—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla WESTERn dubuque players celebrate after winning the Class 4A state championship on Friday at Rogers Park. For more photos, visit CU at messengernews.net

From unranked in the preseason to hoisting the Class 4A state title.

The 2021 softball season will forever be memorable for Western Dubuque.

Scoring single runs in the second, third and fifth, the Bobcats won their first-ever softball state championships here Friday evening, downing fellow final surprise team Boone, 3-1.

In a field that featured state regulars like defending champion Winterset, Carlisle, ADM and Clear Creek-Amana, it was Western Dubuque and the Toreadors who survived the week to reach the epic conclusion.

The Bobcats were not in the preseason Top-15, but rose to No. 2 thanks to a strong regular season that was highlighted by a runner-up finish in the Mississippi Valley Conference’s Mississippi division.

Wstern Dubuque played a 5A-heavy schedule, which ultimately helped them knock off North Polk, ADM and Boone. The Bobcats were crowned girls basketball champions in 1987, the only other state title on their resume entering the night.

Maddie Harris was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a double, Maddie Heiderscheit drove in a run and Sydney Kennedy spun a four-hitter, striking out eight with just one walk inside the circle.

Boone was looking to add to its 2008 girls state tennis title along with a handful of individual state championships in tennis, swimming and track.

For the Toreadors, Laena Solverson drove in Emily Ades while Emma Dighton struck out five with two walks and six hits allowed.

Kennedy was named captain of the all-tournament team with Heiderscheit, Sara Horsfield and Aubrey Bierman joining her. Boone’s Zoey Hightshoe, Ades and Dighton were also named, along with ADM’s Aliya Yanga and Addison Banse. Winterset’s Riley Kious and Thea Banning completed the team.

WESTERN DUBUQUE 3,

BOONE 1

Boone 100 000 0 — 1 4 3

W Dubuque 011 010 x — 3 6 0

Emma Dighton (L, 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 2 BB); Sydney Kennedy (W, 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 8 K, 1 BB). 2B-B: Kennedy Lewis; WD: Sydney Kennedy, Maddie Harris, Brynn Walters. RBI-B: Laena Solverson; WD: Maddie Harris (2), Maddie Heiderscheit.