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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."
For more coverage of the season, go to the
Ames Tribune
and use the search tool to look for the word "Gilbert." For
announcements about arrangements for the upcoming game, go to the
web site for the Gilbert
school district. Also, read Wednesday
morning
article in the Des Moines Register.
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