ADEL (Aug. 26) -- The Harlan Community volleyball team opened the season with a sweep of the ADM Quad on Thursday night, defeating Newton, ADM and Algona in straight sets. HCHS beat the Cardinals 21-3, 21-18, then swept the host Tigers 21-19, 21-8 and topped the Bulldogs 21-11, 21-10. Zophi Hendricks led the Cyclones with 24 kills in the tournament and was 67-of-75 on attacks.

 HARLAN (Aug. 27) -- It remains to be seen how a season of high hopes and unfinished business will end for the Harlan Community football team later this fall. But this much is certain: the start was unforgettable. Harlan Community and Lewis Central renewed their rivalry at Merrill Field Friday night and waged a Week 1 battle for the ages. HCHS trailed 14-0 after the first quarter, 22-7 at halftime and 29-14 with 11:18 left in the game.

 MANNING (Aug. 27) -- One of the first big goals for the IKM-Manning football team this fall will be getting off to a better start. In 2019 the Wolves lost their first three games, then closed the regular season with six straight wins to make the playoffs. In 2020, they started 0-4 and finished 2-5 in a COVID-shortened regular season.

 HARLAN (Aug.

 AREA -- Harlan Community and AHSTW will both host their annual volleyball tournaments on Saturday (Aug. 28) starting at 8:00 a.m. The 11-team Cyclone Tournament includes three preseason state-ranked teams in Glenwood (Class 4A, No. 4), Indianola (4A, No. 10) and St. Albert (1A, No. 8). The AHSTW Tournament will feature eight total teams.

 SHENANDOAH -- For the second straight year, Harlan Community’s cross country season opener at Shenandoah was postponed due to high heat and humidity on Tuesday. The Shenandoah Early Bird Invite was rescheduled for Tuesday, August 31, at 5:00 p.m. and the Cyclones do plan to attend. The HCHS harriers will now open the season on Saturday morning (Aug. 28) at the Glenwood Invite at Glenwood Lake Park.

 HARLAN -- Austin Ahrenholtz, a 2018 graduate of IKM-Manning, scored a hole-in-one while golfing in the Harlan Community Schools Booster Club Tournament on Sunday, August 15. Ahrenholtz used a 9 iron to ace hole number five - a par-3 - at the Harlan Golf and Country Club. He was golfing with Robbie Wegner, Derek Leinen and Shawn Schaben. (Photo contributed)

 HARLAN -- Simply put, expectations are sky high for the 2021 Harlan Community football team. Last year’s Cyclones won their first 11 games - seven in come-from-behind fashion - before falling to North Scott, 30-6, in the Class 3A state championship game. It was Harlan’s first appearance in the title game since 2009 and marked the program’s ninth state runner-up finish to go along with 12 championship trophies. This year, an experienced and hu

 HARLAN -- The Cyclone softball team notched a third consecutive winning season this summer, finishing 26-12 overall and tying for second place in the Hawkeye Ten Conference at 16-4.

 HARLAN -- Playing a mix of veterans and first-year varsity players, the Cyclones opened the season by losing eight of their first 12 games and fought the rest of the way to get back to .500 in Heath Stein’s first year as head coach.

 HARLAN (Aug.

 ATLANTIC (Aug.

 AMES, IA -- When Iowa State’s 2020 softball season was shortened to just 24 games due to COVID-19, senior Logan Schaben and her teammates were devastated. When the NCAA allowed seniors an extra year of eligibility if they wanted it, Schaben didn’t have to think twice. The Portsmouth native and 2016 Harlan Community graduate returned for a fifth season this past spring and enjoyed every last bit of an historic campaign for ISU. The Cyclones fi

 AREA (Aug. 19) -- All four local high school football teams will hold preseason scrimmages later this week in preparation for their Week 1 games on Friday, August 27. The Harlan Community football team’s annual intrasquad scrimmage, sponsored by the Lions Club, is set for Thursday night at Merrill Field.

 ELK HORN -- Tatum Grubbs, a 2021 graduate of Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton High School, signed a letter of intent this past spring to continue her academics and basketball career at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Grubbs was a four-year starter for the Spartans, finishing her career with 947 points, 224 assists and 150 steals while helping the team make appearances in the Class 1A state tournament semifinals as both a freshman and senior.