The calendar insists it’s almost the middle December – regardless of what the thermometer says – meaning 2015 will soon become 2016 and time to renew hunting and fishing licenses. A 2016 hunting, fishing or combination license is a permission slip for a year’s worth of outdoor enjoyment. 2016 resident hunting and fishing licenses go on sale December 15. It makes an excellent gift for the holidays and one that could be purchased online up to the last minute at www.iowadnr.gov.

The menu of license options includes the popular Outdoor Combo annual resident hunting/fishing/habitat combo license for $47; the Angler’s Special three-year fishing license for $53; and the Hunter’s Special three-year hunting license with habitat included for $86. Also available is the Bonus Line option for $12 allowing resident and nonresident anglers to fish with one additional line in addition to the two lines allowed with the regular fishing license.

Iowa hunting and fishing license fees remain unchanged for 2016. Annual licenses, including those special three year license purchased in 2013, expire on Jan. 10, 2016.

ATLANTA (AP) — Iowa’s Desmond King has won the Jim Thorpe Award for the nation’s best defensive back. The award was presented Thursday night.

King, a junior cornerback, led Iowa with eight interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, this season. He is the first Iowa player to win the honor. He became the Big Ten’s seventh winner, tying the Southeastern Conference for the lead.

King was selected over Duke’s Jeremy Cash and Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III. Louisville’s Gerod Holliman won the award last year.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Monte Morris hit a runner with nine seconds left and fourth-ranked Iowa State rallied from a 20-point deficit to stun Iowa 83-82 on Thursday night. Morris and Jameel McKay each had 20 points for the Cyclones (8-0), who scored the game’s final nine points to remain unbeaten.

A 30-11 run brought Iowa State within 82-81 with 21 seconds left. Morris then drove the lane and floated in the go-ahead shot, which the Cyclones made stand with one final defensive stop. Jarrod Uthoff scored 30 of his 32 points in the first half for Iowa (7-3), which has lost seven straight in Ames.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines Register columnist Randy Peterson suffered what the newspaper says is an apparent broken leg when Iowa State fans stormed the court after a win over Iowa. The fourth-ranked Cyclones rallied from 20 down to beat the in-state rivals 83-82 Thursday night on a winning shot with nine seconds left. Iowa State fans rushed the floor at Hilton Coliseum, and Peterson was injured while heading to the postgame press conference.

Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard told the Register that he believes Peterson suffered a compound leg fracture. Peterson has covered sports in Iowa for the Register for roughly four decades.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Clarinda Academy 49, East Mills 48
East Sac County 52, OA-BCIG 44
Essex 86, Heartland Christian 26
Fremont Mills, Tabor 78, Sidney 40
Glidden-Ralston 69, Adair-Casey 33
Stanton 58, Nishnabotna 37

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Adair-Casey 38, Glidden-Ralston 33
Clarinda Academy 42, East Mills 27
East Sac County 46, OA-BCIG 38
Essex 66, Heartland Christian 6
Fremont Mills, Tabor 78, Sidney 40
Martensdale-St. Marys 40, Guthrie Center 37
Stanton 44, Nishnabotna 40

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota State’s star quarterback has returned to practice in a week when the Bison are concentrating on a better defensive effort against Northern Iowa. Senior quarterback and pro prospect Carson Wentz suited up for the first time since breaking his throwing wrist seven weeks ago. His playing status in the FCS quarterfinal at the Fargodome Saturday appears to be a game-day decision.

Bison safety Robbie Grimsley says Wentz’s return is an emotional boost, but adds that the defense needs more than attitude to stop UNI’s 1-2 punch of quarterback Aaron Bailey and running back Tyvis Smith. They each have gone over 1,000 yards rushing.

The Panthers piled up 277 yards rushing on the Bison in their regular-season matchup, when Smith did not get a carry. NDSU won 31-28.

ST. LOUIS, Mo., December 10, 2015 – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have signed free-agent right-handed reliever Jonathan Broxton to a two-year (2016-17) contract.  Broxton, who was acquired by the Cardinals in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers this past August, rejoins the team that he’d helped to win the 2015 National League Central title.

Broxton, 31, was 3-3 with a 2.66 ERA in his 26 games with St. Louis last season, striking out 26 batters in 23.2 innings pitched.  He allowed just one run in his 12 appearances (12.0 IP; 0.75 ERA) at Busch Stadium in 2015.

A two time (2009-10) All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Broxton is 39-35 career with a 3.23 ERA and 118 saves (10^th among active pitchers).  The 6-4, 305-pound Georgia native combined for 63 strikeouts in 60.1 IP between the Cardinals and Brewers last season, averaging 9.4 strikeouts per 9 IP.

Broxton, who had a career-high 36 saves for the Dodgers in 2009, has appeared in 608 games with the Dodgers (2005-11), Kansas City (2012), Cincinnati (2012-14), Milwaukee (2014-15) and St. Louis (2015).

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – Two eastern Iowa men are attempting to run marathons in each of the state’s 99 counties. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that 44-year-old Dennis Lee of Walford and 30-year-old Daren Schumaker of Cedar Rapids plan to run in their 86th county, Cerro Gordo, on Saturday.

The men say the idea was born because both of their lives have been altered by losing family members to heart disease and strokes. The runs are intended to raise awareness and research funding for the American Heart Association. Lee and Schumaker will run a 100th marathon after running all of the counties. The final run will take place in the county that donates the most to the American Heart Association.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Billy Garrett Jr scored 19 points on 7 of 8 shooting to help lead DePaul past Drake, 74-71, on Wednesday night. Eli Cain and Tommy Hamilton IV each had 13 points for the Blue Demons (5-3), who have won four straight. Reed Trimmer scored a career-high 30 points for Drake (4-5).

Drake’s Graham Woodward hit a 3-pointer and Trimmer made two free throws to cut the Bulldogs deficit to 71-68 with 19 seconds left in the game. But Myke Henry hit three of his four free throws in the final 15 second for DePaul to push the lead back to 74-68 and effectively ice the game. Woodward hit a final 3-pointer as time expired.

The Blue Demons led 38-37 at the break and trailed for only 18 seconds in the second half, after a layup by Drake’s Jacob Enevold Jensen briefly gave the Bulldogs a 41-40 lead.