OAKLAND (Oct. 22) -- Riverside defeated Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton in three sets (25-12, 25-17, 25-16) Tuesday night in a Class 1A first round regional volleyball match. The Spartans finished the season 6-22 overall. Riverside (24-12) will host CAM in a regional quarterfinal on Oct. 28.

 HARLAN (Oct. 25) -- For the Harlan Community football team, the playoff picture remains partly cloudy going into Friday’s Week 9 home game and regular season finale vs. Winterset. Following last week’s 40-0 romp at Creston, HCHS moved up three spots to No.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Oct. 19) -- The Harlan Community volleyball team finished 0-4 at the Lewis Central Tournament October 19 and closed the regular season with an 11-26 overall record. HCHS went 0-3 in pool play, losing to fifth-ranked (Class 5A) Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln and Glenwood by 2-0 scores and falling in three sets vs. top-ranked (1A) Sidney, 8-21, 21-17, 4-15. The Cyclones lost another three-setter vs.

 CRESTON (Oct. 17) -- Ten all-conference medalists, two individual runners-up, one team champion and nearly another.

 CRESTON (Oct.

 SIOUX RAPIDS (Oct.

 AVOCA (Oct. 18) -- The AHSTW football team picked up its fourth win in the last five games Friday night, beating Southwest Valley 25-12 to improve to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in Class A, District 9.

 DUNLAP (Oct. 18) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton was outscored 30-15 in an 8-Player, District 8 football game at Boyer Valley Friday night, dropping the Spartans to 4-4 overall and 3-3 in district play. Boyer Valley (3-5, 2-4) was led by Blake Katzenberger’s 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Creighton Nelson led Exira-EHK with 89 rushing yards and one touchdown and Trey Petersen caught five passes for 44 yards and one TD.

 AREA (Oct. 22) -- Regional volleyball tournament play will begin across the state this week with local squads Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton, AHSTW and Harlan Community set for first round matches and IKM-Manning receiving a bye. On Tuesday night (Oct. 22), Exira-EHK (6-22) will travel to Riverside (23-12) for a Class 1A, Region 2 contest. The winner will play either CAM or Orient-Macksburg next Monday back in Oakland.

 REGIONAL -- State qualifying cross country meets will be held statewide on Thursday, October 24, at 4:00 p.m. The Harlan Community girls and boys squads will compete in a 13-team, Class 3A state qualifier at Atlantic’s Nishna Hills Golf Course while AHSTW, IKM-Manning and Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton will travel to Mount Ayr for a 1A state qualifier at the Mount Ayr Golf and Country Club.

 HARLAN (Oct.

 CRESTON (Oct. 18) -- The football RPI system adopted by the Iowa High School Athletic Association last year to help determine at-large playoff qualifiers is nothing if not objective. The Ratings Percentage Index is not impressed with margin of victory or upsets or how many yards Johnny threw for against the so-called top defense in the land.

 AVOCA (Oct. 14) -- The AHSTW girls placed second and the IKM-Manning boys took third in Monday’s Western Iowa Conference Cross Country Championships, combining for six top-12 medalists at the Avoca Golf and Country Club. Top-ranked (1A) Logan-Magnolia won the girls team title with a score of 31, followed by the eighth-ranked Lady Vikes with 51, No.

 MANNING (Oct.

 EXIRA (Oct.