High School Sports

Spirit Lake Park went 2-2 and placed fifth at its annual dual tournament held Friday, Jan. 10. The Indians defeated Sioux Center and Sioux City North, but fell to Jackson County Central and MOC-Floyd Valley at the 2019 Jerry Hentges Dual Tournament...

In a battle of ranked teams, No. 8 (3A) Okoboji earned a decisive win over No. 14 (2A) Emmetsburg on Thursday, Jan. 9. The Pioneers defeated the E-Hawks 58-35 in Milford, extending their unbeaten streak to 12 games. “Kallyn (Stumbo) really got us going early with some great moves to the basket and some nice 3-pointers, and we had a nice offensive flow throughout the game," Okoboji coach John Adams said. ...

After suffering three straight losses by a combined five points, Okoboji bounced back in a big way with a convincing 20-point home win over non-conference foe Emmetsburg on Thursday, Jan. 9. The Pioneers downed the E-Hawks 72-52 in Milford. "We were really proud of how we responded tonight being back at home after a true test of character the past couple of weeks," Okoboji coach Ryan Stumbo said. ...

Spirit Lake stretched its win streak to seven games — a streak spanning more than a month — with a dominant 75-48 non-conference home win over West Hancock on Saturday, Jan. 11. "I was really happy with how our guys came out and played," Spirit Lake coach Paul Brown said. ...

Spirit Lake struggled to find a rhythm on offense and had no answer for No. 2 (2A) West Hancock's attack Saturday, Jan. 11 in a 54-34 home loss. The Indians made just 10 of 41 field goal attempts. "We got beat by a solid West Hancock team," Spirit Lake coach Naet Hoaglund said. ...

The Okoboji/Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn wrestling team earned a trio of top-four finishes and placed ninth overall at the 2019 Clear Lake Invitational held Saturday, Jan. 11. Hunter Abrahamson earned the Pioneers' best finish, placing third at 126 pounds...

The eighth-ranked (3A) Okoboji girls basketball team suffered its first defeat of the season on Friday, Jan. 10. The Pioneers fell 63-62 to Boyden-Hull in Milford. "You have to give Boyden-Hull all the credit tonight; they came out ready to play and we didn’t respond to their energy until the fourth quarter, which is totally on me as I didn’t have us ready," Okoboji coach John Adams said. ...

The Okoboji boys basketball team suffered a Siouxland Conference loss to No. 10 (2A) Boyden-Hull on Friday, Dec. 10. The Pioneers fell 73-68 to the Comets in Milford. "Our boys fought hard tonight and left it all out there on the floor," Okoboji coach Ryan Stumbo said. ...

The Spirit Lake Park wrestling team dropped a Lakes Conference road dual to Storm Lake on Thursday, Jan. 9. The Indians fell 45-30 to the Tornadoes. "Really proud of how our guys battled," Spirit Lake Park coach Andrew Lundgren said. "It was a great dual against Storm Lake with some great individual match-ups. Our guys had a great week of practices over Christmas break and they really stepped up tonight to compete even though we came up short."...

The Spirit Lake boys basketball team came out on top of a back-and-forth battle with West Lyon on Thursday, Jan. 9. The Indians downed the Wildcats 66-55 in Spirit Lake. West Lyon led early, holding an 18-14 advantage after one quarter of play. The Indians bounced back, outscoring the visitors 20-8 in the second quarter to lead 34-26 at the half...

The Spirit Lake girls basketball team was dominant in a interstate showdown with Jackson County Central (Minnesota) on Thursday, Jan. 9. The Indians topped the Huskies 81-47 in Spirit Lake. "It was a total team effort tonight against Jackson," Spirit Lake coach Naet Hoaglund said. ...

The Okoboji/Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn wrestling team went 1-2 at a quadrangular hosted by Manson-Northwest Webster on Thursday, Jan. 9. The Pioneers earned a win over Pocahontas Area, but fell to East Sac County and Manson-Northwest Webster. The Pioneers downed the Indians 39-31, earning six wins...

The Harris-Lake Park girls basketball team dropped a home contest to West Sioux on Thursday, Jan. 9. The Wolves fell to the Falcons 59-20 in Lake Park. West Sioux led 30-4 after one quarter of play and stretched its leda to 50-7 at the half. The Falcons added to their advantage with a 4-2 score in the third quarter. The Wolves outscored the visitors 9-7 in the fourth quarter...

The Harris-Lake Park boys basketball team took an early lead, but watched its advantage slip away in a loss to top-ranked (2A) West Sioux on Thursday, Jan. 9. The Wolves fell to the Falcons 84-67 in Lake Park. Harris-Lake Park led 20-14 after one quarter of play and held a 35-30 lead at the half. West Sioux battled back in the second half, outscoring the hosts 27-21 in the third and 27-11 in the fourth quarter to salt away the win...

The Harris-Lake Park girls basketball team scored the most points it has all season in a losing effort against Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Wolves fell 66-34 to the Hawks in Lake Park. HMS led 14-8 after one quarter of play and took a 36-23 lead into the half. The Hawks continued to pull away in the second half, outscoring the Wolves 19-7 in the third and 11-4 in the fourth quarter...

The Harris-Lake Park boys basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Wolves topped the Hawks 54-41 in Lake Park. HMS jumped out to an early advantage, leading Harris-Lake Park 16-11 after one quarter of play. The Wolves bounced back, outscoring their hosts 19-9 to take a 30-25 lead at the half, and continued to pull away with an 11-9 score in the third and a 13-7 score in the fourth quarter...

The Okoboji boys basketball team dropped a Siouxland Conference road trip to West Lyon on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Pioneers fell to the Wildcats 71-69 in Inwood. "The game tonight game was really competitive and came down to the difference of a few plays," Okoboji coach Ryan Stumbo said. ...

The Harris-Lake Park boys basketball team overcame a late deficit and finished off a non-conference comeback win in overtime Monday, Jan. 13 against Sibley-Ocheyedan. The Wolves downed the Generals 70-63 in Lake Park. The Wolves trailed 12-10 after one quarter before bouncing back to take a 21-20 lead at the half. The Generals regained their advantage in the third quarter, outscoring the hosts 21-12 to take a 41-33 lead into the fourth...

The Harris-Lake Park girls basketball team suffered a non-conference home loss to Sibley-Ocheyedan on Monday, Jan. 13. The Wolves fell to the Generals 65-21 in Lake Park. The Generals led 23-8 after one quarter of play and took a 46-9 lead at the half. Sibley-Ocheyedan extended its lead to 56-11 at the end of the third quarter. The Wolves ended the night by outscoring the Generals 10-9 in the fourth quarter...

The Okoboji/Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn wrestling team hosted Algona, Blue Earth (Minnesota) and Estherville Lincoln Central in Milford on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The Pioneers defeated ELC, but fell to Algona and Blue Earth. In their 48-32 win over the Midgets, the Pioneers earned seven individual victories...

Spirit Lake kicked off 2020 the same way it ended 2019 — victorious. The Indians extended their win streak to four games with a 61-53 victory over Lakes Conference foe Cherokee on Friday, Jan. 3. "I was really happy with how the guys played Friday," Spirit Lake coach Paul Brown said. ...

The Okoboji wrestling team went 2-1 at a home quadrangular held Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Pioneers topped Alta-Aurelia and South Central Calhoun, but fell to Woodbury Central in Milford. Okoboji opened the night with a 60-30 loss to the Wildcats. In that dual, the Pioneers picked up five individual wins...

Spirit Lake let a second-half lead slip away Friday night, as the Indians fell to No. 15 (3A) Cherokee 62-47 in a Lakes Conference girls basketball battle in Spirit Lake. "We battled against a tough Cherokee team who made some key plays late to put the game away," Spirit Lake coach Naet Hoaglund said. "I was really pleased with our energy and effort and with how we competed. ...

The eighth-ranked (3A) Okoboji girls basketball team improved to 11-0 overall on the season with a 45-37 Siouxland Conference road win over West Lyon. "That was another big road win for us where we really had to lock in and guard," Okoboji coach John Adams said. "I thought both teams played excellent defense and it was hard for either team to get an offensive flow going."...

The Spirit Lake boys and girls basketball teams earned a non-conference road sweep over Pocahontas Area on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The girls won 60-39 and the boys won 80-62 in Pocahontas. The Spirit Lake girls were led by Brooke Smith with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists. Jordyn Hamm had 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals...

The eighth-ranked (3A) Okoboji girls basketball team collected its first win of 2020 and improved to 10-0 on the season Friday, Dec. 3 with a 64-61 road win over Central Lyon in overtime. According to Okoboji coach John Adams, neither team could find much separation in the opening stanza, as Central Lyon went ahead 7-4 before Okoboji ended the frame on a 13-7 run to take a 17-14 lead into the second quarter...

The Okoboji boys basketball team opened up 2020 with a Siouxland Conference road trip to Rock Rapids on Friday, Jan. 3. The Pioneers fell 75-73 to Central Lyon. "We were proud of our offensive side of the ball tonight as we did a nice job of getting a lot of nice looks both around the hoop and from the outside," Okoboji coach Ryan Stumbo said. ...

Harris-Lake Park suffered a one-point loss at the buzzer to George-Little Rock on Friday, Jan. 3. The Wolves fell 46-25 to the Mustangs in George. "It was frustrating but was one heck of a game," Harris-Lake Park coach Jeff Sohn said. "I thought, defensively, this was one of our best performances of the season and is definitely something to build on. ...

The Harris-Lake Park girls basketball team dropped a non-conference road trip to George-Little Rock on Friday, Jan. 3. The Wolves fell 77-22 to the Mustangs in George. George-Little Rock jumped out to a 29-1 lead after one quarter and led 55-8 at the half. The Mustangs capped off the victory with a 15-8 score in the third and a 7-6 score in the fourth...

This past year was yet another in a long line of memorable moments for Dickinson County sports-enthusiasts. A local grappler got the year started with state championship and led his team to a runner-up finish at the high school state wrestling tournament. ...

Kyler Rieck was no stranger to heartbreak. Few outside the Lakes Area knew what to expect from the first-time state qualifier back in 2016, but the Spirit Lake Park standout knocked off some of Iowa's best to finish fifth. Rieck put the rest of the state on notice as a frosh but moving forward he struggled to meet his own high expectations. Rieck failed time and time again to summit the Class 2A podium in two additional trips to Des Moines...

At the 2018 state tournament, the Harris-Lake Park boys golf team watched as a state championship slipped out of its grasp on day two. That year's team led after 18 holes but wrapped the year by bringing home the Class 1A runner-up trophy. This year, the top-ranked and tournament-tested Wolves led wire-to-wire from the very first tee shot of the season and concluded the year with their first-ever state championship following a rain-soaked and weather-shortened tournament Thursday, May 23 at Westwood Golf Course in Newton.. ...

Spirit Lake junior speedster Joe Stein established himself as the fastest man in Class 2A in late May, winning the 100- and 200-meter dash events at the state track meet in Des Moines. Stein, a third-place finisher in the Class 3A 100-meter dash last season, qualified for the 100-meter finals with the second-fastest time (10.94 seconds) and the 200-meter finals with the fastest time (21.86 seconds) on Thursday...

For the third time in his high school career, Okoboji's 400-meter hurdler Ethan Albright headed to Des Moines with high expectations. As a sophomore, Albright stumbled, false-starting and ending his trip without a lap around the famed Blue Oval. He returned with a vengeance as a junior, earning a runner-up finish. After a stellar performance this past Friday, Albright ended his high school track career as a champion...

Spirit Lake Park entered Saturday night's finals knotted with Clear Lake for second place in the Class 2A team race at the 2019 Iowa High School State Wrestling Championships in Des Moines. Long before the evening began, West Delaware had already clinched the title with 76.5 points. ...

According to Okoboji girls golf coach Bill Alexander, 'You don't want to ride in the car with (the Pioneers) when they're excited." If that's the case, the ride back from Ames last week must have been something else for the longtime coach, as his girls earned a runner-up finish at the 2019 Class 2A IGHSAU State Golf Tournament...

The sixth-ranked Spirit Lake boys golf team entered the Class 3A tournament as underdogs following runner-up finishes in the conference and sectional tournaments and a third-place finish in the district tourney. However, the Indians shocked the state by jumping out to a 15-over-par opening round of 303 and an eventual runner-up finish after wet weather washed away the chances of a second 18 holes Friday at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge...

Make it a six-peat. Despite struggling early, the Spirit Lake softball team plated six runs in extra innings to seal a sixth consecutive Lakes Conference crown Wednesday, June 26. The Indians topped the Midgets 10-5 in Estherville. "We know that ELC is going to play us tough every year," Spirit Lake coach Rachel Fisher said. "Our girls had the right mentality going into the game but, unfortunately, made some uncharacteristic errors early in the game ... ...

Harris-Lake Park junior Edgar Tapia entered the 2019 state meet with high hopes and returned home with a pair of medals in late May. Tapia placed fifth in the 400-meter dash and fourth in the 400-meter hurdles inside Drake Stadium in Des Moines. The two-time state qualifier beat his season-best times in both events, finishing the 400-meter dash in 50.30 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles in 56.17 seconds...

After back-to-back upset victories in the first two rounds of postseason play, Spirit Lake's incredible run came to an end a win shy of the state tournament in late February, as the Indians fell 50-38 to No. 2 Sergeant Bluff-Luton in Sioux City. Spirit Lake — after battling through an injury-plagued regular season — picked up a playoff win in the rubber match with Le Mars in the first round. The Indians started the postseason unbeaten with a 61-45 victory over the Bulldogs in Le Mars...

Okoboji got off to a slow start and struggled to find an offensive rhythm, but the eighth-ranked (3A) Pioneers' defense was indomitable in a decisive Siouxland Conference win over George-Little Rock. The Pioneers trounced the Mustangs 53-17 Friday, Dec. 20 in Milford...

Spirit Lake Park wrestlers squared off with Cherokee in a Lakes Conference dual Thursday, Dec. 19. The Indians fell 48-30 to the Braves in Lake Park. "Thought the guys competed really hard and we were the more physical wrestlers on the mat tonight, overall," Spirit Lake Park coach Andrew Lundgren said. ...

Spirit Lake pushed its win streak to three games heading into the holiday break with a Lakes Conference home win over Estherville Lincoln Central on Friday, Dec. 20. The Indians downed the Midgets 67-53 in Spirit Lake. ELC gained an advantage out of the gates, leading the hosts 15-11 after one quarter of play. The Indians bounced back in the second quarter, outscoring the Midgets 18-13 to take a one-point lead into the half...

Okoboji's comeback attempt came up a point short Friday, Dec. 20, as the Pioneers dropped a Siouxland Conference contest to George-Little Rock 71-70 in Milford. The Pioneers led by two after one quarter of play, but the Mustangs pulled ahead 54-41 after three quarters. The hosts made a run in the final stanza, but George-Little Rock did just enough to salt away the win...

Spirit Lake struggled out of the gates Friday in a 14-point loss to Estherville Lincoln Central on Friday, Dec. 20. The Indians fell 63-49 to the Midgets in Spirit Lake. ELC led 26-7 after one quarter and never looked back. "We lost to a really good Estherville team tonight," Spirit Lake coach Naet Hoaglund said. "They came out with a lot of energy and put it to us early. ...

Okoboji earned a win in its home opener Tuesday, Dec. 17, as the Pioneers topped Sibley-Ocheyedan 68-59 in Milford. "We were probably most proud of how our guys supported each other in this game," Okoboji coach Ryan Stumbo said. "We did a much better job of that tonight, and it brought really good energy as well as consistent focus for our first home game of the year. ...

Spirit Lake picked up a Lakes Conference hoops win Tuesday, Dec. 17, as the Indians earned a 70-53 home win over Storm Lake. The Indians led 15-11 after one quarter and pulled away to a 36-23 lead at the half. Storm Lake chipped into the deficit slightly in the third quarter, but Spirit Lake outscored the Tornadoes 18-11 in the fourth to salt away the victory...

Spirit Lake Park sophomore Jon Burnette earned a runner-up finish at the Don Miller Invitational hosted by Fort Dodge High School on Saturday, Dec. 21. Burnette, ranked fifth in Class 2A, went 2-1 on the day at 113 pounds. He pinned Ankeny Centennial's Dylan Gray in 41 seconds before earning a 7-2 decision over Humboldt's Jase Goodell in the semifinals...

The Okoboji/HMS wrestling team competed Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Austin Roberts Memorial Tournament hosted by Spencer. The Pioneers placed ninth as a team with 80 points. Hunter Abrahamson earned the Pioneers' highest individual finish on the day, as the senior placed third at 126 pounds...

The Harris-Lake Park boys and girls basketball teams dropped a varsity doubleheader to Hinton on Friday, Dec. 20. The girls fell 71-19 and the boys fell 71-64 in Lake Park. Allison Wallace led the Harris-Lake Park girls with seven points, 13 rebounds and a steal. Ava Rasche had six points and a steal. Emma Sidles had six rebounds. Zella Ingham had four points, four rebounds and a steal for the Wolves, who fell to 0-7 overall and 0-4 in the War Eagle Conference...

The Okoboji boys basketball team earned a 74-45 road win over Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire on Thursday, Dec. 19. "We were really proud of how we shared the ball tonight offensively," Okoboji coach Ryan Stumbo said. "We made good reads and moved the ball to the open man consistently throughout the game tonight and it led to us having a good flow throughout the game. ...

The eighth-ranked (3A) Okoboji girls basketball remained unbeaten on the season with a 78-33 road win over Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire on Thursday, Dec. 19. The Pioneers were led by senior Magan Christopherson, who crossed the 1,000 career point mark with a 22-point performance...

The Okoboji wrestling team dropped a pair of duals Thursday, Dec. 19 at a meet in Inwood. The Pioneers fell 66-18 to West Lyon and 60-18 to Central Lyon/George-Little Rock. Despite the two losses, the Pioneers celebrated a highlight, as senior Blake Abrahamson claimed his 100th career win...

The Spirit Lake Park wrestling team suffered a pair of losses Tuesday, Dec. 17 at a meet hosted by Algona. The Indians fell 42-36 to Pocahontas Area and 63-18 to the host Bulldogs. "Took two losses as a team against some really good competition from both Algona and Pochahontas," Spirit Lake Park coach Andrew Lundgren said. "We had some guys that had some close matches that didn't go our way and ended up not getting the upper hand on some swing matches. I thought our guys were really well prepared for this event. It was our first varsity dual on a Tuesday and required our guys to prepare for this week a little differently. ...

The Harris-Lake Park girls basketball team suffered a 61-17 road loss to South O'Brien on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Ava Rasche led the Wolves with eight points, five rebounds four steals and a block. Zella Ingham had seven points, seven rebounds and a steal...

The Harris-Lake Park boys basketball team got off to a good start Tuesday, Dec. 17, but ultimately lost a road trip to Paullina. The Wolves fell 71-39 to South O'Brien. "We got off to a relatively good start (against) South O'Brien and had the game tied after one quarter," Harris-Lake Park coach Jeff Sohn said. ...