ELK HORN (Dec. 3) -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton boys basketball team opened the season with a hard-fought 52-51 defeat against Glidden-Ralston last Tuesday night. The game was tightly-contested throughout. Senior Creighton Nelson led the Spartans with 21 points and 16 rebounds while Tyler Petersen hit three 3-pointers and scored 12 points and Jayden Jensen also hit double digits with 10.

 AVOCA (Dec. 3) -- Sophomore Raydden Grobe hit 13-of-17 shots and poured in 34 points last Tuesday to lead the AHSTW boys past Riverside 73-33. The Vikings raced out to leads of 25-5 after one quarter and 51-14 at halftime, shooting 60 percent as a team. Grobe made 4-of-6 three-pointers and the team finished 9-of-20 from the arc.

 HARLAN (Dec. 3) -- During a frustrating 5-17 campaign last winter, the Harlan Community girls basketball team didn’t win its first two games until the 5th and 8th of January. Flash forward 11 months and the Cyclones - armed with seven returning letter winners - reached the two-win mark in just over 24 hours. One night after beating a rebuilding Treynor team 46-36, HCHS overcame a sluggish start and held off a late rally to top St.

 HARLAN (Dec.

 MANNING (Dec. 3) -- Trailing throughout much of the game, the IKM-Manning girls emerged on top following a series of late lead changes Tuesday night and opened the season with a 70-66 Western Iowa Conference win over Underwood. The final outcome marked career win number 400 for Wolves’ head coach Gene Rasmussen, who is now 400-89 as he begins his 21st season.

 AVOCA (Dec. 3) -- The AHSTW girls basketball team reached 80 points by the end of the third quarter and improved to 3-0 overall Tuesday night, hammering Riverside 87-20 in its Western Iowa Conference opener. AHSTW jumped out to a commanding 35-8 lead after one quarter and also outscored the visitors 23-6 in the second quarter and 23-1 in the third to make it an 81-15 game.

 ELK HORN (Dec. 3) -- Macy Emgarten just missed a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds and freshman Shay Burmeister tallied 12 points and five boards Tuesday night, leading Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton past Glidden-Ralston 61-25 in Rolling Valley Conference girls basketball action.

 AVOCA (Dec. 2) -- The AHSTW boys basketball team opened the season in strong fashion Monday night with a 68-39 win over Woodbine. The Vikings built a 32-17 lead at the half and pulled away by outscoring the Tigers 21-10 in the fourth quarter. The Vikings shot an impressive 13-of-14 at the free throw line. Sophomore Raydden Grobe led the Vikings with 20 points, including 4-of-10 made three-pointers.

2018-19 Season RecapOverall Record: 5-17Hawkeye Ten: 2-8 (9th Place)4A Regionals: Lost to Glenwood in 1st Round, 49-35Leading ScorersJocelyn Cheek, so.    7.5 ppg.Macie Leinen, so.    7.4 ppg.Brecken Van Baale, so.    6.6 ppg.Leading ReboundersMacie Leinen, so.    5.6 rpg.Anna Ahrenholtz, sr.    3.7 rpg.Brecken Van Baale, so.    3.4 rpg.Additional Stat LeadersAshley Hall, so.    71 assistsChloe Hansen, sr.    38 stealsMacie Leinen, so.    33 b

2018-19 Season RecapOverall Record: 11-9Hawkeye Ten: 7-3 (4th Place)3A Substate: Lost to Winterset in 1st Round, 67-51Leading ScorersBrett Sears, sr.    14.4 ppg.Johnathan Monson, jr.    9.3 ppg.Connor Bruck, jr.    8.3 ppg.Leading ReboundersBrett Sears, sr.    8.3 rpg.Johnathan Monson, jr.    5.0 rpg.Michael Heithoff, jr.    4.4 rpg.Additional Stat LeadersJohnathan Monson, jr.    61 assistsBrett Sears, sr.    21 stealsBrett Sears, sr.    11 b

 DES MOINES (Nov.

 WOODBINE (Nov. 25) -- AHSTW opened the girls basketball season Monday night with a 50-32 win at Woodbine and also beat CAM on the road Tuesday night, 56-43. Lady Vike junior Kailey Jones had a huge opener against the Tigers, totaling 22 points and 17 rebounds to lead all players. Seven of her rebounds came on the offensive end.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Nov. 23) -- Eight Special Olympics athletes from the Harlan Community School District competed in a state bowling competition held last weekend at Thunderbowl in Council Bluffs. The Cyclone participants competed in seven different divisions and came home with six gold medals and two silvers.

 HARLAN (Nov. 21) -- The Harlan Community girls basketball team defeated IKM-Manning 42-22 Thursday night in a two-quarter jamboree game played in Harlan. HCHS raced out to leads of 8-0 and 13-2 against the Wolves and never looked back.

 HARLAN (Nov. 22) -- Finishing the first half on a 9-3 run and closing the game with an 11-3 spurt, the Harlan Community girls basketball team outlasted Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson 40-33 in a Hall of Pride Scrimmage here Friday night. HCHS struggled to score for much of the game but played good enough defense to win. The Cyclones trailed 11-8 midway through the second quarter before outscoring TJ 9-3 in the last four minutes.