THE BEAR FACTS

NOVEMBER 8, 2025

Good morning! I’m Alyssa Haugland!

I’m Sacha Alesch!

And I’m Lucy Eisenbarth! Welcome to a special episode of the “Bear Facts”, where we’re celebrating another trip to the Dome for the Golden Bears and Bishop Garrigan High School.

Ever since the start of the season, the Bears’ goal has been to take back the state champion trophy. The Bears won the 8-man title in 2023, and they’re looking for another state championship in 2025. The Bears were a perfect 8 – 0 in the regular season, and they got easy wins over Kingsley—Pierson and North Union in the first two rounds of playoffs.

The Bears faced Gilbertville Don Bosco Thursday night. The Dons gave Garrigan their toughest game of the season. In fact, they were the only team that led the Bears at any point in a game this year. It was a very physical game, but the Bears ended up heading on to the Dome with a commanding 51 – 21 win. The victory means the Bears haven’t lost at Conway Field since 2022.

Garrigan has the top seed in the eight-man final four. They’ll face #4 Audubon next Wednesday at 10am in the UNI-Dome. They’ll be relying heavily on the seniors who have led the team all season. Quarterback Tate Foertsch also plays defense, where he leads all players in all classes in interceptions. Ethan Marso is one of the top rushers in school history, and Carter Schwab, Kayden Graves, and Carter McGregor regularly make holes where Tate and Ethan can run. Kyle Bormann and Lucas Behounek have also provided big senior leadership for the Bears.

Among the younger players that add to the football team are juniors Mike Joyce and Weston Rosenmeyer, who regularly catch long passes and have also come up big on defense. Madden Miller, Nate Leerar, and Matt Besch have been huge for the Bears on defense. Sophomore C.J. McGregor has been important on both sides of the ball, and Karson Kramer has done a great job at nose guard. All thirty-four of the Golden Bear players have important—both on the field on game nights and playing scout team in practice.

Football isn’t the only place where Garrigan has had success lately. Last weekend the Golden Bear cheerleaders won the state championship. Addison Kuper, Ava Snider, Sacha Alesch, Ava Roethler, Aubrey Meyer, Harper Nelson, Delaney Fessler—Arndorfer, Lilly Erpelding—Wickman, Brooklyn Berte, Piper Roethler, Avery Culbertson, and Olivia Roethler competed at the state fairgrounds in Des Moines, and they brought home the first place trophy. Congratulations, cheerleaders!

Last Saturday Garrigan sophomore Julia Swift ran in the state cross-country meet down in Ft. Dodge. This was Julia’s second time running at state, and she finished the 5-K course in a time of 19 minutes, 38 seconds. That earned her a medal for 13th place out of 100 Class 1-A runners. That means Julia has medaled in every meet she’s run in this season. Congratulations!

Last week the quiz bowl team competed in the online Knowledge Master contest. They scored 365, which was 70 points higher than last year’s score and should rank them among the top scores in the competition. Today there’s more quiz bowl, with the Bears hosting the Top of Iowa Conference tournament. Tate Foertsch, Amaury Thomas, Aidan Deitering, Marshall Bormann, Eva Kohlhaas, Bryden Morse, and Lucy Eisenbarth will be competing for the Bears. Good luck, quiz bowl!

Tomorrow is your last chance to see The Addams Family musical on the Garrigan stage. The final performance will be at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. Shiloh Trainer and Tate Foertsch star as young lovers from different worlds. The show also features Sacha Alesch, Amaury Thomas, Matt Besch, Cora Deardeuff, Kayden Graves, Alice Casey, Gabe Swift, Delaney Fesslet—Arndorfer, and Aidan Deitering.

You’ll also see Madelyn Tigges, Leo Snyder, Eva Kohlhaas, Addy Laubenthal, and Henry Bode; plus Rachel Kahle, Emma Kollasch, Rylee Garman, Anaya Thomas, Riley Doerning, Jared Graves, Avery Culbertson, and Abby Deardeuff. Remember to catch the final performance of The Addams Family tomorrow at 2pm in Friedmann Auditorium.

When you see the musical, you may notice new stage curtains on the Garrigan stage. Our old stage curtains are getting a new life. The school donated the old curtains to TLC Quilters, and the fabric has been transformed into beds and pillows for refugee children in Des Moines. We’re glad that our old curtains could be repurposed to help people in need.

We were also pleased to learn this past week that Bishop Garrigan graduate Audi Crooks has been helping people through her foundation. She gave money to provide food for people who found themselves in need due to funding cuts from the government shutdown. We’re glad that Audi is continuing to live the values she learned at Garrigan.

Because there’s more news than usual this week, we’re taking a break from our Senior Spotlight. On our Golden Bear calendar, Garrigan is hosting the conference quiz bowl tournament today, and there’s also girls regional swimming.

Tomorrow is the last performance of The Addams Family musical. You can see the show at 2pm in Friedmann Auditorium. Monday the boys swim season officially begins, though most of the Bears will likely be waiting to start practices until football is over.

Girls basketball season also begins on Monday. Tuesday is Veterans Day. Then Wednesday at 10am the Bears will be playing Audubon in the state football semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

There’s nothing on the calendar next Thursday. Friday is the Stuff the Trailer food drive. Finally next Saturday twenty-three Garrigan students will head down to Ames for the district DECA competition.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for this week. Thanks for tuning in to the show, and good luck to the Bears in the UNI-Dome.

GO BEARS!