• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

  • Home
  • About
    • Support Us
  • News
    • Podcast
  • Hawks
    • Boys’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Tennis
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Golf
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Schedule
    • Softball
  • Jaguars
    • Boys’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Tennis
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Golf
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Schedule
    • Softball
You are here: Home / Top Sports Stories / Football / Hawkins seizes opportunity, helps Dutch to 7-3 season

Hawkins seizes opportunity, helps Dutch to 7-3 season

December 13, 2017 by Dan Holm

Blaine Hawkins expected to sit and learn during his first season on the Central College football team. It didn’t work out that way.

Pressed into action early in the fall, the former Ankeny star played like a veteran quarterback for the Dutch, helping the team to a 7-3 record that included a season-ending four-game winning streak.

“You always imagine yourself playing, but realistically I knew that there were a few guys coming back with some experience,” Hawkins said. “I was prepared to be ready to learn my first year and then be able to compete to play, but obviously that isn’t how it turned out. I guess maybe it wasn’t good for the other guys, but it was definitely more fun for me.”

Pella, Iowa November 11, 2017 –Central College football vs Dubuque. Photo by Dan L. Vander Beek

Junior Nate Boland entered the season as Central’s No. 1 quarterback, but he suffered an injury during the opener against Whitworth (Wash.) and missed the rest of the year. Senior receiver Kohle Helle moved behind center to take over for Boland, but he was then replaced by Hawkins after the Dutch fell behind Nebraska Wesleyan, 7-0, in the first half of their fourth game on Sept. 23 at Pella.

Helle had misfired on his first three pass attempts. However, the switch to Hawkins didn’t pay off immediately.

“I was definitely a little nervous,” Hawkins said. “On my first throw I chucked it over one of our receiver’s heads, but after that I was able to settle down. There were a lot of older guys in the huddle that helped calm me down and encouraged me, so I felt confident with them around.”

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound freshman went on to lead the Dutch to a 52-27 victory. He completed 14-of-22 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 93 yards and two more scores.

Hawkins was somewhat surprised by his dazzling performance.

“I think if you would have asked me before that game, I probably would have said that I wasn’t ready (to play),” he said. “But coming into camp and learning those first few weeks and watching film, I think I was then ready to step in. It was the perfect time.” “We ended up putting up about 50 points that game, so they let me run with it the rest of the way I guess,” he added.

Hawkins made his first start the following week at archrival Simpson. He rushed for three touchdowns as Central posted a 35-17 victory.

After dropping a 44-20 decision to Wartburg on Oct. 7, the Dutch never lost again. They finished with a 6-2 mark in the Iowa Conference.

Hawkins earned a spot on the D3football.com team of the week following his stellar performance against Loras on Oct. 28. He became just the second Central quarterback to be named to the weekly honor roll and the first since Tim Connell was picked in 2007.

Hawkins set school records for passing yards (367) and total offense (498), and he tied another record with five passing touchdowns as the Dutch cruised to a 65-24 triumph. He also ran for two scores, including an 86-yard scamper in the first quarter.

“On that play, it was an inside zone and the defensive end crashed in, so I just kept it and went outside and there wasn’t too many people there,” Hawkins said of his long touchdown run. “We run a lot of plays that are similar to what we ran at Ankeny, whether it’s inside zone or outside zone. But the offense is obviously a little more complex, so it took a little time to get used to it.”

The Dutch later closed out the season with a 38-21 victory over Dubuque on Nov. 11. It was the final college game for Central receiver P.J. Carey, another former Ankeny standout.

“That was a pretty special game,” Hawkins said. “We wanted to send the seniors out with a win, and we ended up pulling away in the fourth quarter.”

Hawkins racked up more than 2,000 yards of total offense on the season. He completed 116-of-186 passes for 1,691 yards and 18 touchdowns while being intercepted just three times, compiling a passer rating of 167.44.

Hawkins was also the team’s leading rusher. He ran 86 times for 593 yards and nine scores.

“I would hope that I’d be the No. 1 guy next year, but there will be some new quarterbacks coming in with the next recruiting class,” Hawkins said. “We have spring ball, so I’ll have a chance to compete in the spring and then I’m hoping obviously to be the starter in the fall. That would be the perfect scenario for me.”

The emergence of Hawkins means that a former Ankeny player will likely play a key role for the Dutch for at least a few more seasons. Hawkins was preceded at Central by two other ex-Hawks, linebacker Drew Carlson and defensive back Zach Matter.

Those two players graduated last spring before Hawkins arrived on campus.

“A lot of the guys on the team already knew of Ankeny,” Hawkins said. “Zach and Drew were great guys and great players, and I think maybe a lot is expected out of me. I want to continue that tradition from Ankeny.”

Filed Under: Football, Top Sports Stories Tagged With: Blaine Hawkins

Primary Sidebar

Support Ankeny Fanatic

Recent Posts

  • ‘We had a good comeback’: Jaguars place 7th, Hawkettes take 10th at S.E. Polk Invite
  • George earns pair of wins, but Centennial boys’ team drops 9-2 decision at Waukee
  • Jaguars tumble to Waukee NW, S.E. Polk; Ankeny golfers fall to Waukee, Dowling
  • Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 304
  • TENNIS ROUNDUP: Ankeny’s Smith beats another top-10 foe despite cramping

Find Us on Facebook

Ankeny Fanatic

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017

Categories

  • Hawks
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
        • Roster
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Boys’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Swimming
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Wrestling
  • Jaguars
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Wrestling
  • Top Sports Stories
    • Football
    • Volleyball
  • Baseball
  • Softball

© 2025 Ankeny Fanatic. All rights reserved.