HCHS battles injuries, inconsistency in Schaben’s first year

 HARLAN -- Returning to the program for which she was a four-time all-stater from 2007 to 2011, Brooke Schaben experienced an eventful first season as head coach of the Harlan Community softball team.
 It was a summer marred by injuries and inconsistency at times, but there were also positives as the Cyclones maintained excellent team chemistry through adversity and adjusted well to Schaben’s aggressive offensive coaching style.
 There were signature wins along the way, highlighted by victories over state qualifiers Creston and Atlantic, but also some lopsided weekend losses and four defeats against teams that finished below HCHS in the conference standings.
 When it was all said and done, the Cyclones finished 13-23 overall - a rare losing record for the program - and placed seventh in the Hawkeye Ten with a mark of 8-12. They fought gamely in their Class 4-A regional opener at Glenwood before coming out on the short end of a 7-5 score.