COUNCIL BLUFFS (Dec. 8) -- The Harlan Community wrestling team opened the dual season with a 2-1 record last Tuesday night, scoring big wins over Southwest Iowa (75-6) and St. Albert (63-9) before losing a close 40-37 decision vs. Glenwood. The Rams also beat SWI 75-6 and St.

 HARLAN -- For as much as the Harlan Community girls basketball team put on a clinic in offense Tuesday night, the first thing head coach Zach Klaassen wanted to talk about after the game was his team’s solid man-to-man defense. “We were pretty good in the half court [offensively], but I think our half court defense really won that game for us,” he said.

 HARLAN (Dec. 8) -- It would certainly be understandable if the Harlan Community boys basketball players let their minds drift elsewhere at times during Tuesday night’s 59-45 home win over Kuemper Catholic. Barely 24 hours earlier, the Cyclones were dealt some major misfortune when starting senior point guard Michael Erlemeier suffered a broken fibula during Monday’s practice.

 ELK HORN (Dec. 8) -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton girls basketball team is off to a 3-0 start on the season following Rolling Valley Conference wins over Glidden-Ralston, Coon Rapids-Bayard and Paton-Churdan. The seventh-ranked (1A) Spartans opened up with a 64-26 win at Glidden-Ralston on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Scoring leaders for E-EHK included Quinn Grubbs with 18 points, Macy Emgarten 14, Tatum Grubbs 13 and Mollie Rasmussen 12.

 ELK HORN (Dec. 8) -- Easton Nelson led the way with 24 points as Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton defeated Paton-Churdan 59-42 here Tuesday night in a Rolling Valley Conference boys basketball game. The Spartans improved to 2-1 on the season.
   Exira-EHK Points: Easton Nelson 24 (9-13 FGs), Jackson Radcliff 15 (7-10 FGs), Trey Petersen 9, Hunter Andersen 5, Tyler Petersen 4, Aiden Potts 2.

 HARLAN -- When Abi Albertsen ultimately decided that college athletics was part of her future, the Harlan Community senior did not mess around. About a month after capping a successful high school cross country career at the state meet in Fort Dodge, Albertsen signed a national letter of intent last Wednesday, Dec.

 HARLAN (Dec. 7) -- The Harlan Community girls bowling team is off to a 2-0 start on the season while the boys are 1-1 following home duals against Tri-Center and Shenandoah at Cyclone Lanes. The Cyclone girls defeated Tri-Center 2,402 to 1,836 last Thursday (Dec. 3) and easily defeated Shenandoah 2,419 to 1,683 on Monday. Lily Hegarty led the team with a two-game series of 396 vs. the Trojans, including a 218 in the first game of the year.

 HARLAN (Dec. 5) -- Claiming three champions and a pair of runners-up, the Harlan Community wrestlers opened the season by placing fourth out of eight teams in Saturday’s Dan Hill Cyclone Invitational in Harlan. Senior Jesse Schwery (195 pounds) and juniors Luke Freund (113) and Jeremiah Davis (220) all placed first for HCHS while junior Luke Musich (126) and sophomore Zane Bendorf (170) both took second in their weight class.

 HARLAN (Dec.

 SHENANDOAH (Dec. 4) -- The Harlan Community boys basketball team took control of Friday’s game with a 32-6 second-quarter run and improved to 1-1 overall with a 77-36 Hawkeye Ten victory at Shenandoah. Connor Frame made 5-of-9 three-pointers and paced the Cyclones with 20 points as they made big strides offensively from Thursday’s home loss to Blair.

 SHENANDOAH (Dec.

 AVOCA – The AHSTW basketball teams swept visiting Riverside in a girl-boy doubleheader Friday evening, Dec.

 MANNING (Dec. 4) -- Slow starts and effective zone defense by Logan-Magnolia thwarted the IKM-Manning basketball teams Friday night as the Wolves were swept in a Western Iowa Conference doubleheader. Both IKM-M squads dropped to 0-2 in the WIC. Logan-Magnolia won the girls game 57-43 behind 21 points from senior Emilie Thompson.

 TREYNOR (Nov. 30) -- In a game dictated by the defenses, the Harlan Community girls basketball team found some offense at just the right time Monday night to open the season with a 34-25 victory at Treynor. Ashley Hall book-ended a crucial 10-1 run with a three-pointer and a baseline drive as the Cyclones turned a 21-19 deficit into a 29-22 lead during a six-and-a-half minute stretch of the third and fourth quarters.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Dec. 1) -- The Harlan Community girls basketball team improved to 2-0 here Tuesday night with another hard-fought road win, outlasting 12th-ranked (1A) St. Albert 44-42 in a non-conference matchup. HCHS senior Jocelyn Cheek drained a go-ahead three-pointer in the last 30 seconds that turned out to be the game-winning shot. The Cyclones led 11-5 after one quarter but were outscored 29-19 during the middle two periods.