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2004
team
roster
Tigers win quarter finals game
Tigers win semi-finals
at UNI-Dome
semi-final radio and photos
youth report on semi-final game
Tigers lose championship game
more championship game photos
honoring the team back in Gilbert |
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Gilbert Football Team advances to State Semi-Final Game
November 9, 2004
by Helen D. Gunderson, Gazette editor
| Congratulations to the Gilbert Tigers football team on its 35-21 win
over the Clarinda Cardinals in the quarter finals of the Class 2A
championship series. The game was held tonight at the Valley High School
stadium in West Des Moines.
Gilbert went into the quarter final game
with an 8-2 record. Clarinda had a 9-1 record. The Tigers will play in the state tournament
semi-final game against West Lyon on Monday night at the Uni-Dome in
Cedar Falls.
The season has been a miraculous one for the Gilbert
football program, which won only four games in its previous three
seasons. Scott Auderer is in his first year as head coach, while
previous head coach, Chad Cook, is in active military duty in
Afghanistan. The last time a Gilbert football team made the state
play-offs was in 1979.
The final game of the regular season was a
14-0 win over Ogden. After the post-game cheering died down, Coach
Auderer spoke to the players huddled at mid-field. He told them that
they were basically the same people with the same potential of the
previous season but that the difference this year was that they believed
in themselves.
In the write-up in the Ames Tribune about that game, Gilbert standout
tailback Brian Schmidt said "It was a great night for the program
because of everything we have gone through. We believe in the coaches,
and they believe in us and that's a good feeling."
Indeed, it seems that the word "Believe" has become the team's
mantra. There are also signs around the community and Tiger clothing for
sale at Daisychains and Laughs on Main Street that proclaim, "We
believe."
In his post game remarks on KASI radio, following the Gilbert win
over Clarinda, Coach Auderer was asked how his team would prepare for the semi-final game. He
responded that the Tigers didn't care who their next opponent was and
that they would prepare just like they have been preparing all season.
He concluded his brief remarks by saying that the game "is just one more
step toward our ultimate goal."
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Awesome Tiger
Football Team,
a Group of Believers,
Heads for the State Championship Game
November 15, 2004
by Helen D. Gunderson, Gazette editor
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| Congrats to the Gilbert High School football team again!!! The Tigers
(9-2) defeated the West Lyon-Inwood Wildcats (9-2) this afternoon in a
semi-final game of the State Class 2A tournament at the UNI-Dome in
Cedar Falls. They will play in the championship game at the Dome on
Saturday. |
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West Lyon scored early with an 85-yard run on its first
play, but Gilbert responded, and the
game was tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. The game remained
tied at half-time. In the second half, Gilbert scored a touchdown and
extra point to lead 14-7. The Wildcats responded with a touchdown but
failed to convert the extra point, leaving the Tigers in the lead at
14-13. However, West Lyon then scored another touchdown and made a
two-point conversion to take the lead at 21-14. |
| With only a few minutes left in the game,
Gilbert was on offense. Quarterback Dan Clark threw a screen pass to
tailback Brian Schmidt for a 56-yard play, putting the ball on the West
Lyon one-yard line. The Tigers then scored a touchdown and extra point
to tie the game at 21-21. They kicked the ball off to the Wildcats, who
executed a few offensive plays but eventually were forced to punt.
Gilbert then had the ball on offense and ran out the clock. There would
be no more scoring in the fourth quarter.
When the game went into overtime, an observer had to wonder if the
season-long Gilbert mantra of "believe" would continue to serve the team
well. Or would the players flinch and lose touch with the vision? Nope.
The Tiger defense was as true to its vision as Luke, the hero of the
movie Star Wars, under the wise tutelage of the desert hermit and
war hero, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Gilbert team did as it has done many times
this year — face an opponent who has the ball with a
first down, just yards from the goal line, and keep the foe from
scoring.
After the buzzer ended the fourth quarter, the teams huddled with
their coaches to strategize. Gilbert had the first possession in the
overtime period, starting with the ball on the West Lyon 10-yard line.
Tailback Schmidt got nowhere on the first play. On the second play, he
moved the ball to the one-yard line. And on the third down, fullback
Adam Weber punched across the goal line for a touchdown, and Alex Bowers
kicked the extra point to put the Tigers ahead 28-21.
Then, as is the custom with high school overtime rules for football, the
Wildcats were on offense. They had a first down at the Gilbert 10-yard
line. The Tigers held strong on defense. On fourth down, it looked as
though Gilbert won the game when a Tiger player deflected a Wildcat
pass, rendering it incomplete. However, Gilbert was penalized for pass
interference. The Wildcats then got a fresh first down. This time, they
were on the Gilbert 3-yard line but gained only a yard on their first
play. However, on the next play, they punched through the right side of
the line for a touchdown. The Wildcats then tried a two-point
conversion, but their attempt to save the game ended with another
incompleted pass. The final score was Gilbert 28 and West Lyon 27, and
all sorts of Tiger merriment broke out. Players and coaches were high-fiving,
hugging, lifting each other off the ground, and shooting their arms
toward the ceiling as though they were singing hallelujah in a revival
chorus.
The Tigers now advance to the Iowa Class 2A championship football
game. It will be Saturday at the UNI-Dome. We hope to post further
information later this evening or by midweek.
For sure, we would like to provide a bit more detailed information.
But at the game, we were focused on shooting video (scrambling to get
the tripod set up in a variety of locations with eyes focused on the
viewfinder during the plays) and not on picking up a game guide with
roster, taking notes, or getting a statistics package. So in some ways,
we don't have a clue regarding the story-line of the game except to say
it was a close contest all the way. However, we talked to a key Gilbert
fan, Joe Battles, who helped recall some of the details of the game for
this write-up. He played high school ball, coaches a Gilbert elementary
team, and follows the high school program. We also watched the televised
sports reports on the 10 o'clock news on KCCI Channel 8 and WHO Channel
13. Gilbert Head Coach Scott Auderer said on KCCI, "That's what
championship teams do. Someone steps up and makes a play. Next time,
someone else steps up." On WHO, Auderer said, "We've told the players
from day one, 'Believe, believe, believe, and we will get it done.' And
boy, they have. I can't give enough credit. The kids have been awesome."
Also, on WHO, fullback Adam Weber talked about how great it was to come
from where the team was last year, "A 10-win season is huge for all of
us."
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| The West Lyon mantra was "never give up." From our
perspective, they did not give up. But the Tiger mantra "believe"
persevered, and Gilbert continues to roll. And the success of the
Tiger football team has a great effect on fans and the
community. |
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KASI AM Radio
415 Main in Ames
515-232-1430 |
01. Pre-game
show with B.J., Mel, and Sebastian
02. Gilbert ties game 7-7
03. Gilbert takes 14-7 lead
04. Gilbert ties game 21-21
05. Gilbert takes 28-21
lead in overtime
06. Gilbert stops West
Lyon drive and wins game |
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Photo frames from videotape shot by Gazette editor, Helen Gunderson. |
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Tiger fans at the semi-final game.
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Tiger offense lines up for its first play in overtime
with a first down on the West Lyon 10-yard line.
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Gilbert scores a touchdown on a
one-yard run to lead 27-21 in overtime
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Gilbert’s Win over
West-Lyon
Wildcats
by Joseph Battles
Gazette youth sports correspondent
November 27, 2004
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The Gilbert/West Lyon game was remarkable. I’ll never forget it. That
was a game that will always be remembered. Why? I’ll tell you. I went to
that game and it was that game that led the Tigers to the state
championship for the first time ever.
The Tigers won the toss and chose to receive. The kicker tees it up,
waiting, looking and then… BOOM. Brian Schmidt (14) and Mike Oppold (9)
were waiting for the kick. The ball bounces on the Gilbert twenty and
takes a huge bounce over Mike’s head and rolls into the end zone.
Touchback.
First and ten from the twenty. Dan Clark (7) in at Quarterback. Here
we go. Dan waiting, looking, and then he starts the count. Blue, fourty-two
set, Hike, Dan drops back to pass, Blitz coming … WHAM. Dan is dropped
for a big loss. Second and fifteen from the fifteen. The handoff to
Schmidt, busts through the line… and he sees daylight, the twenty,
twenty five and almost to the thirty! Third and one for the Tigers.
Hike, Dan drops back to pass…and he has Chris Oberrender (19) wide open!
First down Tigers!
Over the next few downs Tigers can’t do much. They’re definitely in
field goal range — especially with Alex Bowers as their kicker. Here’s
the snap, the hold, he missed it! So West-Lyon gets the ball on their
own twenty. As a fan I was thinking, "Oh man what a bummer" especially
when West-Lyon scored on an eighty yard touchdown run. So the kicker
tees it up and BOOM. Touchback.
Gilbert gets the ball. Dan looks to pass…fires down field…for the end
zone… TOUCHDOWN TIGERS!!!!! Dan Clark to Mike Oppold!!! I got so
excited! Alex Bowers made the extra point. That’s the end of the first
quarter the score tied at seven.
Both teams got two more touchdowns. That’s the end of the first half.
West-Lyon will get the ball to start the second half. I just can’t wait
for the second half to start. I am not the kind of kid who has a lot of
patience. If you ask my dad, he’d probably say I was quite annoying
during half time. (I guess I was pretty annoying because he finally went
to get a snack.) I was a little quieter after that. Then the second half
started.
West-Lyon got the ball. They marched down the field like it was as
easy as preschool. Later they found that wasn’t true after we blocked
the field goal. Both teams kept scoring touchdowns. It went down to the
wire, and it ended in a tie — off to overtime.
Gilbert went ahead 28-21, and West-Lyon got the ball on the Gilbert
ten. West-Lyon QB drops back to pass… receiver open…tipped and
INTERCEPTED!!!! Chris Oberender!!!! Oh No!!! The ref called pass
interference on Gilbert!!! West-Lyon has four more downs!! Oh rats!
West-Lyon scores a touchdown. They decide to go for two points…Hike…
QB looking to throw… (Over on the sideline, the Gilbert fans are pulling
our hair out) fires in the back of the end zone and… TIPPED BY BRIAN
SCHMIDT!!!!!!! NO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!! I was sitting with a friend, and we
were jumping up and down. We were so excited!!!!!!!!!!
Gilbert couldn’t have won without their key players: Dan Clark 13 of
14 completions, Brian Schmidt rushing 25 times for 134 yards and a 51
yard pass reception, Adam Weber rushing 4 times for 64 yards and a
touchdown carry that put Gilbert ahead in over time, Chris Oberender 10
catches for 85 yards, Mike Oppold rushing for 135 yards and a touchdown
catch of 50 yards. That’s the story of Gilbert’s victory.
Joseph Battles is a fifth-grade homeschooler and son of Joe and June
Battles. Joseph played on the 2004 Titan flag football team
under the direction of his dad and Rich Herrington. Joseph loves sports
and is an avid Tiger fan. We look forward to more of his reports and
perhaps even some of his commentary. |
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Waterloo Columbus
Sailors take Wind out of Tiger Sails
November 21, 2004
by Helen D. Gunderson, Gazette editor
printer friendly
version — text only
Many people have called the 2004 Gilbert Tiger football season
awesome, if not miraculous, perhaps even a Cinderella story. However,
the headline
story on the sports page of the Ames Tribune on Saturday says the
Tigers are tired of wearing the Cinderella tag and that they have proven
they are for real. |
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Tiger tailback Brian Schmidt on run |
Regardless of how the players or coaches view the
Cinderella label, their program has gone through a delightful
turnaround. Their success has excited many people — diehard fans and
lots of other folk who have gotten caught up in Tiger fever and the
team’s mantra, "Believe." |
| It’s hard to know what words to use except
the ones listed above that have been said over and over, even if they don’t
adequately describe the perspectives of the people inside the program.
And to say that a season is awesome, miraculous, or like a Cinderella
story is not meant to take any credit away from the Gilbert program and
the achievements that the coaches and players have made..
Be that as it may, at 1:00 pm on Saturday, the Gilbert football team
faced Waterloo Columbus in the Iowa Class 2A Championship Game. The
Tigers had not been in the state football play-off series since 1979.
They had a 26-109 record in the 15 years prior to the 2004 season and
won only four games in the last three years. They went into Saturday's
contest with a 10-2 record.
According to the Tribune, the Sailors were a powerhouse football team
in the 1980s and won the state championship in 1986. They had a mediocre
season a year ago but rallied this year and won three games in a row in
October. However, they went into a skid , losing three out of their last
four regular season games. But the Sailors, too, had their share of
surprises and went on a winning march through post season play. Their
record was 9-3 heading into the big game at the Dome. They left the Dome
with a 10-3 record and the championship trophy. Their leader, Aundra
Meeks, who is graduate of Columbus, is the first African-American coach
to win an Iowa high school football championship game.
Fox Television Network televised the game. During the pre-game show,
the commentator talked about how Waterloo Columbus has a great passing
game balanced with a good running game. He said, "The Gilbert defense
has a tall task today." |
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Tiger quarterback Dan Clark |
Gilbert received the opening kickoff, and
Gilbert was indeed a "for real" contender with a chance to take home the
championship trophy. They master-minded
a series of 15 rushing and passing plays to move the ball 71 yards. |
| But with a fourth down and two yards to go,
the Columbus defense threw Gilbert fullback Adam Weber for a loss. Then
on the Sailors’ opening play, quarterback Brad Schmit completed a pass
to split end Ben McMahon, who was running a post pattern, for 84 yards
and a touchdown. It was the longest touchdown pass play in an Iowa 2A
championship game. The Sailors kicked the extra point and took a 7-0
lead. Waterloo’s big play on defense (i.e. stopping the Tigers on
fourth down) and then the big play on offense (the 84-yard touchdown)
could have sucked the wind out of any team. However, Gilbert looked as
though it would recover, moving the ball 50 yards in nine plays. However
the series was cut short when the Sailors intercepted a Dan Clark pass.
Waterloo then moved the ball 78 yards in 10 plays and upped their lead
to 14-0 in the second quarter. There was no more scoring in the first
half.
A two-touchdown lead at half-time is no assurance of victory nor does
it mean a team is sinking to defeat. On Saturday, the Iowa State
Cyclones were down 23-9 against Kansas State but scored three touchdowns
in the final three minutes of the game to win with a score of 37-23. As
the Des Moines Register said this morning, "Iowa State clinched at least
a share of the Big 12 Conference's North Division title —
giving the Cyclones their first league crown of any kind since 1912." Indeed, there were some positive signs for Gilbert in the first half
statistics. The Tigers had 58 yards rushing while the Sailors had eight
yards on the ground. The Tigers had 10 first downs while the Sailors had
six. And the Tigers had only one penalty for five yards while the
Sailors had three for 34 yards. But there were troubling statistics. The
Sailors passed for 180 yards while the Tigers passed for 58. And on
defense, the Sailors made eight tackles that caused Tiger losses. The
Tigers made only one tackle for a loss. |
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Adam Gregorson chases Sailor QB |
Unfortunately, Waterloo Columbus simply
increased its momentum in the second half, and it seemed there was
little that Gilbert could do. The Sailors scored their final touchdown
with 10 minutes left in the game, making the score 41-0. They kicked the
ball to Gilbert, who took a touchback and began play on their own 20
yard line. |
| The Tigers tried to run the ball. On first down, they lost one yard. On second
down, they gained nothing. And on third down, they lost another seven
yards.
Gilbert Head Coach Scott Auderer called a time out and walked onto
the field to huddle with his players. There was fervor in his voice, and
a photographer, who was not far from the conversation, said that Auderer
told the team words to the effect that he, the rest of the coaching
staff, and the players had worked too hard during the season to give up.
It would have taken a miracle for the team to overcome the 41 point
deficit with only eight minutes and 16 seconds left in the game, but Auderer seemed to be suggesting that the players put some fire in the
belly so they could hold their heads high when they went off the field.
An observer has to wonder if, how, and when the mantra "believe" came
up in the huddle or other coaching situations on Saturday at the Dome. The mantra is not
magic, and it is certainly one of many factors: physical aptitude,
conditioning, learning and perfecting plays, good scouting reports,
playmaking intelligence, sports psychology, people skills, teamwork,
trust, morale, and a bunch of other things, including luck. However, the
mantra has been the most heralded factor in the Tiger's turnaround
season. It would be a cheap shot to ask if the team forgot its mantra
today and lost its essential focus of believing, but it is natural to be
curious about what happened.
This whole matter of "believe" as an avenue for wholesome living and
success is an intriguing one. It is something that spiritual
leaders, psychotherapists, Twelve Step programs, human resource
coordinators, coaches, parents, and many other sages have tried to
fathom and facilitate. Life is an eb and flow. To tap into the spark of
believing that a person is of intrinsic value and can be successful is
hard enough. To maintain contact with that vision 100 percent of the time doesn't seem realistic. Life has
its off moments. Besides, Gilbert is probably not the only team that
possessed
a sense of believing but lost a key game.
Believing is something that carries a person through highs and lows
and the plateaus of life. I suppose I could expound further. For
instance, I could lament that in my years of majoring in physical
education and teaching, I never had a course on sports psychology. Or in
my own life's journey, I hunger for the kind of mentoring that it
appears the coaching staff has given the players. But I better avoid blathering too much about
this whole sphere of thought that fills the shelves of many a library,
bookstore, or personal bookshelf.
I only have inklings from what I have observed at games and what I
have heard from parents and students about what Coach Auderer means when
he talks about the need for the players to believe. I have only a few
clues as to how he has worked with athletes to instill a sense of
believing in themselves, their peers, and their leaders. Perhaps Coach
Auderer could
teach a continuing education workshop for the community on Sports
Psychology 101. Then again, to think of it, he and his staff and team
have already provided a pretty good lesson for those of us who have
gotten inspired by the success of the Tiger football season that ended
yesterday.
There were no more plays of consequence in the game, and the score
stood at 41-0 when the final buzzer sounded. The Gilbert players
maintained their composure. Some even turned to the crowd and raised
their helmets in the air in an attempt to rally themselves and the
Gilbert fans and remember the successes of their season.
OK, OK. The Cinderella metaphor probably isn’t a good one. And it is
not wise at this point to talk about a carriage that reverts to a pumpkin
at midnight. Instead, how about some story that involves sailors on the
high seas who bring their vessel alongside another and clamber aboard,
taking control. As the television commentator said after Waterloo’s
first touchdown at 4:45 in the first half, the big play on defense
followed by the 84-yard touchdown pass was a devastating turn of events
for Gilbert. Sports commentators don’t always know what they are talking
about, but the one on Fox Television apparently did and had an apt
premonition about what would happen. To use the high seas metaphor, the
Waterloo Columbus Sailors commandeered the Gilbert ship.
In the final statistics, the Sailors rushed for 295 yards compared to
the Tigers who ran for 83 yards. The Sailors passed for 258 yards
compared to 60 for the Tigers. And the Sailors made 12 tackles that
resulted in lost yards while the Tigers made only one.
On the Saturday evening news on KCCI Channel 8 TV, Coach Auderer said
that he would have preferred to play the game anyplace else than the
comfortable UNI-Dome, perhaps in rain or snow. He claimed that the
Tigers and Sailors simply didn’t match up well. Apparently he thought
that inclement weather would have leveled the playing field. For sure,
he probably has a lot more to say to his players and staff but that he
did not
want broadcasted on the air or printed in the newspapers. And there is a lot of
other talk that will go on. There will be discussions in the inner
circles among the coaching staff and players. There will be the buzz of
fellow students, parents, and the public at large. But it probably will
be many, many years before Gilbert is ever called a Cinderella football
team again. That should be one consolation to the coaches and players. |
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score 41-0, Tigers have a 4th and 12 on
their 18 yard line, 3:06 left in the game |
| The Gilbert football staff and players
should not need consolations, even though it is understandable that they
might have some heartache and grief about being shut out by such a large
margin. However, the Tigers left the Dome on Saturday with a 10-3 season
record and a second place trophy from the state championship game. In
addition, Trevor Schwartz, a senior offensive lineman and linebacker for
Gilbert, was presented the Class 2A award for being an outstanding,
all-around, student athlete. Members of the Gilbert squad were also
selected to the Des Moines Register all-state team. Junior tailback
Brian Schmidt is on the first team offense. Junior place kicker Alex
Bowers is on the second team offense. And Schwartz is on the second team
defense. It seems that Coach Auderer would make a great candidate for
the Mid-Iowa Coach of the Year. That designation will most likely be
published in the Ames Tribune this week. |
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IHSAA officials hold top two trophies |
That’s plenty of exquisite
treasure from the high seas for one year. Next year, the team will set
sail again. About a dozen players will graduate, but there will be a good
number of young and experienced talent returning to constitute the 2005
crew. As Coach Auderer said in the Ames Tribune on Saturday, "These kids
are trying to establish a tradition. They’re not out for one big year
and done type of thing." |
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The wind may have been sucked out of the Tiger sails in the short
term, but there is tomorrow. It is a new day. The Gilbert ship is seaworthy, the sails
will be trimmed, and there will be new currents of wind when it is time
to venture out of the harbor again. Of course, there is the question
about who will captain the vessel. This is Auderer’s first year at the helm. Prior to this season,
Chad Cook coached the Tigers for four years. Chad is a military
captain, having served in the National Guard for 18 years. Early in
2004, he was called to active military duty in Afghanistan but is
currently on a two-week leave that coincides with the birthdays of his
young son and daughter. He apparently attended the Tiger games at the
UNI-Dome but sat in the stands.
Certainly there will be private and public discussions and
speculations about the future of the team’s leadership, considering that
the Tigers had high morale and won 10 games this year under Auderer while losing most of their games under Cook. It’s not an easy
dilemma. But there is wisdom in taking one day at a time. Experience the
grief of losing. Experience the joy of what went well. Tomorrow is a new
day, and 2005 is a new season.
Thanks to the Gilbert coaching staff and players for the excitement
they have added to the lives of their followers. It’s been a great
voyage. Members of the community near and far will savor the memories.
Let the people say, "Hallelujah and Amen."
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Click on any photo above for a larger view.
Photos from the championship game:
01. pre-game
coin toss
02. Gilbert
offensive lineup
03. Gilbert
offensive backfield
04. Gilbert QB
Dan Clark passes
05. Tigers
up against Sailors' pass machine
06.
Sailor quarterback passes
07. Coach
Auderer talks to Tigers on field
08.
Gilbert sideline crew
09. post
game hand-shaking line up
10. Coach
Auderer congratulates Trevor Schwartz
11. IHSAA
representatives hold top two trophies
12. the Tiger
fans
The photo images are by
Helen Gunderson, editor of the Gazette. As per the terms of service of
this web site, she reserves all rights to the photos. Gazette visitors
may reproduce the images for personal use. For further
information,
contact Helen.
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Honoring
the Team back Home in Gilbert
November 21, 2004
by Helen D. Gunderson, Gazette editor
by Helen D. Gunderson, Gazette editor
November 21, 2004
The Gilbert Tiger football program was honored for its 2004
accomplishments at a homecoming-style celebration. The event was held at
the Gilbert High School gymnasium on Sunday afternoon, November 21,
2004. There was a fun, warm feeling as various persons talked and awards
were distributed. Even so, it was a rather low-key affair compared to
the roof-raising band music and cheers when the Tigers won the Iowa
Class 2A semi-final game on November 15 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
There was a genuine tenderness and thoughtfulness in the remarks and
everything else that was done during the ceremony.
Perhaps some day, the
Gazette will write a report or post images. But for now, we are
exhausted from spending a long day and an over-nighter on Saturday,
preparing our report on the championship
bout at the Dome that the Tigers lost. Cheers to an awesome season. May
everyone involved in the success get some rest, relaxation, and regroup
for the next phases of their lives after coming down after a very
exciting season. |
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