CRESTON – In 38 years and 443 games as the Harlan Community head football coach, it’s quite possible that Curt Bladt has never had a team accomplish what the 2015 Cyclones did Friday night against Creston/Orient-Macksburg. From a powerful rushing attack to an effective short-passing game to the press box coaches’ halftime suggestions, it was all clicking offensively as the Cyclones racked up 607 total yards and scored on all nine possessions

 HULL -- Losing only to Western Christian in a pair of tightly-contested matches, the Harlan Community volleyball team placed second with a 4-2 record at Saturday’s Wolfpack Kooima-Kaemingk Classic in Hull. HCHS finished second in Pool A to Western Christian following a 17-21, 19-21 loss in the morning, then set up a rematch in the championship round after sweeping Sioux City Bishop Heelan 21-13, 21-15 in the semifinals. The 2nd-ranked (Class

Ethan Knudson's field goal and a Josh Cheek 25-yard interception return make a tight game appear much more wide open. HCHS quarterback Kyle Juhl threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns in Harlan's win over Glenwood.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- All in all, it was a busy and successful Tuesday night in Council Bluffs for the Harlan Community volleyball team. Playing seven rapid-fire sets within a three-hour window - four of them highly competive - the Cyclones handled their own business first by winning a Hawkeye Ten triangular vs. St.

 CRESTON -- Barring any upsets elsewhere in District 8, the Harlan Community football team can actually clinch a playoff berth Friday night with a win at Creston/Orient-Macksburg. And considering all the struggles of last year’s 3-6 campaign, that’s a good place to be when it’s only Week 7 on the schedule. Bringing that victory back to Harlan may not be easy, however, when the 7th-ranked (3-A) Cyclones tackle an unranked Panther team that has

 WOODBINE -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton’s Evan Wilson was the overall boys champion and the Spartan girls were conference team champions at Monday’s combined Woodbine Cross Country Invite and Rolling Valley Conference Meet held at the Woodbine Athletic Complex. Area teams IKM-Manning, AHSTW and Exira-EHK were all part of the meet, which saw the Underwood girls and Tri-Center boys win team titles. The Exira-EHK girls placed third in the overall

The running of junior tailback Nick Tarney and passing of senior quarterback Kyle Juhl carried Harlan to a 59-21 victory over Creston/O-M Friday night at Panther Field in a matchup of teams that came in tied for third place in Class 3A District 8.
The win pushed the Cyclones to 3-1 in district play and 6-1 overall, while Creston/O-M fell to 2-2 and 4-3.

HARLAN -- Blame it on the distractions of Homecoming or the after-effects of winning by 62 the week before - Harlan Community simply didn’t look ready for prime time at the start of Friday night’s game vs.

 NEWTON -- For the fifth year in a row, the Harlan Community volleyball team claimed the championship of the Newton Tournament Saturday without so much as dropping a match. HCHS won all five of its matches and finished 10-1 in set play, improving its season records to 19-3 (matches) and 44-13 (sets). The 3rd-ranked (Class 4-A) Cyclones defeated the same five teams as a year ago to win the title, starting with pool play wins over Ottumwa (2-0),

 MANNING -- The IKM-Manning football team put together five touchdown drives of at least 70 yards and rallied back twice against OA-BCIG Friday night for a 33-24 victory in Class 1-A, District 1. Jared Vollstedt’s fourth-quarter TD runs of 8 and 34 yards allowed the Wolves to erase a 24-20 deficit at the end of the third quarter. They also trailed 12-0 just four minutes into the game before scoring 20 unanswered points.

AVOCA -- The AHSTW football team ran its winning streak to five games on Friday night with an impressive 55-14 win over Missouri Valley. The Vikings (5-1 overall, 3-0 in Class 1-A, District 1) steamrolled to a 48-14 lead by halftime, needing just 23 plays to score seven touchdowns on seven possessions.

 ELK HORN -- Drew Buckholdt led the way with five total touchdowns Friday night as Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton celebrated Homecoming week with a 62-20 rout of Woodbine. The Spartans built a 48-6 lead by halftime and played the last two and a half quarters with a running clock, improving to 6-0 overall and setting up a Week 7 showdown of unbeaten teams at defending 8-Player state champion Newell-Fonda.

 AVOCA -- Averaging nearly five ace serves per set, the IKM-Manning volleyball team snapped a short two-match slide in Western Iowa Conference play Thursday with a sweep of AHSTW, 25-14, 25-19, 25-20. The Wolves served 90 percent with 14 aces as a team, led by Rylie Muhlbauer’s 15-for-15, three-ace effort and Kelli Grimm’s five aces (14-for-15). Muhlbauer also led the way with nine digs and Grimm posted a team-high two blocks. 

 DENISON -- Led by a pair of seniors who placed in the top four individually, the Harlan Community boys and girls cross country teams placed first and second, respectively, at Tuesday’s Denison-Schleswig Invite at Denison High School. Senior Michael Sciranko placed third to lead the Cyclone boys to their fourth team title in seven meets this season.

 HARLAN -- Another Friday night, another shot at redemption for the Harlan Community football team. On Homecoming week it’s the Winterset Huskies who venture to Merrill Field for just the second HCHS home game of the season.