One step away. The message was hard to miss. For the Council Bluffs Lewis Central girls soccer team, those words used to tease at how agonizingly close the state tournament has been in recent seasons.

What started out as a laugher turned into a cliffhanger Monday night at the annual Collin-Orcutt All-Star baseball game. The Collin squad opened up an eight-run lead after six innings and held on for an 8-7 win. The 40th anniversary of the game, which marks the unofficial start of the American Legion summer season, drew an estimated 400 fans to Brown Park.

Seventeen Telegraph area athletes completed the 2012 track season with the accomplishment of ending the season as a member of the Nebraska High School Top 10 track charts. Twenty-five different positions were represented, with the addition of four relays.

Carroll Kuemper is third at the halfway mark of the Class 2-A girls golf meet at River Valley Golf Course. The third-rated Knights shot 373 on Tuesday, but are 24 strokes behind leader Dyersville Beckman (349). Cascade is second at 371.

The seeds held to form Saturday as the singles portion of the Class 1-A boys state tennis tournament concluded at Byrnes Park Tennis Center. Unfortunately for Red Oak fans, junior Pete Walker was seeded fourth. Walker lost 6-0, 6-4 in the semifinals to top-seeded Boone senior John Ellis, and then dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to third-seeded Waterloo Columbus junior Alex Bernt in the third-place match. Ellis outlasted second-seeded Aaron Chalstrom of Fort Dodge St. Edmond 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the...

York’s Michael Powell was named the 2011-12 York News-Times Male Athlete of the Year on Monday night at Foster Park in York.

South Sioux City star Mike Gesell was one of 40 players named to the 2012 Parade Magazine High School Boys Basketball All-America team.

Jake Driver has stepped down from his position as Council Bluffs St. Albert’s wrestling coach. A search is under way for the Falcons’ next coach.

Omaha Westside's Anna Skold has committed to Boston College, and Westside's Capris Quaites picked Drake for volleyball. Skold, a senior-to-be, played middle hitter last season for the Warriors (18-17). She also plays for the Nebraska Juniors, where she spends some time playing the right side.

Millard North junior-to-be Christy Warnock has accepted a scholarship offer to play at South Dakota. Warnock, who plays for Nebraska Gold in the spring and summer, hit .355 last season for the Mustangs with five doubles, two triples and 13 RBIs. Playing center field, Warnock has had 56 putouts in her first two seasons.