The World-Herald and its Nebraska daily newspaper group are launching a new statewide high school sports website, NePrepZone. From blogs, statistics and recruiting news to slide shows, live streaming and game stories, NePrepZone will be the state's most comprehensive collection of high school sports coverage. "We will have content and features that Nebraska prep fans will not be able to find anywhere else," said Jeff Carney, the newspaper's director for digital content development.

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Teams that had scouted the Viva Fortaleza under-16 boys soccer team got a surprise at the USA Cup tournament. Fortaleza dumped its style of play — long passes up to the forwards and midfielders — for a new strategy based on the Barcelona pro squad. "Quick movement, short passes, one-touch passes,'' coach Daniel Lopez said. "The idea is to keep the ball moving, supporting it and wear out the opposition and exploit any chances you have.''

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Connor Larson of McCook, Neb., and Nathan Greteman of Carroll, Iowa, have signed letters of intent to play next fall for the University of Nebraska at Omaha tennis team, Mavs coach Mike Saniuk said Thursday. Larson was a two-time undefeated Class B state champion as a junior and senior and concluded his high school career with a 134-7 record. Greteman joins his older brother, Peter, on the Mavs team. Nathan Greteman was the No. 1 singles player for Carroll Kuemper during his final three seasons...

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Omaha Marian's Brooke Urzendowski has been selected as the national high school girls tennis senior athlete of the year by the National High School Coaches Association. Urzendowski won four Class A No. 1 singles titles for the Crusaders.“I was really surprised,” she said. “I felt really honored. It seems like a really great award.” Urzendowski won her fourth title in May with a fractured wrist. Doctors had originally said it was a sprain, but when the wrist continued to...

Rachel and Emily Pierson know how to make a memorable exit. The Red Oak seniors scored their second consecutive Class 1-A doubles title last week at the state tennis tournament at Byrnes Park in Waterloo. Making the twins’ run even more memorable was their dominance. After breezing through their first-round and quarterfinal matches, the Piersons took down Aplington-Parkersburg’s Whitney Schipper and Ashley Dohlman 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals before a convincing 6-0, 6-1 triumph over...

The Red Oak girls finished fourth Saturday in the Class 1-A team tennis tournament at Byrnes Park. The Tigers lost to Waterloo Columbus 5-3 in the semifinals, and to Camanche 5-3 in the third-place match. For Red Oak, sisters Rachel and Emily Pierson both won their two singles matches. They won the 1-A state doubles title on Friday. Rachel Pierson and Brittany Walker won both of their No. 1 doubles matches on Saturday.

Twin sisters Rachel and Emily Pierson left no doubt. The Red Oak seniors completed their demolition of the Class 1-A state doubles draw, trampling third-seeded Tiana Bark and Jalyn Deering of Camanche 6-0, 6-1 in the finals at Byrnes Park on Friday and winning their second straight state championship. In the Friday’s semifinals, the Piersons beat Whitney Schipper and Ashley Dohlman of Aplington-Parkersburg 6-1, 6-1. Also from western Iowa, Atlantic’s Liz Metheny finished seventh in...

Top seed and defending champions Rachel and Emily Pierson of Red Oak cruised into the semifinals of the Class 1-A state doubles tournament with two wins Thursday. The Piersons beat Haley Resnick and Jamie White of Davenport Assumption 6-0, 6-0 in the first round, then walloped Kim Bearbower and Rachel Schaefer of Waterloo Columbus 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. The twins will meet unseeded Whitney Schipper and Ashley Dohlman of Aplington-Parkersburg in Friday’s semifinal at Byrnes Park.

They’ve again dominated their competition across western Iowa. Now it’s time to find out if twin sisters Rachel and Emily Pierson of Red Oak are still the best Class 1-A doubles team in the state. The Tiger duo will seek to repeat as doubles champions as the 1-A state tournament begins Thursday at Byrnes Park Tennis Center in Waterloo. The Piersons, who also finished second in 2009 and reached the semifinals in 2008, have earned the No. 1 seed.

Red Oak sophomore Pete Walker won two of his three matches Friday to clinch a top-eight finish in the singles portion of the Class 1-A state tennis tournament at Byrnes Park Tennis Center. The unseeded Walker opened with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ballard junior Peter Rietgraf. Fourth-seeded Waterloo Columbus sophomore James McManus then defeated Walker 6-0, 6-1. Walker rebounded with a 6-2, 6-4 consolation win over Hawkeye Ten Conference rival Nate Ohms, a junior at Harlan.

Red Oak sophomore Pete Walker won two of his three matches Friday to clinch a top-eight finish in the singles portion of the Class 1-A state tennis tournament at Byrnes Park Tennis Center. The unseeded Walker opened with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ballard junior Peter Rietgraf. Fourth-seeded Waterloo Columbus sophomore James McManus then defeated Walker 6-0, 6-1. Walker rebounded with a 6-2, 6-4 consolation win over Hawkeye Ten Conference rival Nate Ohms, a junior at Harlan.