CARROLL -- Harlan Community senior Brett Sears capped his prep baseball career by playing in four games as part of the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association’s All-Star Series, held August 8-11 at Merchants Park. Sears played for the Small Schools West squad, which went 1-3 and placed fourth.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community football team will hold its annual preseason “soap” scrimmage, hosted by the Harlan Lions Club, on Thursday (Aug. 22) at Merrill Field. The freshmen team will scrimmage at 6:00 p.m., followed by the varsity scrimmage at approximately 7:30. The area’s other three prep football teams will hold public scrimmages on Friday (Aug. 23).

 HARLAN -- If 2018 was viewed as a small step, the 2019 season must be considered a giant leap for the Harlan Community softball program. Following three sub-.500 records during head coach Brooke Wilson’s first three years at the helm, including a 15-17 mark last summer, this year’s Cyclones got back on the winning track in a big way. Dominating the Hawkeye Ten Conference at times, HCHS won its first outright league title since 2013 with a spa

 HARLAN -- If all good things must come to an end, it was a heck of a ride for the Harlan Community baseball team. On the heels of eight straight trips to the state tournament, including a 3A championship in 2016 and runner-up finishes in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2018 - a run that saw them average 29 wins per year - the Cyclones had another great season in 2019 but fell one victory shy of their ultimate goal. Ranked in the top five nearly wire-to-

 PORTSMOUTH -- The National League defeated the American League 12-9 in the annual Iowa Western League All-Star Game held Wednesday, August 7. The AL All-Stars trailed 12-3 before scoring six runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it close. Both squads finished the seven-inning game with nine hits and stranded seven men on base. The Home Run Derby held before the game was won by Justin Schaben of Portsmouth.

 HARLAN (Aug. 12) -- The Harlan Community volleyball team began practicing for the 2019 season Monday morning as it looks to improve on last year’s 18-21 match record. Third-year head coach Willie Baughman expects to start the season with a roster of approximately 35 players in grades 9-12.

 AREA -- Approximately 40 cross country runners from Harlan Community and AHSTW took part in the inaugural Bruiser Cup 5K Fun Run held Friday, August 9, at Prairie Rose State Park. High school and middle school students participated in the preseason event as a kickoff to the 2019 season. Runners from both schools were divided into two teams - “Black” and “Blue” - to comprise the Bruiser Cup combatants.

 MANNING -- The annual Special Olympics Iowa Softball Skills Competition was held in Manning July 11 at the IKM-Manning football field. Approximately 55 athletes and 50 volunteers took part in the event, hosted by IKM-Manning for the fourth consecutive year. Athletes from 10 delegations in central and western Iowa competed in hitting, base running, fielding and throwing.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Golf and Country Club held its men’s and women’s Club Championship Tournaments on Sunday, July 28.

 HARLAN (Aug.

 DES MOINES (Aug. 6) -- Harlan Community’s potent one-two pitching punch earned all-state honors Tuesday as senior Brett Sears and junior Connor Bruck were recognized on the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association’s All-State baseball teams for 2019. Sears, who was named second-team all-state in 2017 and first-team all-state in 2018 - both times as a pitcher - made this year’s Class 3A first team as an infielder.

 AMES -- Starting all but one game and posting numerous career highs, Iowa State junior third baseman Logan Schaben helped the 2019 ISU softball team reach new heights this past spring as the Cyclones notched their first winning season since 1995. The daughter of Gary and Jackie Schaben, rural Portsmouth, and a 2016 graduate of Harlan Community High School, Logan scored 18 runs and had 17 RBI on the year.

 MACOMB, ILL. -- For the second straight year, Westphalia native Dillon Sears was part of a record-breaking season for the Western Illinois University baseball team. Sears played in 34 games and started 29 times - mostly at second base and shortstop - for the Fighting Leathernecks, who finished 22-31 overall and 16-14 inside the Summit League.

 STATE -- Led by first team selection Morgan Schaben of Harlan Community, five area softball players have been recognized on the Iowa Girls Coaches Association 2019 All-State softball teams. A second-team selection last year, Schaben moved up to the Class 4A first team this summer following an outstanding season both at the plate and in the pitching circle for the Cyclones, who improved their record from 15-17 in 2018 to 28-8. Also receiving a

 WAUKEE -- Harlan Community senior pitcher Morgan Schaben competed in the 35th annual Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association All-Star Softball Series last Monday (July 29) at Waukee High School. Schaben was selected to play for the Red All-Star Team, which finished 1-1 against the Blue and the White. Schaben pitched four and two-thirds innings on the day and allowed just one earned run, also playing about six innings at second base.