Colbert Hills Golf Course is doing its part to help the environment. And those efforts earned course superintendent Matthew Gourlay some recognition.

Four quarters weren’t enough to decide Tuesday night’s top-10 tilt between No. 5 Riley County and No. 7 Rock Creek.

FRANKFORT — About four minutes remained between Frankfort and Hanover Friday night when, an hour removed from racing to a 21-3 lead and having their way on nearly all fronts, the hosts looked up.

FRANKFORT — The Frankfort girls hardly could have started worse Friday night against Hanover.

Nick Anderson, Frankfort High’s head football coach, asked more of Garret Dalinghaus every year. That was pressure, but Dalinghaus was ready before the expectations were mentioned to him.

The message was puzzling for the Wabaunsee volleyball team back in August. Players couldn’t tell if Tracy Capoun, the Chargers’ head coach, was throwing shade by keeping the 2018 state tournament bracket up in the entryway of the team locker room.

Susan Steinfort knew how good Sam Vermetten was at volleyball for a while. Vermetten, a senior, was coached by Steinfort for her entire Valley Heights High career but also in middle school. That’s when Steinfort first knew.

ALMA — The cafeteria at Wabaunsee High School was buzzing Friday night. Friends chatted over pizza, sitting at those standard circular tables. Others played board games. Feet away, through a set of open doors, local high schoolers shot around on the basketball court.

ALMA — If you took in the first half of the Wabaunsee girls’ 40-37 win over Rock Creek Friday night, you might not have been blown away by either side.

At halftime of Tuesday’s game at Manhattan, Junction City head coach Nick Perez was all smiles.

It’s not that Junction City lost that bothered Tim Testa. The Blue Jays didn’t come particularly close in that regard. Manhattan High’s varsity girls team had no problems dispatching Junction City, cruising to a 51-17 win at home Tuesday.

The Rock Creek High girls and boys basketball teams earned wins Tuesday night against visiting St. Marys.

RILEY — Even into the final minutes Tuesday night, Riley County never could pull away from Clay Center.

FRANKFORT — On a chilly December night in northeast Kansas, Frankfort and Valley Heights varsity girls’ basketball teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle. At the end, the Mustangs walked away with a hard-fought 46-41 win on the road over the Wildcats.

RILEY — The Riley County girls had no problem scoring early on against Clay Center Tuesday night. That wasn’t the issue.

FRANKFORT — The Valley Heights’ boys basketball team entered Tuesday’s contest against Frankfort looking for Win No. 1 this season.The Mustangs then went out and did just that, toppling the Wildcats 60-56 on the road.

The boys and girls Hoop Holler N’ Shoot contest crowned its champions last week. Four local girls and boys shot seven free throws each at halftime of the Kansas State men’s basketball game Wednesday to decide the winner of the 1,000-plus students who participated.

COUNCIL GROVE — Rock Creek coach Adam Plummer hardly sugarcoated it: His team looked tired in its 23-18 road win over Council Grove Friday night.

COUNCIL GROVE — The best way to capture Rock Creek’s 57-42 win over Council Grove Friday night is to describe the moment when the win nearly slipped out of the Mustangs’ fingers.

WAMEGO — Tanner Hecht was only seconds removed from throwing down a breakaway dunk, which sent the Wamego gym into hysteria Friday night, when he got back on defense and swatted away what seemed like his thousandth shot of the game against Rossville.

WAMEGO — Brian McIntosh will be the first to tell you he’s got lofty expectations for his Wamego High girls basketball team, but he isn’t naive.

RAMONA — Tanner Brunner isn’t ready to move to Canada, but he had some serious success north of the border.

SENECA — Riley County’s first drive against Nemaha Central started so well. The Falcons were moving the ball. Quarterback Garrett Harmison was firing quick-hitter screens, which were turning into long gains.

Steve Wagner is all too familiar with the challenges facing his Riley County club ahead of its Class 2A state semifinal matchup with Nemaha Central Friday night.

RILEY — Avrey Brokenicky hoisted the 2A sectional championship plaque his Riley County club had just earned, the reward for toppling previously unbeaten Silver Lake 14-7 Friday night. He took off, sprinting toward the locker room, leading the Falcons on the happiest parade the city of 950 ha…

Steve Wagner and Riley County (8-2) got a huge 14-8 win over Southeast of Saline (7-3) Friday night.

Junction City opened its second-round playoff game against Dodge City with two touchdowns in the first 24 seconds of play. It was a preview of things to come.

JUNCTION CITY — A contentious game Friday night found two players ejected. But Junction City emerged unscathed — as a team, at least — to end Wichita Southeast’s season in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs.

RILEY — On its first drive Friday night against Pleasant Ridge, Riley County went three-and-out. The Falcons, hosting the Rams to open the 2A playoffs, tried three passes on their first series. The only one quarterback Garrett Harmison completed went for no gain.

The Blue Valley Randolph High football team won’t get to play its final game of the season.

HOLTON — Wamego football ran into a Wildcat wall at Hayden on Friday, losing 41-14.

FRANKFORT — The hosts’ chances were slim, but with a shade over six minutes to play Friday night, Frankfort trimmed Hanover’s lead to 46-34. Gavin Cornelison threaded a quick 19-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Stowell, and while Frankfort was having trouble producing stops on defense, the score…

BLUE RAPIDS — Tony Trimble spoke to his Valley Heights football players, who all were on one knee in the middle of their grass field at the high school Friday night. The Mustangs had just fallen to Centralia 38-20 and still were catching their breath.

Junction City had a chance to finish the regular season with a share of the Centennial League championship Friday. And it had a shot at decent seeding in the Class 6A playoffs, which begin next week.

Consider everything that will hang in the balance for Frankfort Friday night when it hosts Hanover.