. like to learn how to stunt better and be a
Head Coach Rhonda Berry and better cheerleader.” All three of these
Assistant Coach Jordan Ellyson have seniors are excited about what they will
been working hard with the girls so they learn and can't wait to spend this time to-
can be a good, close team. Next year gether.
Berry is planning on leaving the cheer One ineresting occurrence hap-
pened while they
were cheering at the
game against Louisa-
Muscatine. The Bear-
won by 86 points,
causing the cheer
team to end up doing
558 kicks, a new
school record. The
team does a kick to-
gether for each point
the Bears have every
time they score.
To helpim-
prove their skills, this
year, the team has
started stunting.
Teaching the stunts is
Assistant Coach Jor-
dan Ellyson. They are
incorporating stunt-
ing into their dances
during pre-game just
to get the crowd ex-
cited. They practice
these stunts to better
them for each game.
Every member of the
team practices Thurs-
days and Sundays.
Captains this
year are Karley
Staker and Peyton
Braddock. They hope
to build the team up
to new heights and do
Miley Shields is held for a stunt by Tess Hammar, even more bonding.
Peyton Braddock, Karley Staker, and Norina Zau-
igg. Photo By Brooklyn Nash.