Harper thrown for tough loss
Harper College knew Iowa Central wouldn't throw much in Saturday afternoon's Midwest Football Conference game in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
But 2 touchdown passes in a six-minute span of the third quarter put Iowa Central (3-1, 3-1) ahead to stay in a 28-23 victory over Harper (2-3, 1-3).
Zach Edwards (6-for-12, 136 yards) hit Jacob Rohde (5 catches, 133 yards) for scores of 41 and 37 yards to give Iowa Central a 21-14 lead with six minutes left in the third.
Harper used the arm of freshman Garrett Barnas (24-for-43, 300 yards) to take a 14-7 halftime lead. Barnas hit Eric Watts for a 44-yard touchdown in the first quarter and found John Baldwin for a 15-yard score 12 seconds before intermission.
Barnas has thrown for 1,255 yards to give Harper its 12th consecutive 1,000-yard passer.
A 30-yard field goal by Conant grad Ryan Fillingham got Harper within 21-17 with 6:33 left. But Jake Peterson (35 carries, 156 yards) answered with a 5-yard touchdown run with 1:35 left for Iowa Central.
Freshman backup quarterback Matt Brandt (4-for-5, 49 yards) came in and scored from 28 yards with 42 seconds left to give Harper one last shot.
Dan Brunke recovered Jordan Hofer's onside kick at the Harper 40 but it was out of timeouts and unable to advance the ball.
Harper will host the North Dakota School of Science at 1 p.m. next Saturday.
Girls cross country
Hoffman Estates' top seven were packed in two seconds apart as it cruised to the Plainfield South Invitational title with 25 points. Waubonsie Valley was second with 59.
Third-place finisher Sarah Ahn (19:40) led the way with Sonia Khan, Andrea Contreras, Kathy Kenley, Gaby Duenas, Kati Mattes and Hannah Worman.
• Amanda Kompanowski (19:15) finished second and so did St. Viator by 4 points to the hosts in the Whitney Young invitational.
Boys cross country
Schaumburg ran away with the Bartlett Invitational title with five runners finish in the top 14. Nathan Rutz won the race in 15:31.
Pat Lesiewicz (fourth, 15:52), Erich Seimetz (fifth, 15:55), Brian Burhardt (eighth, 16:06) and Jay McNamara (14th, 16:33) added to the Saxons' team total.
• Buffalo Grove (65) and Prospect (69) finished 1-2 at the Oak Park-River Forest invite. The Knights' Chris Hayek (15:56) was third and the Bison's Tim Marr was fifth (16:07).
• Angelo Karkalis took second (16:24) to lead Rolling Meadows to the Whitney Young team title.
Boys golf
Medalist Ross Frankenberg shot 76 and Bryan Quinn shot 78 to finish fourth and lead Barrington to the team title of the Grayslake Central Invitational at Stonewall Orchard.
Barrington shot 328 to edge Mundelein by 3 strokes.
Girls golf
Prospect didn't have the individual medalist but took the next four spots to shoot 332 and cruise to the Galesburg Invitational title by 29 strokes.
Marietta Smith (82), Karly Grouwinkel (82), Melanie Walsh (83) and Michelle Lawless (85) counted for the Knights and Alexandra Campanile shot 86 for eighth.
Girls tennis
St. Viator's Caitlin Alden was the top area finisher in fourth place at No. 2 singles in the Prospect Invitational. Hinsdale Central won with 81 points.