Sports

In a battle of top five ranked dual teams in Class 2A, the Algona Bulldogs picked up bonus points in key matches and went on to defeat the Humboldt Wildcats, 39-24 in a North Central Conference boys’ dual in the Humboldt gym on Thursday night, Dec. 12.

Humboldt got wins from Carson Ireland at 106, Sam Knight at 113, Cyler Cirks at 132, Tyce Clarken at 138, Landon Halverson at 175 and Broedy Hendricks at 190 pounds.

Humboldt, now 0-1 on the season, travels to Central Decatur on Friday, Dec. 13. Humboldt visits Hampton on Dec. 19.

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Spirit Lake used a decisive first half performance en route to a 68-49 victory over the Humboldt boys' basketball team in a non-conference game in the Humboldt gym on Tuesday night, Dec. 10.

No additional statistical information was available at press time.

Humboldt will return to action on Friday night, Dec. 13, when they host Clarion-Goldfield-Dows to begin conference play.

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Spirit Lake outscored the Humboldt girls' basketball team 18-5 in the third quarter en route to a 50-47 victory over the Wildcats in a non-conference game in the Humboldt gym on Tuesday night, Dec. 10.

Morgan Mann scored 20 points and Kaitlyn Nelson added 14 to lead Humboldt, which slipped to 2-2 overall. Keenan scored 16 points and Turner had 12 for the Indians.

Humboldt will return to action at home against Fort Dodge on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 14. The Wildcats host Forest City on Monday, Dec. 16, and also host Hampton-Dumont-CAL on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Humboldt visits Clear Lake in their final game before the Christmas break.

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The Humboldt wrestling team crowned three individual champions and won the team title of their own Joe Fitch Invitational tournament held Friday, Dec. 6 in the Wildcat gym.

The Wildcats scored 293.5 points. Atlantic was runner-up at 256.5 while Forest City was third at 186. Emmetsburg placed fourth with 160. Sheldon/South O'Brien totaled 145.5, followed by Kuemper Catholic of Carroll with 137, Aplington-Parkersburg/Grundy Center 117 and Pocahontas Area 86.5.

Humboldt earned runner-up finishes by Sam Knight at 113, Jonny Hayden at 120, Tyce Clark at 138, Brady Beers at 144, Jaxson Kirchhoff at 150, Braden Downs at 157 and Landon Halverson at 175. A third-place finish went to Dylan Frideres at 113. Taking fourth was Carson Ireland at 106. Fifth-place went to Carter Drew's at 113, Trey Al-Hameed at 165, Cael Donahe at 215 and Ayden Fiengo at 285. Placing sixth was Spencer Scranton at 106, Hayden Devers at 144 and Carter Meier at 150.

Manson-Northwest Webster rallied from a double digit deficit early in the fourth quarter to pull out a 77-73 victory over the Humboldt boys' basketball team in a non-conference season opener in the Humboldt gym Thursday night (Dec. 5).

Elliot Carlson scored 25 points to lead Humboldt. Jackson Flaherty, Coen Matson, Jackson Dodd and Mason Van Pelt each had eight. Parker Sleiter supplied six.

MNW was led by Kelan Koval with 29 points. Logan Moline had 20 and Matt Condon added 12 for the Cougars, expected to have a strong season in Class 1A and in the Twin Lakes Conference.

Humboldt returns to action at home on Tuesday, Dec. 10, when they host Spirit Lake in a night of girl-boy basketball.

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Thanks to the return of seven letterwinners from last year’s squad that went 18-5 overall, 12-2 and second in conference play, Humboldt girls’ basketball coach Rodd Mooney says his Wildcats will hit the ground running when they begin this season.

Mooney’s Wildcats advanced to the regional final last February, only to fall short to Sioux Center. All-state performer and all-time leading scorer Morgan Mann suffered a knee injury in that game. Fortunately, Mann is fully healed entering the new season so optimism is high in the Wildcat camp.

“With the group of returning letterwinners we have, we can hit the ground running when pre-season practice began more so than other years. Even the girls who didn’t letter but are back this year, they are kids who played a lot of JV minutes. We have some good experience back overall so hopefully we can try and get some things done faster than we did last year,” Mooney said.

Led by returning state qualifiers in Brooklyn Robinson and Danica Diedrick, the Humboldt girls’ wrestling team is looking to make gains this season.
The Wildcats, coached by Andy Newell, return seven letterwinners from last year when Humboldt went 8-7 in duals and won the Humboldt and Emmetsburg tournaments.
Robinson, a senior, posted a 32-9 record last year and competed at state at 235. Diedrick competed at state last year at 170. She posted an overall record of 32-17 as a freshman.
“I’m really excited for the upcoming season and I’m really happy with the quality we have in our returning letterwinners,” Newell said. “A lot of matches have been won by these girls, especially last year by our current sophomore class. I’m also impressed with the overall leadership.”

The Humboldt High wrestling team, a perennial power under veteran head coach Chad Beaman and his coaching staff, will likely make some big headlines over the course of the next three months.
Beaman’s Wildcats enter the new season with 14 returning lettermen from last year’s squad that compiled a 22-2 overall dual record, 6-1 and first in the North Central Conference and fifth in the Class 2A state tournament.
Among Humboldt’s returnees, sophomore Broedy Hendricks went 46-3 and finished runner-up at state last year at 165. Senior Tyce Clarken was 43-8 last year and placed seventh at 126. Senior Owen Mayall was seventh at 120 and went 34-13. Senior Brady Beers was 29-20 and qualified at 138. Sophomore Jaxson Kirchhoff was 38-14 and qualified at 144 pounds last year. Senior Cyler Cirks, hampered with an injury late last season, is a two-time state qualifier.

Humboldt boys’ basketball coach Jason Thurm and his squad have their eyes on the prize this season.

Thurm, who begins his sixth season guiding the Wildcats, usually has his team in the hunt for a North Central Conference championship and this season should be no different as Humboldt returns four lettermen from last year’s squad that went 15-8 overall, 10-4 and runner-up in the NCC.

The returning lettermen include senior guard/forward Elliot Carlson, a second-team all-NCC pick, and senior guard Coen Matson, a third-team all-conference pick. Senior Mason Van Pelt, a versatile guard/forward is a returning starter and 6-foot-6 senior Jackson Dodd is back with extensive experience.

Carlson averaged 19 points, five rebounds and two assists per game last year. Matson added 12 points, four rebounds and four assists and Van Pelt tallied six points, four rebounds and three assists.

Humboldt took an early lead and then had to hold off Manson-Northwest Webster, 53-46 in a non-conference girls’ basketball game in the Humboldt on Tuesday night, Dec. 3.

Ava Fischer scored 22 points to lead Humboldt, now 1-1 on the season. Kaitlyn Nelson scored 12 points and Morgan Mann had 11 to aid the Wildcat scoring. Sophia McCullough scored 24 points to pace MNW.

Humboldt began North Central Conference play at Webster City on Thursday, Dec. 5 and posted a 46-37 victory over the Lynx to improve to 2-1 overall, 1-0 in the NCC.

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