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ACGC boys travel to Coon Rapids-Bayard for 1A-8 third-round match

Feb 20, 2026 | Sports

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

The ACGC boys basketball team (10-12) plays at Coon Rapids-Bayard (21-1) tonight, Friday, Feb. 20 in the 1A-8 substate quarterfinals. ACGC lost the game between these two earlier this season, 74-40. A pair of Heydons leads CR-B. Cal Heydon leads the team in points at 23.5 and also averages 9.4 rebounds. Ty Heydon is averaging 12.8 points per game and 11.5 rebounds. ACGC will have to slow them down to pull off the upset. 

Panther girls stun ACGC in playoffs, win 58-49

Feb 20, 2026 | Sports

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

The Panorama girls basketball team (8-14) pulled off the upset against WCAC rival ACGC (17-5) away from home on in the Class 2A Region 2 playoffs on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The game was tight from start to finish, with the score being tied at the end of the first, 10-10, and at halftime, 25-25. Panorama took a one-point lead, 34-33, into the fourth quarter. The Panthers blew the game open with a 24-point quarter, fueling the win. Panorama had lost the last four games against ACGC before this result.

Morgan Crees led the way in scoring with 24 points, doing the majority of damage from the free throw line, shooting 15/16 from the stripe. Ines Gimeno Perez with 15 points and Ruth Fett with 11 joined her in double-figure scoring. Lexi Galvan led the team in rebounds with eight. Nerea Gimeno Perez led in assists with four.

Panorama moves on to the semifinals where they face Westwood (20-1) away from home tonight, Friday, Feb. 20. Panorama has played Westwood two times, winning once in 2024, 39-36, in the state semifinal. The other was last season, where Westwood won, 51-32. If Panorama wants to pull off another upset, they will need to slow down the Rebels’ Brenna Johnson, who is averaging 20.5 points and 9.7 rebounds.

Photos by Mark Reno
Click images to enlarge.

Charger girls upset by Panthers, 58-49

Feb 20, 2026 | Sports

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

The ACGC girls basketball team (17-5) lost in the Class 2A Region 2 second round to Panorama (8-14) at home on Tuesday, Feb. 17. This game was a close contest for the first three quarters, with little to separate the nearby schools. The game was tied 10-10 at the end of the first and tied 25-25 at halftime. Panorama entered the fourth with 34-33 lead. Panorama had a 24-point burst in the fourth quarter, leading them to the victory.

Photos by Mark Reno
Click images to enlarge.

Upcoming events in the area

Feb 20, 2026 | Events

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

‘Winter Sucs’ at Tribe Boutique Feb. 21

On Saturday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., shoppers who spend $25 or more at Tribe Boutique (130 West Main St., Panora) will receive a free succulent, while supplies last.

Guthrie County Hospital Bingo Feb. 26

The Guthrie County Hospital Auxiliary and Foundation will host bingo from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Guthrie Center Activity Center (209 State St.).

Ham Balls for Baseballs?

Thursday, Feb. 26, The New Homestead and the ACGC baseball team will co-host a dinner at the Guthrie Center Activity Center, 209 State St. For $13, enjoy ham balls, corn, cheesy potatoes, roll, dessert and drink from 4:45-6 p.m. Proceeds will help The New Homestead purchase furniture. A portion of the proceeds will also support the ACGC baseball team. Then, stay to play bingo from 6-8 p.m. Bingo proceeds will support the Guthrie County Hospital Auxiliary and Foundation.

Free Bingo at Lakeside Village Feb. 26

Adults and kids are invited to a free bingo event at Lakeside Village (2067 Highway 4, Panora) from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26. Food, prizes and fun for everyone.

Legion bingo Feb. 28 and March 28

American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 124 will hold Saturday bingo on Feb. 28 and March 28 at the Guthrie Center Activity Center, 209 State St. A freewill donation dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. with bingo starting at 7 p.m.

Legislative coffees

State Senator Jesse Green and State Representative Carter Nordman welcome the public to their upcoming legislative coffee events to voice concerns and hear legislative updates. The next events are Saturday, March 21, 9-10 a.m. at Guthrie County Farm Bureau (203 North Fourth St. in Guthrie Center) and Saturday, April 11, 9-10 a.m. at Guthrie County Farm Bureau (203 North Fourth St. in Guthrie Center).

Puzzles, Pies and Pints March 14

The Guthrie Center Chamber of Commerce is again holding the popular “Puzzles, Pies and Pints” fundraiser event at the Guthrie Activity Center (209 State St.). On Saturday, March 14, teams of four will compete to see which team can most quickly put together a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle while also finishing a large pizza and 12 beverages. Cost is $120 per team, with registration available on the Chamber’s Facebook page. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., and the competition begins at 6 p.m. Cash bar and side games will be available for purchase.

Plan ahead for Stem Fest

Guthrie County Extension and Outreach will hold Stem Fest 2026 on Saturday, March 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at Panorama Elementary School (401 Panther Drive, Panora). The event is targeted to kids in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Handbags and Bingo April 10

The Guthrie County Hospital Foundation’s annual “Handbags and Bingo” event will be held Friday, April 10 at the Guthrie County Fairgrounds Event Center. Social hour will begin at 4:45 p.m. with dinner at 5:45 p.m., followed by bingo and games. Tickets can be purchased from the hospital website.

ACGC and Panorama postseason updates and the Indiana Bears? 

Feb 20, 2026 | Cyote's Den

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

 

ACGC and Panorama postseason updates

The most wonderful time of any sports season is upon ACGC and Panorama: the postseason. This week, the ACGC boys basketball team won a playoff game against CAM and face a massive test against Coon Rapids-Bayard. It will certainly be an uphill battle for the Chargers, but they have been facing that all season. After a rough start at 3-8, ACGC began to turn its season around, rattling off six wins in its next eight games. Kudos to the players and coaching staff.

It would be an upset if the ACGC boys manage to defeat CR-B. They should take a lesson from the Panorama girls team after knocking off fellow WCAC member ACGC in the regional playoffs. Panorama had lost the last four games against ACGC, including two this season. One of them was a 30-point blowout just a few short weeks ago when Panorama only scored 11 points. It just goes to show that anything can happen when the postseason begins. Panorama takes on Westwood, a team they defeated in the state semifinals two years ago during the Panthers’ historic run. Let’s see if they can call upon some of that magic from two seasons ago tonight.

ACGC and Panorama wrestlers are also in the midst of the postseason. Wrestling is arguably the state’s most popular sport, and the state wrestling tournament is the most attended high school sporting event. The Casey’s Center (it’s still Wells Fargo Arena in my heart) has been packed once again to see which wrestlers can come out on top.

Plenty of ACGC wrestlers won first round matches, some are still battling in the consolation bracket. Panorama’s Blake Scwartz and a few ACGC wrestlers are still alive in the consolation brackets with a chance to hit the podium. I will be rooting for all of them to keep the wins coming and make their respective schools proud.   

  

The Indiana Bears?

A few weeks ago, when I was ranting about the death of outdoor stadiums, I mentioned the possibility that the Chicago Bears could be moving to Indiana. What was a joke at the time is all of the sudden starting to feel very real.

News broke yesterday morning (Feb. 19) that an Indiana House Committee unanimously advanced legislation creating a stadium finance authority that would help the state build a dome in northwest Indiana. The Bears released a statement saying it was “the most meaningful step forward” in the saga so far. A Bears spokesperson added that Hammond, Indiana, population 76,000, is the site the Bears are focused on.

The most likely site for where the Bears would move is a golf course that is within a stone’s throw of an oil refinery.Indiana would be giving all of the revenue from the proposed stadium to the Bears. That certainly is leverage — that would likely anger every taxpayer in Indiana. If the Bears move out of Chicago, it will anger much of the fanbase as well.

The original plan for the Bears was to move to Arlington Heights, which is still in play for the team. The Bears already own the property they wish to build on. It comes down to these three things: 1) Illinois lawmakers have no interest in giving the Bears nearly a billion dollars in tax funds (the Bears are committing $2 billion themselves to the project); 2) the Bears want tax certainty; and 3) Indiana wants to set itself on fire. I, the Packers fan, am enjoying every aspect.