• 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
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Tennis
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Golf
      • Roster
      • Schedule
  • Jaguars
    • Boys’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Tennis
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Golf
      • Roster
      • Schedule

Jaguars romp past East to clinch playoff berth, await postseason pairings

October 22, 2022 by Dan Holm

Ankeny Centennial’s JJ Morgan (No. 40) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown during Friday’s game against visiting Des Moines East. Ty Morgan (No. 23) had a pair of scores in the Jaguars’ 56-0 victory that clinched a playoff berth. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

The Ankeny Centennial football team entered Friday’s regular-season finale against visiting Des Moines East ranked 14th in the PRI ratings and badly needing a victory to clinch a Class 5A playoff berth.

The Jaguars got what they needed in resounding fashion.

Centennial scored a touchdown just 19 seconds into the game and went on to rout the Scarlets, 56-0. The Jaguars improved to 5-4, while East finished with a 1-8 record.

Ankeny Centennial quarterback Trenton Smith rolls out of the pocket and looks to throw a pass during Friday’s game. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

“We got off to a good start, a fast start, and had a lot of different people score touchdowns and impact the game,” said Centennial co-head coach Ryan Pezzetti. “We stayed healthy, and we’re ready to move onto the playoffs.”

Injured quarterback Trenton Smith and running back Elijah Porter both returned to the lineup after sitting out last week’s loss at Southeast Polk. Smith threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Max Snyder immediately after the Jaguars recovered a fumble on East’s first play of the game.

Smith completed 3-of-4 passes for 75 yards. Porter ran four times for 60 yards.

“This is the healthiest we’ve been since the first half of the Ankeny game,” Pezzetti said. “Knock on wood, we can stay healthy this upcoming week in practice and be competitive in the second season.”

Ankeny Centennial’s Nick Severson races to the end zone for a touchdown during Friday’s game. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

Easton Miller scored on a 3-yard run to make it 14-0 less than 3 minutes into the game. A 49-yard run by Porter set up Centennial’s next score, then Nick Severson bolted 45 yards to the end zone to give the Jaguars a 28-0 advantage with 7:09 left in the first quarter.

Ty Morgan followed with a 1-yard touchdown run, then JJ Morgan added a pair of scoring runs, one of them from 58 yards out on the opening play of the third quarter. The Jaguars finished with 329 yards on the ground, led by JJ Morgan with 74 and Jeremiah Bassett with 62.

“We have some depth at some positions, but in high school football it’s very difficult to have depth across the board,” Pezzetti said. “But right now, we’re healthy and looking forward to moving on.”

Two Ankeny Centennial defenders team up to make a tackle during Friday’s game. The Jaguars posted their first shutout since last season, when they recorded a 30-0 win at Sioux City East. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

Sean Stewart and Connor Welsch each had an interception for the Jaguars, who posted their first shutout since a 30-0 win at Sioux City East last season.

Centennial moved up to No. 12 in the final RPI rankings. The playoff pairings will be announced on Saturday at 10 a.m.

The Jaguars could play at No. 5 Cedar Falls in a rematch of a game from Sept. 16, which Centennial won, 28-14.

“We just want a shot at it,” Pezzetti said. “At this point, everybody is going to be competitive. There’s a lot of good teams out there, and we’ve played a lot of them. On any given Friday night, anybody can win.”

Ankeny Centennial’s Jake Gossett is tackled by Des Moines East’s Daniel Zeoh during Friday’s game. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

There’s a chance that the Iowa High School Athletic Association will take some geographic concerns into the equation when the pairings are determined. No. 13 Sioux City East would have to play at No. 4 Pleasant Valley if the pairings follow the rankings, which would require a six-hour bus trip for the Black Raiders.

Pezzetti said he thinks the Jaguars will play at Cedar Falls, Pleasant Valley or possibly No. 6 Johnston.

“We’ll see where they put us, and then we’ll get ready to play,” he said. “But I like our team. We’ve got to be consistent and balanced on offense. Defensively, we’ve got to make teams one-dimensional throwing the ball. If teams are able to run on us, that puts us in a tough spot. But I like where we’re at, and we’re healthy. We’ve got kids going in the right direction.”

Filed Under: Football, Jaguars Tagged With: Featured, Ryan Pezzetti

Primary Sidebar

Support Ankeny Fanatic

Recent Posts

  • Hawks claim Marske Indoor crown; Sickerson named Athlete of the Meet
  • Hawks will have to replace Newhard, but 3 all-conference players are back
  • Clark, White help SW Iowa team to crown at Pizza Ranch All-Star games
  • Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Jasmine Moser, Ankeny girls’ soccer
  • Centennial girls boast high hopes with strong returnees, addition of Peterson

Find Us on Facebook

Ankeny Fanatic

Archives

  • 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

© 2023 Ankeny Fanatic. All rights reserved.