Time Machine Trip to November 1988

By Lyle Hansen

November 1, 1988

It is a dream come true for the Kaukauna girls’ volleyball team. The Ghosts are heading for state for the first time since 1985 after defeating all three of their opponents at the WIAA Class A Sectional in Neenah Saturday. Sara Biese, who had 30 spikes and 10 blocks, led the squad with 54 points. Judy Lenz added 22 spikes, 26 points and 27 assists.

November 3, 1988

For a while on Saturday it looked as if the WIAA Class A state championship trophy would be resting at Kaukauna High School. The Ghosts defeated Shawano 16-14 in the title opening game at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and everything seemed to be going Kaukauna’s way. Then came the second game. The Ghosts cruised to a 13-0 lead behind the serving of senior Lea Geyso, a spiking of senior Sara Biese and Tracy Eiting's tips. However, when Biese rotated to the back row the Shawano offense began to roll and tallied 15 unanswered points to trim Kaukauna 15-13. Shawano captured the final game 15-3 for the crown and the Class A championship.

A man who is believed to be the first Kaukauna winner in the Wisconsin lottery received his check for $500 this week. He is John DeBruin of Wisconsin Avenue.

Everyone knew Kaukauna’s Mike James could finish in the top 10 at the state meet and he did. James tallied a time of 16.04, receiving a medal for his sixth-place finish at the WIAA Class A State Cross Country Meet in Wisconsin Rapids. His record shattered Rich Stegeman’s record of 17^th place finish in 1963.

November 8, 1988

A retirement party to honor Fire Chief Tom Roberts and Assistant Police Chief Eugene Schaefer is scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Mariner. Schaefer and Roberts will both retire form their respective departments near the end of the year.

Midtec Papers’ growth from a failing soon-to-be-closed small-town mill to an operation which Thursday dedicated its new $300 million “Advantage” paper machine happened because of its relationship with its employees.

November 10, 1988

Kaukauna voters were overwhelmingly in favor of establishing a greyhound racing track in Kaukauna following Tuesday's vote with 3701 in favor of the plan and 1279 opposed to the idea. 

Move over Rocky Bleier. I'm for a changing of the guard at the top of Xavier record books. The final game of Corey Coonen’s career for the Hawks he put together a rushing total of 176 yards against DePere Pennings October 29 somewhere in the middle of that game the Ghost native smashed Bleier’s twenty-five-year-old record of 2985 yards. Coenen now stands 76 yards ahead of the former Steeler 3061 yards. 

November 24, 1988

Lindy Kemp, who was in Kaukauna this summer for induction into Kaukauna's high school alumni Hall of Fame, received considerable press coverage at the Brookfield East high school where she has coached girls’ basketball for the past nineteen years. Since her arrival at East, Kemp has compiled a record of 259 wins and 84 losses. A 1963 graduate of Kaukauna High School, Kemp is the first female athlete inducted into the Kaukauna Hall of Fame. 

Members of the Kaukauna high school JV squad kneeling, Betsy Diedrich, Paula Zwiers and Genene Allen. In the back-row Amy Arendt, Jodi DeCoster, Sara Dercks, Coach Betty Steger, Denise DeBruin and Stacy Franzke.

Freshmen Cheerleaders earn a second-place award in Eau Clair completion. Front row Erika Hayes, Tessa Dercks, Kristie Carroll and Tammy Brantmeier; middle, Abbie Geyso, Cathy Dercks, Crissy Benson, Jenny Diedrich and Lynn Nytes. Back row Shelly Grimh, Amy Russo, Rochelle Worsche, Renee Baeten, Alissa Maki and Coach Betty Steger.

The Kaukauna Varsity Cheerleaders captured third place in the class A competition last Saturday at Eau Claire. Front row, Tracy Fink, Jill Gerrits, and Kim Kruger. Back row Dawn Hartjes, Coach Betty Steger, Kara Frank, Julie Warner, Joanne Vander Velden and Karen Arnoldussen. 

November 29, 1988

Wisconsin deer hunters registered 120,000 deer during the first weekend of the nine-day hunt, according to figures compiled by the Department of natural resources.

Pvt. Nicholas Corrente has successfully completed basic training at Fort Dix, N.J. He is now stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia, specializing in helicopter repair. Corrente graduated from Kaukauna High School with the class of 1988.