Ryan Lang of North Union was the lone three-time selection to the 16th annual Kossuth County Advance All-Area football team while nine other area players are repeaters from last season. Tyler Manske, Noah Nelson, Noah Kleier and James Wartick of Algona along with Bishop Garrigan’s Derrick Kirsch, Isaiah Plathe and Joey Trainer and Creytan Grimm and Jared Schmidt of West Bend-Mallard all returned to the squad for the second consecutive season.

Seniors dominate the Kossuth County Advance’s 16th Annual All-Area Volleyball Team.
The first-team features seven seniors and there is a trio of young women returning for the second straight season to join eight newcomers to the 2020 first team. Monika and Rachel Fehr of West Bend-Mallard and North Union’s Lily Henderson are back for the second consecutive campaign. Gracie Elsbecker of Bishop Garrigan and Kayla Hoskins of West Bend-Mallard moved up from last year’s second team.

Three first-timers from the area ran at the state cross-country meet. See how they did, read what the coaches had the say, look at the photos, and see the congratulations page in the Nov. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

The Bishop Garrigan Golden Bears girls’ cross-country squad finished in eighth place overall at the Class 1A regional meet held on Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Pioneer Town and Country Club. Get the results, as well as those from the North Union and West Bend-Mallard girls teams, in the Oct. 29 Kossuth County Advance.

Sophomore Moriah Knapp qualified for the Class 3A state girls’ cross-country meet with a top 15 finish on Wednesday, Oct. 21 in the regional meet held at the Spencer Municipal Golf Course to highlight the performances of the Algona Bulldogs squad.

Tens of thousands of hunters in blaze orange will take to the fields when Iowa’s pheasant season opens this Saturday, Oct. 31. 
With pheasant populations on par with the best counts in the past decade, including six of the nine survey regions averaging more than 20 pheasants per route – the most since 2007 – hunters can afford to be optimistic.

Junior Quinn Swift of Bishop Garrigan finished in the top 10 runners on Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Pioneer Town and Country Club to earn a chance to run in the Class 1A state cross-country meet to highlight the performances of the black-and-gold team.
Swift came across the finish line in ninth-place overall with his season-best clocking of 17:36.38. The Golden Bear junior will run at the Lakeside Golf Course on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
 

North Union’s Nick Schiltz earned a Class 1A state cross-country berth with a top 10 finish on Thursday, Oct. 22 at the district meet to highlight the performances of a pair of area squads at the meet.
Schiltz ended up in ninth place overall with his time of 18:39.90 to earn his state berth. The Warrior junior will run at the Class 1A state meet at the Lakeside Golf Course just north of Fort Dodge on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
 

Algona sophomore Ryan Stundahl narrowly missed a state cross-country meet bid at the Class 3A boys’ district meet on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at the Spencer Municipal Golf Course.
Stundahl crossed the finish line in 18th place overall with his season-best time of 17:12.91 as the top 15 runners earned a place in the state meet to held this week in Fort Dodge.
 

Three first half turnovers and 16 penalties were too much for the Algona Bulldogs football team to overcome as the red-and-black fell to the Estherville-Lincoln Central Midgets 36-20 on Friday, Oct. 23, in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs.
The three turnovers turned into just seven points for the home team but the 16 penalties for 118 yards caused more harm, including five in one drive in the third quarter that eventually led to a blocked punt for a safety.
 

North Butler rallied to take the first set and then rolled to victories in the next two games to advance to the Class 1A volleyball regional final with a win in three straight sets on Monday, Oct. 26, over the Bishop Garrrigan Golden Bears.

ALGONA—Algona rushed 40 times for 353 yards and six touchdowns to run past the Cherokee Braves by the score of 42-2 on Friday, Oct. 16 in the opening round of the Class 2A football playoffs.
The win improves the red-and-black’s season record to 4-3, and they will travel to play the Midgets of Estherville-Lincoln Central in the second round. Game time is 7 p.m.
 
Get all of the details about Algona's big playoff victory in the Oct. 22 Kossuth County Advance. 

LAKE MILLS—Lake Mills erupted for 44 first half points and went on to a 63-34 victory over the Bishop Garrigan Golden Bears Friday, Oct. 16, in the opening round of the Class A football playoffs.
 
Get all of the story in the Oct. 22 Kossuth County Advance.

SHEFFIELD—West Fork scored 28 points in the second half to break a 14-14 deadlock at halftime and went on to a 42-28 victory over the North Union Warriors on Friday, Oct. 16, in the opening round of the Class A football playoffs.
 
Get all of the results from this close game in the Oct. 22 Kossuth County Advance.

NEWELL—Seventh-ranked Newell-Fonda built a 41-0 halftime advantage and cruised to a 54-6 first round eight-man football victory over the West Bend-Mallard Wolverines on Friday, Oct. 16.
 
Get complete details from the game in the Oct. 22 Kossuth County Advance.