EXIRA (Sept. 8) -- The first two games of the 2020 football season have literally been a tale of two halves for Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton. In a Week 1 contest at 2nd-ranked Audubon, Exira-EHK fell behind 49-0 at halftime in a 55-0 defeat. In Friday’s home game vs.

 AVOCA (Sept. 3) -- For a young football team like AHSTW, the strangeness of 2020 could actually be a blessing this fall. The Vikings have just three seniors on the roster (two of them starters) and may not be playing their best football until mid-October...

 HARLAN (Aug. 29) -- The Harlan Community volleyball team saved its best for last in Saturday’s four-team Cyclone Tournament, sweeping 3rd-ranked (1A) St.

 GLENWOOD (Aug.

 ADEL (Aug. 27) -- The Harlan Community volleyball team opened the season Thursday with a perfect 3-0 showing at the ADM Quad Tournament in Adel. HCHS recorded 2-0 wins over Newton (21-15, 21-19) and Algona (21-11, 21-15) and won a 2-1 decision over the host Tigers, 19-21, 21-8, 15-7. Sophomore Macy Reischl led the Cyclones in serving all three matches, finishing a combined 39-for-41 with nine aces.

 AVOCA -- AHSTW’s fourth-quarter comeback fell two points short Friday night as the Viking football team lost their season opener to Shenandoah by a final of 24-22. The Vikings, who turned the ball over five times, trailed 14-0 at the half and 24-7 after three quarters before scoring twice in the final period.

 MANNING (Aug. 28) -- Mason Rohatsch scored four touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving) while quarterback Jaxon Johnson finished with three touchdown passes and one on the ground Friday night to lead the Tri-Center football team past IKM-Manning 42-7 in a non-district season opener. The visiting Trojans outgained the Wolves 451-278 in total offense, including 322 passing yards for Johnson (21-of-34, one INT).

 HARLAN (Aug.

 HARLAN (Aug. 28) -- No matter which set of preseason football rankings you follow, Friday’s Week 1 non-district clash between the Harlan Community Cyclones and Grinnell Tigers is expected to be a good one in Class 3A. HCHS is listed third in the first Radio Iowa Poll of the year and sixth by the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Grinnell is ranked third by the Gazette and fifth by Radio Iowa. The two teams will kick things off tonight at 7:00 p.m.

 AREA (Aug. 29) -- The Harlan Community and AHSTW volleyball teams will both play three matches Saturday as they host four and eight-team tournaments. The Cyclone Tournament will be a four-team quad this year starting at 9:00 a.m. HCHS will play in the high school gym, facing Logan-Magnolia first, followed by matches vs. Treynor and St. Albert. The AHSTW Tournament will feature two separate sessions. In the 8:00 a.m.

 SHENANDOAH (Aug. 25) -- The Harlan Community cross country team’s first meet of the season was called off Tuesday when the Shenandoah Early Bird Invite was postponed due to high heat and humidity. The meet was rescheduled for Tuesday, September 1. HCHS will now open the season on Saturday morning at the Glenwood Invite at Glenwood Lake Park.

 MANNING (Aug.

 HARLAN (Aug.

 GRINNELL (Aug.

 AREA -- A combined 16 baseball and softball players from AHSTW and IKM-Manning were named to the 2020 Western Iowa Conference Summer All-Academic Team. Requirements include being a senior with a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher.