DES MOINES (March 2) -- The Springville girls basketball team is already a formidable outfit when seniors Mikayla Nachazel and Rylee Menster shoulder the scoring load and everyone else contributes to a great defense. When the role players and subs start knocking down shots as well, the top-ranked Orioles are downright unbeatable. It was that kind of afternoon for Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Friday as the seventh-ranked and fourth-seeded Spartan

 DES MOINES (March 2) -- The final numbers are nothing short of fantastic for Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton seniors Sophia Peppers and Kealey Nelson. Peppers and Nelson played their final high school game on Friday as the Spartans lost to Springville in the 1A state tournament semifinals.

 DES MOINES (March 3) -- For the second straight year, Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton’s Sophia Peppers was one of six girls named to the Class 1A All-Tournament Team at the Girls State Basketball Tournament in Des Moines.

 DES MOINES (March 2) -- Three years ago, an upstart 11th-ranked Springville team pulled off a semifinal upset at the Girls State Basketball Tournament, scoring the first 16 points of the game and holding off No. 2 Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton 68-57. The Orioles have rarely looked back since, finishing as state runner-up in 2015 and winning the last two state titles in Class 1A.

 DES MOINES (Feb. 28) -- For three and a half quarters on Wednesday, Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton and AGWSR waged a back-and-forth battle in search of consistency. The lead changed hands eight times and there were seven ties. Momentum was fleeting. But with the outcome hanging in the balance at Wells Fargo Arena, Spartan seniors Sophia Peppers and Kealey Nelson did what they always seem to do at crunch time.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Feb. 26) -- From an effort and execution standpoint, the Harlan Community boys basketball team graded out close to an ‘A’ in Monday’s Class 3A, Substate 8 final vs. Glenwood. But on this night - against this opponent - an A+ was required to win. In an entertaining, up-tempo battle between senior-laden rivals, the Rams simply had an answer for everything the Cyclones threw at them inside the Abraham Lincoln Fieldhouse.

 DENISON (Feb. 26) -- Only three IKM-Manning players were able to break into the scoring column Monday night as the Wolves lost a low-scoring Class 1A, Substate 8 final vs. third-ranked Remsen St. Mary’s, 39-23, at Denison. IKM-Manning trailed just 6-2 after the first quarter and 16-10 at halftime, but could never get going on the offensive end against the unbeaten Hawks (25-0), who advanced to the Boys State Basketball Tournament as the No.

 DES MOINES (Feb. 28) -- At least on paper, Wednesday’s Class 1A girls state basketball quarterfinal between Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton and AGWSR looks like a great 4 vs. 5-seed matchup. The 7th-ranked Spartans (23-1) and No. 8 Cougars (21-2) will tip things off at 3:15 p.m. inside Wells Fargo Arena as the second of four 1A first round games. The winner will return to Des Moines Friday at 1:30 for a semifinal against either No.

 HARLAN (Feb.

 CARROLL (Feb. 23) -- The IKM-Manning boys basketball team moved within one win of the state tournament on Friday night, defeating Tri-Center 51-42 in a Class 1A, District 15 final played at Kuemper Catholic. The game was postponed 24 hours due to inclement weather and the Wolves’ Substate 8 final vs. third-ranked Remsen St.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Feb. 20) -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton boys got just the start they wanted in Tuesday’s district battle at St.

 WATERLOO (Feb. 19) -- Bowling just below his season average, Harlan Community sophomore Darren Stein placed 33rd out of 53 participants in the Class 1A Boys State Bowling Tournament held February 19 at Waterloo’s Cadillac Lanes. Competing as an individual qualifier, Stein rolled games of 155 and 203 for a total of 358, finishing one pin behind Shenandoah’s top two finishers, Jordan Ross and Aaron Whitslar.

 AVOCA (Feb. 19) -- The final chapter has yet to be written in the basketball storybook of Sophia Peppers and Kealey Nelson, but the plot thus far has certainly been well worth the read. Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton’s senior duo combined for 38 points and 19 rebounds Monday night, clinching a fourth consecutive trip to the Girls State Basketball Tournament as the seventh-ranked Spartans defeated No.

 MAPLETON (Feb.

 HARLAN (Feb.