Rashidi Ishibwami and the Ankeny Centennial boys’ soccer team had to wait another 24 hours to retrieve the coveted pick axe trophy.
After Friday’s Ankeny Derby showdown against Ankeny was postponed due to rain and lightning, Ishibwami scored a pair of goals on Saturday to lead the Jaguars to a 4-0 victory over their crosstown rival.
The win avenged last year’s 2-1 loss to the Hawks and allowed the Centennial players to walk away from Northview Stadium with the pick axe, which is awarded each year to the victorious side.
“After last year’s loss, as a team we felt like we couldn’t come into this game feeling too comfortable because the same thing happened last year where we felt like we had the pieces to beat Ankeny and ended up losing in overtime,” said Ishibwami. “But this was a good game for us and a really good boost of confidence for every player who stepped on the field.”
Ty Duax scored a goal and also had an assist as Centennial improved to 3-3 in the CIML Central Conference and 6-4 overall. The Jaguars moved up from 12th to 10th in the latest Class 4A rankings, which were announced on Sunday.
“It was a good win,” said Centennial coach Brian Duax. “The rivalry game is always filled with passion, and this year was no different. We knew they’d be fired up, but I feel like we matched their intensity–especially early on.”
Ankeny’s records dropped to 1-5 in the league and 3-8 overall.
“This was a difficult one for us in many ways,” said Ankeny coach Marcus Varnum. “We didn’t feel that we played to our potential for any of it, but we can’t take anything away from Centennial for this game. They are a very dangerous side going forward and have threats all across the front 4-5 players.”
Centennial jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 5 minutes of the game. Logan Page scored the Jaguars’ first goal, then Ishibwami added another one shortly thereafter.
With his back to the goal, Ishibwami booted the ball with a backwards kick and somehow found the net.
“As a team this season, we went from people asking us how much we are going to win by to people asking if we are going to win at all,” Ishibwami said. “That alone is what’s motivating us from here. Things are starting to go our way, (but) we look to remain humble and confident. And just compete and outwork everyone who’s put in front of us.”
Duax scored on a penalty kick in the 44th minute to extend the lead to 3-0. Then, midway through the second half, Ishibwami connected again for his ninth goal of the season to complete the scoring.
Andrew Heckenlaible, Lucas Cowman and Parker Lundberg each had an assist for the Jaguars.
“I would say we were in control for most of the game,” said coach Duax. “We’re definitely trending in the right direction. This was the best offensive game we’ve played in terms of sharing the ball. That’s the type of soccer we want to play going forward.”
The Hawks suffered their third straight loss and were held scoreless for the second game in a row.
“Our goal was to minimize our mistakes in and around our goal area, and then make the most of the chances that we created, and we did not do that,” Varnum said. “This is one of the bigger games that is on our schedule each year, and we did not show up the way that I know we can. We have to improve and have to play better in the big games that are ahead of us.”
The Jaguars posted their fourth shutout of the season with help from senior defender Kwaku Kwarteng, who played against his former team for the first time. Kwarteng transferred to Centennial last month after what he described as an off-the-field incident at the school.
“We talked all week about him having to control his emotions. It had to be bittersweet for him,” Duax said. “I remember my first game against Ankeny after I left there to become the coach at Centennial. It was brutal. But I don’t think there was any issues. I have all the respect in the world for Marcus and those guys. They’re a classy bunch.”
Nearly a decade after the split into two high schools, the Jag-Hawk rivalry remains fierce. But there’s also room for some lighter moments between the two sides.
Early on Friday morning, somebody planted an Ankeny sign in the front yard of Duax’s house.
“It’s all in good fun,” he said.
Both teams will be back in action against conference opponents on Tuesday. The Jaguars will host No. 14 Southeast Polk (8-7), while the Hawks will play at Urbandale (5-8).