MONDAMIN -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton recovered from an awful second quarter by finishing the game on an 11-1 run and winning at West Harrison, 48-39, in boys basketball action last Tuesday. The Spartans entered the holiday break with a 5-3 overall record and 5-2 Rolling Valley Conference mark. They will return to action Tuesday, January 5, for a home game vs.

DENISON -- The Harlan Community boys bowling team accomplished two feats in one night last Thursday, posting a school-record team score of 2,988 pins to beat Denison-Schleswig (2,651) for the first time in seven head-to-head matchups since the Cyclone program began in 2012. Three Cyclones averaged better than 200 pins per game as junior Mitchell Leinen set individual school records with a high game of 263 and a two-game series of 473. Senior M

 ELK HORN -- Even as his team glides into Christmas break unbeaten, Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton girls basketball coach Tom Petersen sees vast room for improvement in many key areas. The 2nd-ranked (Class 1-A) Spartans improved to 7-0 last Friday night with a 58-35 win over Ar-We-Va - their second victory against a team over .500 - but everything from poor outside shooting to a lack of communication left Petersen frustrated with the girls’ progre

 HARLAN -- On a history-making night for senior Taylor Frederick, the Harlan Community girls basketball team finished December on a high note Tuesday with a 65-35 win over Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln. Next on the agenda is a well-deserved breather before focusing squarely on January, February and beyond. Frederick, who broke Jess Schaben’s school record for career points last Saturday, became the first Cyclone five-player girl in program hi

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community Cyclones didn’t quite find a way to defeat Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln here Tuesday night, but they became a better basketball team for trying. Battling from behind the entire game - even turning a 16-point third-quarter deficit into their only lead with 2:31 to go - the third-ranked (Class 3-A) Cyclones ultimately came up short, 64-57, against the sixth-ranked (4-A) Lynx. A poor start to both halves proved c

 WAUKEE -- The Harlan Community wrestling team salvaged a 45-29 win over Chariton in its final dual to finish with a 1-4 record at Saturday’s Al Garrison Memorial Duals in Waukee. The Cyclones went 0-3 in Pool C before splitting a pair of duals in the consolation round, dropping their overall season record to 5-5 going into the holiday break. Led by All-Tournament selections Nick Foss and Aaron Johannsen - both 5-0 on the day - HCHS actually f

 CLARINDA -- Harlan Community improved its Hawkeye Ten dual record to 4-0 Thursday night with a double dual sweep, beating Clarinda, 42-30, and St. Albert, 66-18. The host Cardinals beat St. Albert, 78-6. Eight out of 12 Cyclone wrestlers finished 2-0 for the meet, led by two pins each from Elias Shaeffer, Nick Foss and Jacob Wingert. HCHS (4-1 overall) finished 7-4 with five pins in contested matches vs.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- It wasn’t easy, but then again it wasn’t supposed to be. In a span of less than 24 hours this past weekend, the Harlan Community girls basketball team beat a pair of state-ranked unbeatens while making two separate bus rides to Council Bluffs. One night after outlasting sixth-ranked (4-A) Lewis Central, 43-40, the Cyclones overcame a rash of turnovers Saturday to hold off No.

 HARLAN -- A change in defensive strategy produced the same winning result for Harlan Community Friday night as the Cyclone boys beat Lewis Central, 55-39, to move to 5-0 on the season. Facing a big and physical Titan lineup that includes two Division I football recruits in JB Baker (6-8, 260) and Mitchell Brinkman (6-3, 235), HCHS played a 2-3 zone and used a fullcourt press to help force 22 LC turnovers. Baker, who has committed to play foot

ELK HORN -- With one decisive two-minute burst, the Ar-We-Va boys basketball team showed there’s a reason they’ve won 50 consecutive regular season games. Answering Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton’s 13-2 first-half finish that put the Spartans up 29-25 at the half, Ar-We-Va’s Derek and Drew Schurke combined to score the first 10 points of the third quarter and the Rockets led the rest of the way to beat the Spartans 62-54 on Friday night. It was the

 ELK HORN -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton outscored Ar-We-Va 19-2 in the second quarter en route to a 58-35 win over the Rocket girls in Rolling Valley Conference action Friday night. The 2nd-ranked (1-A) Spartan girls improved to 7-0 overall and also beat Guthrie Center 67-20 on Saturday. See Friday’s Harlan News-Advertiser for more details. 

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- The Harlan Community girls kept their Hawkeye Ten winning streak alive Friday night, opening the fourth quarter with a pivotal 11-2 run and holding off Lewis Central, 43-40, on the Titans’ home floor. Bailey Hansen and Jordyn Moser both hit 1-of-2 free throws in the final 10 seconds, sandwiched around a key defensive charge taken by Emma Ahrenholtz with three seconds left, to preserve the victory. The third-ranked (Class 4-A

 HARLAN -- With the outcome long since decided, Tuesday night’s second half between Harlan Community and Creston resembled a below-the-rim version of the NBA All-Star Game. There were no slam dunks, but three-pointers - 32 of them in all - rained from the sky as the third-ranked (Class 3-A) Cyclones routed the Panthers 80-47 in a non-conference matchup between Hawkeye Ten rivals. HCHS senior Thomas Fink and Creston junior Cody Crawford both ma

 HARLAN -- The ball movement was crisper, the shooting was better and the dry spells were shorter Tuesday night as the Harlan Community girls basketball team showed marked improvement in a 58-35 win over Creston. Taylor Frederick led a balanced Cyclone attack with 18 points and eight rebounds, fellow senior forward Emma Ahrenholtz had 12 points and seven boards and senior point guard Jordyn Moser added nine points and eight assists. HCHS, rank

 HARLAN -- Kenzie Jones rolled a two-game series of 307 to lead the Harlan Community girls bowling team past Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, 1,954 to 1,710, on Tuesday afternoon at Cyclone Lanes. Jones bowled individual games of 170 and 137 for HCHS, which improved its record to 1-1 on the season. The Cyclone boys, however, lost by just 27 total pins (2,561 to 2,534) and dropped to 0-2 going into Thursday’s meet at Denison. HCHS trailed the Ly