The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Senior Bulldog Dain Henderson stood before a crowd of teammates, schoolmates, coaches and family to read from the page he held.

"I am a Bulldog. I've played for Bulldogs of the past and Bulldogs of the future. I have known success, and I have known defeat. I have known sorrow, and I have known joy. I am a Bulldog."

The words came from a letter presented to the Bulldogs just before their final district playoffs game against Asotin two weeks ago. It was written by Roseann Groom, mother of Andrew Groom, the young Dayton athlete who died last June at age 16.

"We were already pretty worked up," Henderson said. "And this really got to us. I said at the beginning of the year that we were going to play for a purpose (for Andrew Groom), and I believe we played for that purpose."

Several coaches had to choke back tears as they presented awards to their teams and explored what it means to be a Bulldog during Dayton's Winter Sports Banquet on Tuesday evening.

Cheer coach Kassandra Dedloff offered a heart-felt thank you to her girls and the entire community for the spaghetti fundraiser held for the Dedloff family last week.

"I was raised a Bulldog, cheered for the Bulldogs, and I'm raising future Bulldogs," she said. "And I'm so lucky to coach these Bulldog girls and show them how truly lucky they are to be at this school and in this community."

Dedloff actually stepped down as head cheer coach for the Bulldogs squad to spend more time with her son, Jayden, who is struggling with seizures. She hopes to return next year, however, to rejoin her "cheer family."

Dedloff presented captain awards to Molly Payne, Jennifer Stephens and Caylyn Tate. Tate was also awarded Most Inspirational.

Assistant coach Nikki Fullerton presented awards to the girls' basketball team. Captain awards went to juniors Shelby Smith, Samura Miller and Nicole Lambert. Most Improved was sophomore Malia Frame. Most Inspirational was sophomore Samantha Harting. Most Valuable Teammate went to Lambert. Smith also received the Coaches' Award. And sophomore Courtney Fuller received the Defensive Award.

Honors were presented to All-League player Lambert and Honorable Mention McKayla Bickelhaupt.

Music director Tabitha Bower presented awards to the Dayton Pep Band. Those students lettering in pep band this year were Victoria House, Keisha Phillips, Marshall Nechodom, Kyla Ihle, Lisa Aleksyeyeva, Patrick Trainor, Claire Lyman, Jacob Waggoner, Madeline Jensen, David Phillips, Jana Rickords and Briana Fulbright.

To end the evening's honors, head men's basketball coach Roy Ramirez presented awards and honors to his team.

"The boys ended their season on a really strong note," he said. Like Dedloff, Ramirez was having trouble "keeping it together" as he talked about his "family" - the young men on his squad.

"Over the last three years, the kids have all been such a huge part of my life," he said after the banquet. "I've been able to coach many of them since they were in fifth grade. With the seniors, it's hard. I'm always that way. I always tell my players, once they've played for me, they're pretty much stuck with me. They're always going to be part of my family."

Bulldogs awarded on Tuesday night were captains Garett Turner, junior; Jason Norris, senior; and Henderson .

Most Improved went to sophomore Wyatt Frame and junior Kroft Sunderland. Most Inspirational was Henderson. Most Valuable Teammate was junior Colton Bickelhaupt. And Most Valuable Player went to Turner.

All three of the men's All-District players received awards including Hayden Fullerton, Sunderland and Turner.

The team is losing just three seniors this year. Ramirez said he believes the Bulldogs will be "really strong" next year.

"But the game we love so much isn't about winning or losing," he said. "It's about developing young men and being part of a family."

In the words of Roseann Groom:

"I am a Bulldog. Tonight I play for my school and my community. I play for my teammates of the past and for my teammates of the present. I will play with pride, with strength, and with tenacity. I am a Bulldog."