Sports

An inspired performance by the Humboldt football team Friday night (Sept. 22) resulted in a hard-fought, 14-7 victory over Hampton-Dumont-CAL in a Class 3A District 2 contest on Mason Maach Field in Humboldt.

The Wildcats bounced back from a pair of consecutive lopsided losses by out slugging the Bulldogs to begin district play and improve to 3-2 overall, 1-0 in district play. HDC fell to 4-1 overall, 0-1 in district play.

Wildcat senior running back Lance Coon, an all-state performer last year and playing in his first game of the season after breaking a bone in his hand in a scrimmage at Fort Dodge back on Aug. 18, scored on a 7-yard run at 10:19 in the second quarter. Nolan Gustafson kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Wildcat lead.

HDC tied the game at 7-7 with 7:11 to play in the third quarter on a 12-yard scoring run by Brody Walton.

Comeback victories are a common thing for the Humboldt High volleyball team this season.

The Wildcats rallied from a 2-1 deficit to down Hampton-Dumont-CAL, 3-2 in North Central Conference match play Thursday night (Sept. 21) in the Humboldt gym.

The Wildcats won by scores of 25-23, 20-25, 17-25, 25-19 and 17-15.

Humboldt improved to 3-1 in the NCC. Mia Schluter paced Humboldt with 15 kills. Tayla Wempen made 10.

The Wildcats went 2-3 in the Spencer tournament on Saturday, Sept. 23. Humboldt lost to West Lyon (19-21, 13-21), LeMars (21-18, 20-22, 12-15) and Central Lyon (15-21, 21-15, 11-15). The Wildcats beat Spencer (20-22, 21-12, 15-10) and Mason City (21-14, 17-21, 15-9).

Humboldt (9-11 overall) visits Fort Dodge St. Edmond on Tuesday, Sept. 26, for another NCC match.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

Humboldt High School senior class members Lillian Holm and Gaige Allen were crowned homecoming queen and king at the coronation ceremony held Tuesday night, Sept. 19 in the high school gymnasium.

They will also be recognized at halftime of Humboldt's football game on Friday, Sept. 22.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

Humboldt's girls placed third in the team scoring and the Wildcat boys were seventh in their own Humboldt Invitational cross country meet held at lower Sheldon Park in Humboldt on Monday, Sept. 18.

The Wildcat girls were led by Brynn Malo, who was fifth overall in 22:08.67. Fort Dodge St. Edmond won the girls' team title with 32 points. Iowa Falls-Alden had 59, Humboldt 80, Algona 108, Manson-Northwest Webster 139, Pocahontas Area 143, Emmetsburg 157 and West Hancock/Ventura 217. Alyssa Richman of Manson-Northwest Webster was the winner in 20:35.27.

Algona won the boys' team title with 56 points, followed by Fort Dodge St. Edmond with 80, Fort Dodge at 86, Eagle Grove 118, Boone 139, Manson-Northwest Webster 145 and Humboldt 156. Estherville-LC, West Hancock/Ventura, Iowa Falls-Alden and Algona Bishop Garrigan round out the field. Gabe Thumma was 15th overall in 20:06.34 to pace the Wildcat boys. Anthony Valles of St. Edmond was the winner in 18:08.46.

An interception return for a touchdown by Keegan Groat late in the third quarter was Humboldt's only score of the game Friday night (Sept. 15) in a 34-7 loss to the North Polk Comets in non-district football at Alleman.

Humboldt trailed 14-0 at half. A fumble and blocked punt by the Wildcats contributed to short field scores for NP.

Humboldt, now 2-2 overall, will host Hampton-Dumont-CAL on Sept. 22 in their annual homecoming contest to begin Class 3A District 2 action.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

The Humboldt volleyball team picked up another key North Central Conference victory Tuesday night (Sept. 12) by downing the Clear Lake Lions in four sets.

The Wildcats lost the first set, 25-18, but came back to win three straight by scores of 25-23, 25-23 and 25-19.

Humboldt improves to 2-1 in the NCC. Clear Lake slips to 7-3 overall, 2-1 in the NCC.

Humboldt went 1-3 in the powerful Dike-New Hartford tournament on Saturday, Sept. 16. The Wildcats lost to Sumner-Fredericksburg (21-14, 21-14) and and Center Point-Urbana (21-10, 21-8). They beat Osage 23-21, 21-19. In the consolation bracket, Humboldt lost to Dubuque Hempstead by scores of 25-17 and 25-23.

Humboldt, 6-8 overall, hosts Hampton-Dumont-CAL on Thursday, Sept. 21 in North Central Conference play.

See full story in the Humboldt Independent. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started.

Humboldt's girls placed third while the boys were eighth in the Clear Lake Invitational cross country meet on Thursday, Sept. 14.

Brynn Malo paced the HHS girls by running fifth in 20:51. Bella Metli was 23rd in 22:37, Alana Malo 25th in 22:42, Meg Zweibohmer 26th in 22:52 and Elsie Stattelman 30th in 23:33. Humboldt totaled 87 points. Forest City (35) and Clear Lake (38) took first and second, respectively.

Gabe Thumma ran 20th in 18:21 to lead the Humboldt boys. Justin Ash was 37th in 19:12, Jaden Himrod 42nd in 19:40, Hayden Hansen 55th in 20:26 and Carson Chambers 60th in 20:43. Peyton Van Pelt was 63rd in 20:52. Forest City was the team champion with 40 points. Ames was second at 58.

CARR INVITATIONAL AT BALLARD HUXLEY
Humboldt's girls placed eighth while the boys were ninth in the Class B team scoring of the Mike Carr Invitational cross country meet hosted by Ballard Huxley on Sept. 11 in Huxley.

Class 2A power Van Meter scored on its first three drives of the game and capitalized on Humboldt turnovers in the second half to roll to a 52-14 victory over the Wildcats in a non-district football game on Mason Maach Field in Humboldt Friday night (Sept. 8).

The Bulldogs scored 17 second quarter points to take a 24-7 halftime lead. Humboldt's first touchdown of the game came with 2:45 left in the first half on an 86-yard from Coen Matson to Corey Dettmann. Dettmann caught the ball near the Humboldt sideline and outran the Bulldog defense for the score. Nolan Gustafson's point-after kick made it 21-7.

Humboldt's final score came with 7:35 left in the fourth quarter on Matson's six-yard pass to Dettmann. Gustafson provided the point-after kick.

Humboldt's varsity girls placed third and the boys were fourth in the team scoring of the Estherville-Lincoln Central Invitational held on Tuesday, Sept. 5 at Estherville.

Humboldt's girls finished with 67 points, trailing first-place Sioux Central-Sioux Rapids with 60 and Algona at 66. North Union was fourth with 99. ELC had 122, Spirit Lake 125 and Emmetsburg 135.

Brynn Malo led the Wildcats by finishing fourth in 20:59.03. Alana Malo was 11th in 23:02.20. Meg Zweibohmer was 16th in 23:21.15. Tyra Schupbach of West Bend-Mallard was the winner in 18:58.95.

Humboldt's boys totaled 111 points in the seven-team field of schools. Spirit Lake was first with 31, followed by Algona at 59 and Sioux Central-Sioux Rapids 74. ELC was fifth with 125, followed by North Union at 158 and Bishop Garrigan Algona 187.

The Humboldt volleyball team overcame a 1-0 deficit in the opening set to roar back for a 3-1 victory over Clarion-Goldfield-Dows in a North Central Conference match in the Humboldt gym Tuesday night, Sept. 5.

The Wildcats won by scores of 22-25, 25-18, 25-14 and 27-25 to hand the defending conference champions their first league loss of the season. Both teams are 1-1 in league play.

Humboldt improved to 4-5 overall.

Next action is Sept. 12 at Clear Lake.