MISSOURI VALLEY -- The IKM-Manning football team suffered another heartbreaking loss on Friday night, letting a 24-7 third-quarter lead turn into a 28-24 loss at unbeaten Missouri Valley. The Big Reds pulled within three points following a nine-play, 98-yard scoring drive, then recovered an onside kick with 2:30 remaining and scored again less than a minute later to take the lead. IKM-Manning was unable to convert a first down on its final po

 EXIRA -- Scoring 62 first-half points, Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton rolled to 3-0 in district play Friday night with a 69-6 win over Clarinda Academy. The Spartans (3-2 overall) returned three interceptions for touchdowns in the game and handed the Eagles (3-2) their first district loss. Drew Buckholdt added 124 yards rushing and three TDs.

 MANNING -- The IKM-Manning volleyball team wasn’t really all that far away from sweeping the 12th-rated team in Class 2-A Thursday night, but instead finished on the short end of a 3-0 decision, falling 21-25, 24-26, 21-25 to Treynor in Western Iowa Conference action. All three sets were tightly contested throughout, each featuring a 20-20 tie. In sets one and three, the Cardinals scored five of the last six points to pull away.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- Harlan Community and Lewis Central have waged some classic battles over the years in Hawkeye Ten volleyball action, and Tuesday’s latest match showed the potential, at times, to join that list. Too many unforced errors, however, prevented HCHS from ever seizing momentum as the 12th-ranked (Class 4-A) Cyclones were swept by the 7th-ranked Titans, 18-25, 24-26, 16-25, to fall two games back of the H-10 co-leaders. HCHS misfire

 STATE -- Harlan Community volleyball coach Angie Spangenberg has been selected to receive the Golden Plaque Award from the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union for distinguished coaching in the sport of volleyball. She is just the sixth volleyball coach in the state to receive this honor. Spangenberg will recognized for her Golden Plaque Award during the 2016 State Volleyball Tournament in Cedar Rapids.

 ADEL -- If the Harlan Community football team is going to work it’s way back into a playoff chase this fall, the climb up the District 7 ladder must begin Friday night at Adel. In need of a confidence-boosting win following back-to-back defeats vs. Creston and Glenwood, the Cyclones will face an Adel-DeSoto-Minburn team which has also struggled for victories.

 ESSEX -- Five Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton players scored at least one touchdown last Friday as the Spartans blitzed Essex, 60-6, for their second straight victory. Exira-EHK improved to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in District 7 (8-Player football).

 AVOCA -- Five AHSTW runners earned top-10 finishes and the Lady Vikes placed second as a team at the AHSTW Cross Country Invite last Tuesday (September 13). Dalton Fischer secured the team’s highest medal of the day, placing second to Treynor’s Jerry Jorgensen with a time of 18:34. Miguel Hernandez placed 25th for the Vikings, who finished eighth in the team standings with a score of 166. Underwood posted a 61 to win the boys team title.

Front row, L-R: Whitney Warner, Delaney Kelly, Sidney Craig, Allison Bruck, Kara Weis. Middle row, L-R: Lexi Larsen, Brenda Hopkins, Haley Arkfeld, Lexie Holloway. Back row, L-R: Coach Willie Baughman, Head Coach Angie Spangenberg, Olivia Petersen, Haley Leinen, Kendal Preston, Ellen Keast (manager), Coach Chad Swanson. Not pictured: Hayley Hopkins, Anna Ahrenholtz, Chloe Hansen.