Friday’s game against visiting Waukee Northwest won’t be the one that is going to define the 2023 season for the Ankeny Centennial boys’ soccer team.
There are more important contests coming up, including a likely rematch against the Wolves in a Class 4A substate final.
Fourth-ranked Northwest closed out the regular season with a 2-1 victory over the No. 10 Jaguars. It was a rematch of last year’s Class 3A semifinal, which was also won by the Wolves, 2-1.
“It was a tough result,” said Centennial coach Brian Duax. “We played well considering our game plan and the different formation (that we played).”
Centennial held a 1-0 lead at halftime. Andrew Heckenlaible scored his eighth goal of the season to put the Jaguars ahead.
Ty Duax was credited with an assist, his sixth of the year.
“We were up 1-0 for the majority of the game,” Duax said. “If you let great teams hang around, they will punish you. And that’s what Northwest did. They took their chances and finished them.”
The Wolves rallied in the second half, getting one goal from Cooper Collins and another one from Grant Gilmore. Centennial goalkeeper Andrew Nelson made four saves, but it wasn’t enough.
Northwest finished 6-2 in the CIML Conference and 13-3 overall. The Jaguars’ records dropped to 4-4 and 7-5.
Centennial will host Council Bluffs Lincoln (11-5) in a substate semifinal on Monday, May 22.
“We will regroup and continue to improve before the next game,” Duax said. “All teams are now 0-0. The new season begins in 10 days.”
