By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

PERRY—For the first time in three years, the Algona Bulldog swim team was victorious as the red-and-black edged the Perry Bluejays by the score of 81-80 in a meet held on Thursday, Aug. 29.

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

SPIRIT LAKE—In a season opening contest between two of the best teams in the state, third-rated Algona (Class 3A) defeated top-ranked Spirit Lake (Class 2A) by the final score of 42-40.

The highly anticipated season opener for both teams was played on Friday, Aug. 30 at Aspen Seaman Memorial Park. The visitors held a two-touchdown lead at three different points of the game but could not put the talented Indians away.

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

ALGONA—In the oldest Catholic football rivalry in the state, the defending eight-man state champion Bishop Garrigan defeated the St. Edmond Gaels 48-22 on Friday, Aug. 30 at Conway Field.

It was the 63^rd meeting between the two longtime rivals as the black-and-gold now leads the series 41-22 and the victory snapped a four-game losing streak to the Gaels.

WEST BEND—It may have been opening night, but points were not hard to come by as the West Bend-Mallard Wolverine football team outscored the Newell-Fonda Mustangs 86-56 in a non-district game played on Friday, Aug. 30.

Cole Fehr had a big evening for the purple-and-gold as the senior rushed 21 times for 279 yards and scored six touchdowns as teammate Austin Schmidt ran 27 times for 241 yards and three more scores.

SPENCER—Beginning the 2024 season on the right foot, the Algona Bulldog volleyball squad opened the year with three victories at the Spencer Invitational on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

The red-and-black opened the evening with a 21-15 and 21-18 triumph over Okoboji. Lainey Venteicher led the squad in kills with four, Lauren McLauglin registered two solo blocks and Macy Knapp came up with six digs.

ALGONA—A young Bishop Garrigan Golden Bears’ volleyball squad fell to an experienced Belmond-Klemme team in their season opener on Thursday, Aug. 29 in three straight sets.

The green-and-black visitors were victorious by final scores of 25-18, 25-23 and 25-16 in the Top of Iowa Conference league match.

MILFORD—Okoboji got out to a fast start and never looked back in a 41-7 non-district season opening football victory on Friday, Aug. 30 over the North Union Warriors.

The home team erupted for 27 points in the game’s first 12 minutes of action and tallied 14 more in the second stanza in the win.

GOWRIE—West Bend-Mallard junior Tyra Schupbach started the cross countryseason off on a good note with a career best time to finish second overall.

The season opener took place at the Southeast Valley Invitational at the Gowrie Country Club on Thursday, Aug. 29 to highlight the performances of the Wolverine boys’ and girls’ cross-country squads.

SIOUX RAPIDS—West Bend-Mallard dropped the opening two sets before roaring back to win the next three games to earn a five-set Twin Lakes Conference volleyball match win over Sioux Central.

The season opener for the purple-and-gold took place on Thursday, Aug. 29. The home team took the first two games 22-25 and 20-25 before the Wolverines rallied back 25-20, 25-13 and 15-9 for the victory.

GARNER—In their first matches of the season, the North Union Warriors’ volleyball squad won two of three matches at the Garner volleyball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 31.

The green-black-and-silver topped West Fork 22-20 and 25-23 in a close match and beat Northwood-Kensett by final scores of 21-12 and 21-14, but lost to Rockford 19-21 and 14-21.

FORT DODGE—It was a tough day for the Bishop Garrigan Golden Bears’ volleyball squad as they dropped five matches at the St. Edmond tournament played on Saturday, Aug. 31.

The black-and-gold fell to eventual champion Aplington-Parkersburg 21-6 and 21-10 before falling to Pocahontas Area by the score of 21-18 and 21-15.

ALGONA—In the 2024 season opener for both squads, the Algona Bulldogs’ swim team fell to the Spencer Tigers by the final score of 115-64 on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at the Algona Family YMCA.

Ella Welp was a double winner during the evening for Algona as she took the 50-yard freestyle race in 26.56 and the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:15.49 along with Brooke Ludwig winning the 100-yard freestyle in 1:02.09.

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

The Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union have collaborated to reduce spring sports schedule congestion by moving boys’ golf and girls’ tennis to the fall sports season starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

Believe it or not, Friday night is going to be week number one of the high school football season. The opening night features Algona at Spirit Lake, St. Edmond at Bishop Garrigan, North Union at Okoboji and Newell-Fonda at West Bend-Mallard.

Here’s a brief look ahead to those games and reflection back to the meetings last year between those schools.

Algona @ Spirit Lake

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

ALGONA—The final evening of exciting dirt track racing at the Kossuth County Speedway for the 2024 season took place on Thursday, Aug. 22 in a crazy season that saw Mother Nature the only feature winner on seven different Thursday nights at the track.