HARLAN -- Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor have the Harlan Community Cyclones fixed all that ailed them in a season-opening 32-point loss at Lewis Central. But there were certainly positive strides taken Friday night at Merrill Field as HCHS racked up 581 total yards - compared to 109 in Week 1 - and scored 28 of the last 34 points in a 42-19 non-district football win over Greene County. Cyclone junior quarterback Deren Schmitz started slowly

 Front row, L-R: Allen Fries, Kyle Nelson (Bywater), Alex Livingston, Ethan Lemon, Kobe Livengood, Andy Bruck, Malachi Purcell. Second row, L-R: Carter Bendorf, Damien Bissen, Cody Christensen, Matt Kloewer, Nathan Henry, Alex Schechinger. Third row, L-R: Mavrick Schmidt (manager), Austin Schumacher, Ethan Arkfeld, Thomas Frederick, Michael Gaul, Michael Heithoff, Joseph Devine. Back row, L-R: Coach Jeff Hastert, Jordan Fink, Connor Kohles, Jo

 HARLAN -- An old football adage states that the biggest improvement a team makes will occur between the first and second games of the year. Following a humbling 45-13 loss at Lewis Central in last Friday’s season opener, Harlan Community has certainly left itself plenty of wiggle room for Week 2. “If we line up correctly we’ll be ahead of where we were last week,” joked HCHS head coach Curt Bladt, only somewhat facetiously.

 AVOCA -- R.J. Harris capped AHSTW’s overtime possession with a two-yard touchdown run, then intercepted a pass on Shenandoah’s first O.T.

 AVOCA -- AHSTW placed second in Pool A and reached the championship bracket in last Saturday’s first annual Lady Vike Volleyball Classic, finishing with a match record of 2-2 that leaves them just one win shy of last year’s season total. Clarinda won the brand new tournament with wins over Denison-Schleswig and Sidney in the championship bracket.

 GUTHRIE CENTER -- Four area runners secured top-15 finishes at the ACGC Charger Cross Country Invitational on Thursday, August 25, at Guthrie Center. Emily Copic of Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton placed seventh in the girls varsity race with a time of 22:49 while AHSTW’s Jaycie Schueman (23:17) and McKenzie Mantell (24:34) came in 12th and 14th, respectively. In the boys race, Dalton Fischer of AHSTW placed eighth in 18:57.

    AVOCA -- Services are pending at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Avoca for Richard Russmann, 85, Avoca.

    IRWIN -- Funeral services for Stuart O’hara, 49, Irwin, will be Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. at United Methodist Church in Irwin.    More information is pending at Pauley Jones Funeral Home, Harlan. 

    OMAHA, NE -- David Lee Anderson, 25, Omaha, NE, died September 6 at Creighton University Medical Center.    Private visitation for family and close friends will be held at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.    Anderson is survived by mother Mary Schwery of Omaha; maternal grandfather Richard Schwery of Panama; aunts Michele Schwery of Panama, Connie Carmody of Woodbine, and Christel (Greg) Kelley of Woodbine; and uncles Leo (Jan) Schwery