The Bear Facts

November 22, 2025

Good morning! I’m Tate Foertsch!

I’m Sacha Alesch!

And I’m Kayden Graves! Happy Thanksgiving from the “Bear Facts”, where we’ve got a lot to be thankful for here at Bishop Garrigan High School.

Undefeated! It’s pretty rare that any team in any sport can say that, but the Golden Bear football team went 13 – 0 this season. This Thursday the Bears made the biggest comeback in state championship history finish their perfect season. They trailed #2 Woodbine for most of the game, but four touchdowns and three two-point conversions in the fourth quarter were enough to put the Bears ahead 44 – 42. In the win the Bishop Garrigan also broke the state record for most rushing attempts in a championship game.

Sixty-six Iowa schools fielded eight-man football teams in 2025, and Bishop Garrigan has been ranked on top of the class in most polls all season long. They dominated their competition during the regular season, and in playoffs the teams they beat included Woodbine, Audubon, and Don Bosco—three of the top eight teams in the state.

Tate Foertsch, Ethan Marso, and C.J. McGregor were the Bears leading rushers in the championship game. C.J. also had the team’s longest pass reception, at 36 yards, while Weston Rosenmeyer and Michael Joyce each caught three passes in the game. Mike also led the team in tackles, while Ethan Marso, Tate Foertsch, Titan Troyer, Madden Miller, Carter McGregor, and Carter Schwab each had multiple solo tackles. Ethan Marso was named Kwik Star’s Star of the Game, and Nate Leerar was named the Iowa Pork Producers’ “Hog of the Game”, and Tate Foertsch was honored by the Iowa Bankers’ Association as the Outstanding Student Athlete of the tournament.

One of the Bears’ biggest strengths is our depth. There are thirty-four guys on the Bishop Garrigan roster. While most of them didn’t get into the championship game, they earned their championship hats by helping the varsity prepare for every game. They’re also the future of the team. Some eight-man schools can barely put a team on the field. In fact, last year’s state champions had to forfeit games due to lack of players. Garrigan had a full sideline all season long, and they should field good teams well into the future.

The win marks the second state championship for the Golden Bears in three years and just the third in school history. The Bears had a couple of rocky years after switching to eight-man football, but they’ve gone on to become one of the most dominant teams in the class. Congratulations to Coach Marty Wadle and all the Golden Bears on a well-deserved state championship!

With football ending, it’s hard to believe that basketball season is already here. The Golden Bear girls will begin their season next Tuesday by hosting St. Edmond. The Bears return five seniors with state tournament experience: Emmi Bartolo, Sacha Alesch, Alyssa Haugland, Ava Roethler, and Carley Nielson. They’re joined by three juniors: Graclyn Eastman, Shiloh Trainer, and Bree Ludwig.

Sophomores including Madelyn Tigges, Lilly Erpelding—Wickman, Brooklyn Berte, Addyson Faris, and Jenna Peterson are also out for basketball; as are freshmen Addie Bartolo, Ava Besch, Kinley Eastman, Rikiya Nielson, and Piper Roethler. Good luck all season long to Coach Brandon Schwab and the Golden Bear girls!

Each year when Thanksgiving approaches, Garrigan holds our mass for deceased alumni, when we recognize graduates from the past sixty-five years who are no longer here on earth. There are hundreds of alumni honored each year, and we invited their families to come and celebrate with us. This year’s memorial mass will be Wednesday at 9am in Friedmann Auditorium.

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Ava Roethler. Here to tell you about her is Alyssa Haugland.

Ava Roethler was on the floor of the UNI-Dome at the championship game as part of the state champion Golden Bear cheer squad. This coming week she’ll be on the basketball court, and she’s also active in track, speech, and the tech crew for plays. Away from school you might see her working at Bloom Floral. Next year Ava plans to study psychology at the University of Iowa, and we wish her all the best in the future.

Thanks, Alyssa! Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, we’ll look at two weeks of events on our Golden Bear calendar. Monday sixteen Garrigan art students will be in Storm Lake for BV’s “I Do Art” clinic.

Tuesday there’s parish busing at Garrigan. That night the Golden Bear girls open basketball season by hosting St. Ed’s. Then Wednesday morning we’ll have the mass for deceased alumni.

There’s parish busing again on Wednesday, and Garrigan will be dismissed at 1:30 that afternoon. There’s no school Thursday or Friday because of Thanksgiving vacation.

Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. We’ll start the day on Monday, December 1st, with an Advent prayer service. There’ll be a winter sports pep rally that afternoon.

Tuesday the boys swim team starts their season at Carroll. State dance will be Wednesday and Thursday, December 3rd and 4th in Des Moines.

There’s a basketball quad Thursday night, December 4th, with the JV and varsity boys and girls hosting Belmond—Klemme. There’s also a boys swim meet Thursday night in Mason City.

The boys basketball team hosts Western Christian on Friday, December 5th. Garrigan’s athletes who wrestle for the Algona Bulldogs will also be busy that night with a tournament in Independence.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for November. We’ll be off next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, but be sure to catch the show two weeks from today for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.

GO BEARS!