DENISON -- The Harlan Community girls were unable to take advantage of 18 steals on defense Thursday night, shooting just 23 percent from the field in a 46-36 conference loss at Denison-Schleswig. HCHS (5-8 overall, 3-5 in the Hawkeye Ten) matched the Monarchs with 14 points in the third quarter but scored eight or fewer in the remaining three periods.

 AVOCA -- There’s many reasons behind AHSTW’s 14-1 start on the basketball floor this winter, and most of them were on display during Tuesday night’s 67-50 home win over Logan-Magnolia. Avenging their only loss of the season with a closing 16-4 exclamation point in the last seven minutes, the Vikings rode a hot shooting start by R.J.

 CARROLL -- Kuemper Catholic opened Monday night’s game vs.

CRESTON -- On a night highlighted by senior Aaron Johannsen’s 100th career win, Harlan Community finished 0-2 as a team at Tuesday’s Creston/Orient-Macksburg wrestling double dual. HCHS nearly erased an 18-point deficit in its first dual against Lewis Central before falling just short, 33-31, then lost to the host Panthers 62-12. Creston (16-3 overall) also beat LC 50-19, locking up second place in the Hawkeye Ten dual standings with a 9-1 rec

January 19 • at Ida GroveVARSITY GIRLS -- OA-BCIG 2080, HCHS 1942Indv. Total: OA-BCIG 1374, HCHS 1277; Baker Games: OA-BCIG 706, HCHS 665HCHS Game & Series ScoresKenzie Jones    142-155 -- 297Jessie Phipps    124-147 -- 271Molly Wingert    113-156 -- 269Samantha McCool    151-109 -- 260Jayden Gessert    96-84 -- 180Baker GamesHCHS: 113, 125, 174, 135, 118.OA-BCIG: 129, 171, 134, 118, 154.

OMAHA, NEB. -- Harlan Community claimed four individual champions and placed second out of six teams at the Omaha Burke Wrestling Invitational last Saturday. Winning their six-man round-robin brackets for HCHS were Oscar Olmos at 138 pounds, Jacob Wingert (170), Aaron Johannsen (220) and Daniel Soll (285).

    HARLAN -- John L. Watts, Jr., 55, Harlan, died Wednesday, Jan. 25 in Harlan.    Services will be held Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m.

    HARLAN -- Edward G. John, 94, Harlan, died Sunday, Jan. 29 in Harlan.    Services will be held Friday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. at Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.  Friends were asked to call Thursday, Feb. 2 from 2-8 p.m. with family greeting friends from 4-6 p.m.

    ELK HORN -- Mary Ann Thysen of Elk Horn will celebrate her 80th birthday on Friday, February 10 at an open house from 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. at her home, 4219 Union, Apt. 2, Elk Horn. Friends and relatives are invited to attend.    A card shower is also planned. Cards will reach her if sent to Box 67, Elk Horn, IA 51531.