Sports

GET OFF THE COUCH Attention all high school athletes: If you're sitting on the couch playing video games because your too lazy to participate in your school's athletic programs, we recommend you get off your duff and get involved. It's never too late...

Three returning starters, including six seniors and a plethora of seasoned and young talent return to bolster a tradition rich Cherokee girls' basketball program this season as practice sessions officially got underway Monday. Cherokee will christen the 2021-22 season with three non-conference games at Sioux City West on Monday, Nov. 22, followed by home games against Sioux City Heelan the next night on the 23rd and then LeMars Gehlen on Thursday, Dec. 2...

Great news! The 1972 Cherokee Braves' football team will be recognized at the halftime of the Class 2A championship football game at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls on Friday, Nov. 19. We first got wind of the well-deserved honor from good friend and member of the '72 squad, Kim Aduddell. Kim's a humble guy and it's tough getting him to talk about the memorable season the Braves enjoyed 50 years ago...

Cherokee's football Braves had a different look in defeating Westwood 22-14 here last Friday in a final game that was added to the schedule when the Braves didn't make the state playoffs. "The state allowed teams to find a ninth game if they didn't make the playoffs," explained third-year Cherokee head coach Tony Gunter. "It was there way of trying to hide the fact that they shortened our season by a game," he added...

Cherokee's Braves wrapped up a successful 1965 football season by landing five players on the coaches' All-Lakes Conference selections. Actually, the Braves (5-2-1) of Tom Beckham placed players in six different offensive and defensive positions and one player, Marv Gerstandt, was named on both units...

INWOOD - An inspired and never quit Cherokee volleyball squad upset favored West Lyon here Monday night 3-2 in Class 3A Regional Tournament play. In a crucial come-from-behind fifth set stunner, the Braves stayed focused and determined and edged a tall and talented West Lyon team 15-13 to advance into tonight's 7p.m. second round match at Sioux Center against the host Warriors (23-8), who are ranked ninth in the final IGHSAU rankings...

It was a tough way for Cherokee's five seniors in a final home appearance here Tuesday as top-ranked volleyball powerhouse Hull-Western Christian blanked the Braves 3-0 on Senior Night. Cherokee, 20-9 on the season, play in a varsity tournament on Saturday at Sioux City Heelan, before taking to the court in regional tournament action against 19-5 West Lyon on Monday at 7p.m. in Inwood...

Over the weekend, I contacted every red-blooded American male I know who still speaks to me (no Trumpers) and asked what they would do if they were sitting on a bar stool talking football with the boys and minding their own business when a stunningly beautiful young woman with all the right moves and amenities, started gyrating in a lap dance with their lap!...

ESTHERVILLE - Following a week filled with Homecoming festivities, Cherokee's volleyball Braves crawled out of bed early last Saturday morning and made the long trek to Estherville, winning six matches and pocketing the team championship here. "Overall, we needed this day," said a jubilant Cherokee head coach, Summer Herwig. "We needed to get six wins under our belt and the win over Spirit Lake early in the morning was huge," she added...

GOOD NEWS We can all use a shot of good news, right? Two weeks ago, Cherokee's accomplished ace kicker and wide receiver, Mason Carver, suffered a severe knee injury requiring surgery last Monday. Good news. Mason parents, Calvin and Susan, report to us that the surgery went very well and Mason is already on the mend and focused on rehabilitation for his upcoming senior season of basketball...

Sheldon mimicked what every team this season has been able to do so effectively against the 3-man front Cherokee defense. They ran the ball efficiently and with minimal hindrance, right smack up the middle, time and time again. The result was a 28-20 loss for the Braves on Homecoming here last Friday night. In the last three Cherokee losses, the defense has given up a whopping 765 yards rushing...

As I continue to page through old scrapbooks, school annuals and other archives, it is always with pleasure to share these tidbits of our past Cherokee County sports history with you. Here's a look back at the month of October 2011, 1996 and 1971. Enjoy!...

SPIRIT LAKE - In a very competitive match, Cherokee gave Spirit Lake all they wanted for much of the night, but due to a few mid-game lapses by the Braves, the host Indians were able to log a 3-1 volleyball match win here Tuesday night. "We played hard, but had too little, too late," said Summer Herwig, Cherokee head coach. "We're continuously having mid-game ruts that we struggle to get out of," she added...

ALTA - Fueled by consistent depth, Cherokee's Class 2A, No. 9th state ranked lady cross country Braves, captured the Alta-Aurelia Invitational here Monday with a narrow one point, 42-43, victory over No. 7th ranked Sibley-Ocheyedan. The Braves picked up valuable team points landing four of the top eight finishers in senior Kyrstin Agnitsch (3rd, 20:04.59), junior Riley Lubeck (5th, 21:03.05), senior London Rogge (6th, 21:13.42) and sophomore Megan Courtright (8th, 21:56.61)...

A year ago I took several quick trips down Memory Lane via this column. It seemed to help pass the time during a frustrating Covid 19 pandemic, of which we are still suffering through. And because folks seemed to enjoy those trips to the past, I decided to resurrect the column idea and share some additional memories...

SPENCER - Cherokee's junior varsity volleyball team finished 2-1 in tournament action here last weekend. The young Braves, coached by Jodi Mongan, defeated Okoboji in the first match of the Spencer Invitational by set scores of 21-8 and 21-17, before losing match two to Estherville-Lincoln Central 2-0 by sets scores of 13-21 and 18-21...

A talent-stacked Cherokee volleyball lineup went 2-2 in a five-team tournament here Saturday. Cherokee logged 2-0 match wins over South O'Brien and MMCRU, while losing 2-0 to Sioux City East and a close 2-1 hard-fought match to tenth ranked (2A) Boyden Hull...

Coaches I've known never put much stock in rankings. They prefer to downplay any polls for fear their team may become complacent or over confident. I get it. But when your school is recognized as a top contender in its class, that's worth a mention...

When the student body rushes the field, it's always a good thing. That was the scene here Friday as Cherokee's football Braves welcomed the revelers after christening the new turf at George Hicks Field here in a big way, defeating MVAOCOU's Rams, 43-0...

If you hop online and look at the Little League World Series webpage, there's a video clip well worth the watch. It features South Dakota 12-year-old team member Kye Carlson making a fabulous play at second base. The smile on his face after making the play is, in itself, worth the watch...

HULL - Cherokee's junior varsity volleyball squad finished second behind host Hull- Western Christian in tourney play here Tuesday, going 2-1 on the night. After defeating George-Little Rock 21-11 and 21-9, the Braves got by MOC-FV 2-1, losing the first set 20-22 and then coming back to win 21-19 and finally, 15-10...

MARCUS - On a sweltering summer night, it was a battle to the bitter end before Cherokee senior Trey Benson ended it all with an interception in the waning seconds to give Cherokee's Braves a narrow 27-20 win over MMCRU's Royals here Friday night. Cherokee, 1-0, travel to Onawa this Friday to face off against West Monona's Spartans,...