BY MATT HEINRICHS - SPORTS EDITOR

Entering last year’s football season, Spirit Lake knew it would face a gauntlet of the best teams in the state, as Class 2A District 2 teams combined to go 39-16 in 2020.

In the end, the Indians proved themselves worthy, finishing the year 7-3 overall and 3-2 in district play, and earning a regular season win over eventual state champion Southeast Valley in mid-October.

BY MATT HEINRICHS - SPORTS EDITOR

BY MATT HEINRICHS - SPORTS EDITOR

Last year, Harris-Lake Park made history by clinching its first district championship since 2016. The Wolves accomplished that feat after bouncing back from an early district loss to Northwood-Kensett and reeling off five straight district victories, including a dominant 29-0 win over then-undefeated Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire on a sloppy September night in Ruthven.

BY DAKOTA LOCKER - SPENCER DAILY REPORTER

After a rainy Saturday and Sunday morning, players were questioning if they would be able to finish the Northwest Amateur tournament without getting drenched in rain. The final pairing of the championship flight got started at 3:30 P.M. The group featured the guys in the mix for the win.

BY STEVE WEISMAN - OUTDOORS EDITOR

For the past six years, I have enjoyed being a part of the Okoboji Blue Water Festival. Established in 2016, the Festival has truly become celebration of water quality of not only the Iowa Great Lakes, but also across the state of Iowa. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, and promises to be an awesome day for adults and kids alike.

BY BOB JENSEN - FISHING THE MIDWEST

This time of year, wherever you might be fishing, if that body of water is home to largemouth bass, there will be some bass on the weedline. Here are some ideas for catching those bass.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for help with its annual wild turkey production survey. During the months of July and August wild turkey sightings are recorded to estimate this year’s nesting rates and nest success.

BY MATT HEINRICHS - SPORTS EDITOR

BY MATT HEINRICHS - SPORTS EDITOR

Spirit Lake’s varsity baseball team got out to a hot start and picked up a couple of postseason wins but struggled through the middle part of the 2022 season. The Indians went 9-17 overall and 1-9 in the Lakes Conference. For their efforts, six Spirit Lake baseball athletes earned postseason recognition.

POSTSEASON HONORS

BY STEVE WEISMAN - OUTDOORS EDITOR

David Thoreson is a world-renowned explorer, sailor, author, photographer, speaker and educator from Okoboji. He has also chronicled his sailing adventures of some 65,000 nautical miles around the world in an autobiographical photo journal entitled “Over the Horizon – Exploring the Edges of a Changing Planet.” He is also a sought-after speaker on climate issues and the climate crisis.

BY BOB JENSEN - FISHING THE MIDWEST

Iowa pheasant hunters had an excellent season last year, harvesting the most roosters since 2008, and many are looking forward to what 2022 has in store. That fall forecast will be based on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) annual roadside pheasant counts, that begins Aug. 1.

By now you’ve probably heard about the new way that dove and migratory game bird hunters register for the Harvest Information Program – HIP – but you may not know why. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its licensing vendor to change the process because the previous method was inconsistent in surveying the correct group of hunters, which led to poor data.

The Iowa Legislature appropriated state infrastructure funds to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to be used for a community-based tree planting program for derecho recovery.

A total of $250,000 in matching funds will be made available to state and local governments, schools and volunteer organizations, and service organizations in the 27 Iowa counties included in the 2020 Governor’s Derecho Disaster Proclamation for planting trees.

BY MATT HEINRICHS - SPORTS EDITOR

Okoboji’s varsity baseball team saw improvement this past season, collecting double-digit victories after back-to-back eight-win seasons in 2020 and 2021. The Pioneers went 10-15 overall and 6-10 in the Siouxland Conference. For their efforts on the diamond and in the classroom, six Pioneers earned postseason recognition.

POSTSEASON HONORS