ELK HORN -- The Coon Rapids-Bayard boys handed Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton its first loss of the basketball season Tuesday night, winning a tightly-contested Rolling Valley Conference game, 61-54. Final statistics were nearly even across the board as both teams shot 53 percent from the field and 63 percent at the free throw line.

 AVOCA -- Nine AHSTW wrestlers picked up two wins on the night as the Vikings swept a home double dual vs. St. Albert and Southwest Iowa (Sidney) on Tuesday. AHSTW (4-4 overall) beat the Falcons 54-9 before handling the Cowboys 54-30. Southwest Iowa secured second place with a 57-18 win over St.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community wrestling team hit the ground running at the start of the 2016-2017 season, competing in two tournaments and hosting a double dual within an eight-day stretch of early December. So far, the results have been positive. Compared to a year ago, HCHS increased its point totals a significant amount at both the Dan Hill Invitational in Harlan and the Boys Town Invitational, placing sixth and fifth, respectively.

 HARLAN -- With each shot that found the bottom of the net Friday night, the Harlan Community girls basketball team gained confidence and started to have some fun. Opening the season with back-to-back lopsided defeats at the hands of state-ranked Treynor and Shenandoah had been rough on the Cyclones, so Friday’s 60-55 win over 15th-rated (4-A) Denison-Schleswig was just what the doctor ordered for a young squad trying to find its way. HCHS sho

 HARLAN -- Though it is still a work in progress to be sure, the Harlan Community boys basketball team is showcasing an early-season ability to come through in the clutch. Three days after winning an overtime game at Blair, the Cyclones erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit in Friday’s home opener and improved to 3-0 with a dramatic 76-72 victory over Denison-Schleswig. Junior Logan Klaassen, who made just two of his first 12 shots from the

 BOYS TOWN, NEB. -- Nick Foss won an individual championship at 182 pounds and three Cyclone teammates were runners-up as Harlan Community placed fifth out of 15 teams at the two-day Boys Town Wrestling Invitational Friday and Saturday. Foss pinned his first two opponents before winning a close 6-5 decision over Sam Kolterman of Wahoo in the semifinals.

 TRI-CENTER -- Taking control of the game with a 24-9 second-quarter surge, the IKM-Manning girls basketball team evened its record at 2-2 Friday night with a 70-34 win at Tri-Center. The Wolves led just 13-10 after one quarter before outscoring the Trojans 57-24 the rest of the way and improving to 2-1 in Western Iowa Conference play.

 TRI-CENTER -- The IKM-Manning boys basketball team fell to 0-3 in Western Iowa Conference play (1-3 overall) following Friday’s 48-43 loss at unbeaten Tri-Center. The Wolves led 35-34 after three quarters but were outscored 14-8 in the fourth. Free throw shooting continues to be a problem for IKM-Manning, which made only 3-of-9 attempts.

 BLAIR, NEB. -- Given a second chance in overtime, Caleb Rasmussen and the Harlan Community Cyclone basketball team responded. Rasmussen, who missed two potential game-winning free throws with :01.7 left in regulation, scored the first points of O.T.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community wrestlers made some noise against Glenwood in Tuesday’s first double dual of the season, but ultimately fell 18 points short, 46-28, as part of a Hawkeye Ten split vs. the Rams and St. Albert. Glenwood, ranked sixth in Class 3-A by The Predicament, started the night with a 78-6 win over St. Albert, then overcame an early 28-0 deficit against the Cyclones by scoring the last 46 points.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community bowling teams opened the season with a split decision against Shenandoah Monday at Cyclone Lanes, the boys winning by 138 pins and the girls falling just eight pins short. The HCHS boys built a 151-pin lead after the individual round and came out about even in the Baker Games to win 2,443 to 2,305. Four Cyclones finished with a two-game series of at least 325, led by Lucas Schmitz’s 365 and Mitchell Leinen’s 349

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW girls basketball team dropped to 1-3 overall and 1-1 in Western Iowa Conference play Tuesday night following a 71-28 loss to third-ranked Treynor.

 AVOCA -- R.J.

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW wrestling team opened the season by winning two out of three duals in a home quad vs. Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton, Woodbine and Logan-Magnolia. Lo-Ma won the meet with lopsided decisions over Woodbine (66-18), Exira-EHK (77-6) and AHSTW (65-18). The Vikings defeated Exira-EHK 69-12 and topped Woodbine 66-18.

 TREYNOR -- The IKM-Manning boys basketball team erased a 16-point second-half deficit at Treynor last Friday but were unable to pull off the win, falling 57-46 in overtime. The Wolves led 44-41 late in the fourth quarter but made just 2-of-9 free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. Treynor tied the game on Dillon Faubel’s three-pointer with :25 left in regulation - snapping a long scoring drought - and outscored the Wolves 13-