CRESTON -- The Harlan Community softball team continues to showcase a mix of promising potential and youthful inconsistency while playing .500 ball through the first two weeks of the season. On Thursday, the Cyclones committed 12 total errors in a doubleheader split at Creston, but used a four-run seventh-inning rally in game one to outlast the 14th-ranked (4-A) Panthers, 7-6, before losing the night cap 10-4. The twin bill split capped a wil

 NEOLA -- If the AHSTW girls soccer program is able to get to a higher level over the next few years, they may look back at the 2016 season as a key turning point. Featuring a lineup heavily reliant on freshmen and sophomores, the Lady Vikes took some small historic steps this spring as they posted the most wins (five) in the program’s four-year existence and also earned their first postseason victory last Tuesday against Riverside. The season

 KIMBALLTON -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton chipped away offensively with at least one run in five of its six at-bats Friday night to beat Woodbine 8-1 in Rolling Valley Conference softball action. Junior Maggie Rasmussen pitched a two-hitter with three walks and five strikeouts for the Spartans, who improved to 3-1 on the season. The only Tiger run scored off Rasmussen was unearned.

COUNTY -- An estimated crowd of at least 250 people were present at the Rosman-Glendale Shelby County Golf Course Saturday night to attend a celebratory reception for Harlan Community baseball coach Steve Daeges, who was inducted into the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January. 

 HARLAN -- There are many Iowa prep baseball teams that would gladly take a plus-55 run differential at season’s end. Harlan Community just so happens to have reached that mark in only four games. Continuing to post video game-like numbers at the expense of all those in their path, the Cyclones improved to 4-0 Wednesday night with a 20-1 shellacking of Shenandoah in just three and a half innings. Ranked second in Class 3-A by the Iowa Baseball

 DENISON -- Taking control early with eight runs in the top of the second inning, Harlan Community recorded its third blowout victory in as many games Tuesday with a 15-3 five-inning baseball romp at Denison-Schleswig. The second-ranked (3-A) Cyclones (3-0 overall, 2-0 Hawkeye Ten) stole 12 bases in the game and constantly had runners on base vs.

 HARLAN -- On Tuesday night at Denison, the Harlan Community softball team was able to survive six errors and grind out a 13-12 win over the Monarchs. One night later in Harlan, however, five errors in the fourth inning alone were simply too much to overcome. Sergeant Bluff-Luton took full advantage of the Cyclone generosity, plating eight unearned runs in the top of the fourth and beating HCHS 13-3 in five innings. The Cyclones (3-3 overall)

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW girls soccer team had at least 10 reasons to feel good about Tuesday’s Class 1-A, Region 2 quarterfinal vs.

 WINTERSET -- The Harlan Community softball team finished 1-1 at the Winterset Softball Tournament last weekend, beating Nodaway Valley 8-5 in Friday’s first round game before losing to A-D-M 11-2 in the semifinal round Saturday. The third-place game was rained out.

 GLENWOOD -- A season plagued by frustrating overtime losses as well as lopsided defeats came to an end for the Harlan Community girls soccer team Friday when Glenwood punched in five second-half goals to beat the Cyclones 5-0 in a Class 2-A, Region 2 quarterfinal. HCHS played with good energy and also dodged a few bullets to reach halftime in a scoreless tie, but the Rams scored three times in a seven-and-a-half minute span early in the secon

 SIOUX CITY -- Harlan Community played hard and hung close, but simply didn’t have enough possession time or shots to save its season in Wednesday’s Class 2-A substate semifinal boys soccer game at Sioux City Bishop Heelan. The third-ranked Crusaders scored off a free kick just 52 seconds into the match, then added a penalty kick in the 26th minute and a third goal midway through the second half to beat the Cyclones, 3-1, at Memorial Field. Bi

 NORWALK -- AHSTW gave the state’s seventh-rated team all it could handle last Wednesday night, but an Alex Pringle header goal with 2:01 remaining lifted Pella Christian past the Vikings, 2-1, in a Class 1-A, Substate 7 boys soccer semifinal at Norwalk. AHSTW trailed 1-0 for most of the second half until Dawson Martin’s 25-yard crossing goal knotted the score with just 6:34 to play. With overtime imminent, however, the Eagles sent a 20-yard f

 CARROLL -- The Harlan Community girls golf team finished just five strokes away from qualifying for the state meet last Monday (May 23), placing third out of 11 teams in the Class 4-A, Region 1 Final Tournament held at the Carroll Country Club. Creston shot a fantastic score of 349 to claim the team title by 30 strokes over second-place Spencer, which also advanced to state with a 379.

 SIOUX CITY -- One week into the high school baseball season, the only opponent causing Harlan Community any trouble is Mother Nature. The Cyclones’ home game vs.

 MANILLA -- Jared Vollstedt pitched six scoreless innings of four-hit ball last Tuesday as the IKM-Manning baseball team beat AHSTW, 4-0, in the season opener for both teams. Vollstedt struck out eight batters and walked just one before Sam Gross struck out the side in a scoreless seventh. Jay Heiny, Chase Jacobsen, Zach Hagadon and Cain Francois all hit a single for AHSTW.