Harris-Lake Park’s odds of three-peating as district champions took a major hit with a 42-18 loss to West Bend-Mallard on Friday, Sept. 22. It was the Wolves’ first and only district loss of the 2023 season.

While the loss stung, Harris-Lake Park coach Lane Gunderson said he was proud of how his team battled throughout.

Despite a West Bend-Mallard score near the end of the first half, the Wolves trailed just 16-6 at halftime.

Okoboji’s Evan Osler — the top-ranked boys runner in Class 2A — put another notch in the win column Thursday, Sept. 21 when he took first place at a meet hosted by Sioux Center. Osler finished in 16 minutes, 17.58 seconds to lead the Pioneers to a fifth-place team finish at Dordt University.

Okoboji senior Akron Jostand joined Osler in the top five, placing fourth with a time of 17:04.16.

Spirit Lake — in the midst of its worst season in more than 15 years — faced a tall task when the top-ranked Western Christian volleyball team came to town for a meeting of former Lakes Conference foes on Tuesday, Sept. 19. The Indians battled, but the Wolfpack had too much firepower in a 3-0 (25-12, 25-8, 25-13) victory in Spirit Lake.

Spirit Lake is rolling.

Since suffering a 10-point loss to now-ninth-ranked (3A) Sioux Center in the second week of the regular season, the sixth-ranked (2A) Indians have won three straight games by an average margin of more than 47 points — including a 58-point drubbing of Dickinson County rival Okoboji on homecoming night last week.

The Indians will face yet another bitter rival this week when they travel to take on Estherville Lincoln Central.

The Pioneers hope to stop a five-game losing streak this week when they travel to take on one-win Garner-Hayfield-Ventura.

These two teams have met just once in the last decade. The Cardinals won their 2020 meeting 34-7 over the Pioneers.

WEEK 6 MATCHUP: Okoboji coach Eric Clouse said this is a game both teams feel like they can win. First, the Pioneers will need to stop the Cardinals’ run game.

The Wolves are coming off of a tough district loss last week to West Bend-Mallard. If Harris-Lake Park hopes to secure a share of a third straight district title, they Wolves need to win the final three games of the regular season. That quest begins Friday when they host rival Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire on homecoming night in Lake Park.

Spirit Lake’s boys and girls cross country teams competed at a meet hosted by Algona on Monday, Sept. 25. The boys squad — led by meet runner-up Brandon Hughes — placed fourth overall, while the girls placed 11th.

Okoboji’s boys and girls cross country teams ran well at a meet hosted by Algona on Monday, Sept. 25. The boys — led by meet champion Evan Osler — placed second behind Forest City, while the girls placed fifth overall.

Harris-Lake Park’s Landon Greve continued his stellar start to the 2023 cross country season with a top-15 placing at a meet hosted by Alta-Aurelia on Monday, Sept. 25.

The Wolves’ senior placed 15th out of 81 runners, finishing in 18 minutes, 50.56 seconds.

Okoboji’s volleyball team split four matches at a tournament hosted by Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Saturday, Sept. 23. The Pioneers earned 2-1 wins over HMS and South O’Brien, but dropped 2-0 matches to Rock Valley and Sioux City West.

Spirit Lake’s volleyball team took a road trip north of the border and came back to Iowa with a loss, as the Indians fell 3-1 to Worthington (Minnesota) on Thursday, Sept. 21. The Trojans took the first two sets by scores of 25-14. Spirit Lake battled back to win 28-26 in the third set, but Worthington closed out the night with a 25-23 win in the fourth.

Okoboji’s volleyball team suffered a 3-0 loss to Central Lyon on Thursday, Sept. 21. The Lions defeated the Pioneers 25-14, 25-18 and 25-13 in Rock Rapids.

Harris-Lake Park’s volleyball team suffered a War Eagle Conference loss to George-Little Rock on Tuesday, Sept. 19. The Mustangs defeated the Wolves 3-0 (25-12, 25-6, 25-13) in George.

"Girls came out and played really hard,” Harris-Lake Park coach April Buss said. “I was very proud of the girls’ hard work with missing three players."

Spirit Lake’s boys and girls cross country teams competed at a meet hosted by Sheldon on Tuesday, Sept. 19. The boys — led by top-10 finishers Brandon Hughes and Dietrich Dirks — earned a runner-up finish, while the girls placed eighth overall.

Harris-Lake Park senior Landon Grevee earned his third top-10 finish of the season at a meet hosted by Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Monday, Sept. 18. Greve placed seventh individually, finishing in 19 minutes, 24.64 seconds.

“The last couple of years have not gone well for Landon in Sanborn,” Harris-Lake Park coach Rebecca Matthiesen said. “This year was different and he ran hard Monday night. He went out hard and was able to stay out.”