PELLA (Sept.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Sept.

 EXIRA (Sept.

 MISSOURI VALLEY (Sept.

 GOWRIE (Sept.

 HARLAN (Sept.

 PELLA (Sept. 4) -- For as well as the Harlan Community football team played a week ago in beating Grinnell 40-28, the goal this Friday night - maybe the requirement - is an even better performance at Pella. The Cyclones (1-0) trailed four separate times in last week’s season opener but rolled up 549 yards of offense against a highly-regarded opponent.

 SHENANDOAH (Sept. 1) -- The Harlan Community cross country teams both placed first and also claimed the two individual champions at Tuesday’s Shenandoah Early Bird Invite. The Cyclone girls dominated a five-team field, placing seven runners in the top nine and posting a winning score of 18.

 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).