Dutchmen Welcome Back
The Melrose
Dutchmen had two welcome backs from their state tournament champion.
On Saturday fans
lined Fifth Avenue greeted the bus back from the state meet. They then came to
the parking lot to greet and applaud the team.
This morning a
welcome back was held in the Melrose Area Public Elementary auditorium. Besides
the team, Melrose gymnast, Mady Brinkman was saluted at the event.
The coaches and
captains addressed the well-wishers thanking all-of the students, players,
fans, parents and community. A constant them of the speeches was that it was
team work that won. Coach Ryan Dusha illustrated how the seniors illustrated
that concept of teamwork in a variety of ways.
He told how
Brian Thielen, a senior, had accepted the role of playing the scout team, even
after he had been seen a game time early in the year.
“He came up to
me and said “coach that was so much fun,” Dusha recalled.
‘Zak Luetmer did
fantastic job, He didn’t got much playing time, but he never complained.’
“Blake Gerads was one of the best
players on the team and didn’t start and he was fine with that,” Dusha said.
“Anthony Welle
he keeps everyone loose”
Isaac Herkenhoff
talked to me early in the year and said he I love BB so much.
Cesar, Nobody
knew how bad his ankle was. He never complained. He just kept going I asked him one time this year if he was having
fun. He said “coach all I want to do is get a banner.”
The celebration
came 41 years after Melrose had last won a state boys basketball
championship. Activities Director
Jonathan Ruoff tried to put some perspective on that.
“We estimated
that in that time about 6,500
students graduated from Melrose. Let’s hope the next one comes after 115 have
graduated.
Check the March
18 issue of the Beacon for photographs and stories of the team at state.
Melrose earned the following first place finishes
