COUNCIL BLUFFS (Sept. 8) -- Harlan Community cross country coach Doug Renkly knew that his girls squad had the potential to be pretty darn special this year. But this good, this soon?

 ROCKWELL CITY (Sept. 8) -- The Harlan Community volleyball team placed fourth out of seven teams in Saturday’s round-robin South Central Calhoun “Master Blaster” Tournament, finishing 3-3. HCHS scored decisive wins over Kingsley-Pierson, River Valley and East Sac County while losing to South Central Calhoun, 8th-ranked (2A) Ridge View (in three sets, 2-1) and top-ranked (3A) Kuemper Catholic, which won the tournament with a 6-0 mark.

 MANNING (Sept. 6) -- The IKM-Manning volleyball team opened conference play with a 3-1 loss to 11th-ranked (2A) Treynor on Thursday night as the first set proved pivotal in the final outcome. The Wolves led 22-18 in set one but were outscored 8-2 down the stretch and lost 26-24. The momentum carried over into set two which the Cardinals also took 25-14.

 CARROLL (Sept.

 EXIRA (Sept. 7) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton stayed unbeaten and won its district opener Friday night, making a goal line stand in the final moments to hold off Audubon 34-28. The Spartans are now 3-0 overall. Audubon (1-2) drove down the field and got to the 2-yard line late in the game before an incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal sealed the deal for Exira-EHK with 14 seconds on the clock.

 MANNING (Sept. 7) -- South Central Calhoun scored 19 first-quarter points and continued to pull away in the second half last Friday night, defeating the IKM-Manning football team 38-0 in non-district action.

 HARLAN (Sept.

 CARROLL (Sept. 7) -- The Harlan Community football team will look to bounce back quickly Friday night following last week’s frustrating 34-32 home loss to Sergeant Bluff-Luton. HCHS led 20-0 in the first half but was unable to establish a running game or slow down the Warriors’ speed-oriented attack late while allowing 426 yards all told (324 through the air).

 LAKE CITY (Sept.

 MISSOURI VALLEY (Sept. 1) -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton volleyball team opened the season by going 0-5 at Saturday’s Missouri Valley Lady Red Tournament. The Spartans won just one set on the day, falling to Mo.

 SIDNEY (Aug. 31) -- Senior quarterback Josh Pettepier threw four touchdown passes and also ran one in from 33 yards out last Friday night as the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton football team rolled past Sidney 43-8 in its second and final non-district game of the year. The Spartans have now outscored their first two opponents - who both won at least one playoff game last year - by a combined 88-35 in the first two weeks of the season.

 HARLAN (Aug.

 AVOCA (Aug.

 MANNING (Aug. 31) -- Outgained by more than 300 yards Friday night, the IKM-Manning football team scored twice on special teams and found a way to hold off Underwood for a 28-26 non-district win. Trailing 28-14 after three quarters, the Eagles scored twice in the fourth but missed an extra point with 5:13 to go and failed on their two-point conversion pass at the 1:03 mark.

 LOGAN (Aug. 30) -- Quentin Dreyer’s fifth-place individual finish led the IKM-Manning boys to third as a team at Thursday’s Logan-Magnolia Cross Country Invitational. The meet was postponed two days due to rain. Team champions were the Lo-Ma girls with an impressive team score of 25 and the Tri-Center boys (62).