Ankeny’s Jacob Mohrfeld couldn’t believe what had just happened at the UNI-Dome.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Mohrfeld said. “I can’t believe it, man. It’s crazy.”
The senior defensive back blocked a field goal and had one of his team’s three interceptions as the Hawks knocked off crosstown rival Ankeny Centennial, 10-7, in the Class 5A semifinals on Friday at Cedar Falls.
The win allowed No. 7 Ankeny (9-3) to advance to the championship game in Jeff Bauer’s first season as head coach. The Hawks will play No. 1 Southeast Polk (12-0), the two-time defending champion, on Friday at 7 p.m.
“It’s unbelievable. We’re very fortunate,” said Bauer. “I’m so proud of my kids and my coaching staff. That was a battle. Centennial is a darn good team, obviously. Our defense kept bending and bending, but finishing those turnovers was huge in that game when they presented themselves. (The interceptions by) Mohrfeld, (Kinnick) Vos and (Nolan) Dalton. Those were huge plays.”
Centennial (7-5) lost despite outgaining Ankeny by a 285-174 margin. The Jaguars had a chance to force overtime, but Ryan Bendezu missed a 39-yard field goal that was partially blocked with 7 seconds left in the game.
“They’re a really good team,” Centennial tight end Chase Schutty said of the Hawks. “Nothing against Ankeny–they played really well and did what they needed to. We didn’t execute in the red zone and it hurts (to lose) without Elijah (Porter), but Ankeny’s a good team and I’ve got faith that they’re going to win it all.”
The Jaguars played without Porter, their standout running back who rushed for 187 yards on 22 carries in Centennial’s 39-38 loss to Ankeny in double overtime on Aug. 25.
After being sick throughout the day, Porter was reportedly hospitalized in Cedar Falls with an appendicitis.
“We were hoping he was going to make it up here in time for the game, and he did,” said Centennial co-head coach Ryan Pezzetti. “But you know what, some things just aren’t meant to be. Unfortunately, when you lose a guy like that, it gets you scrambling a little bit.”
Even without their leading rusher, the Jaguars dominated the first half. They ran 36 offensive plays in the first two quarters, 20 more than Ankeny, but went to the locker room at the break tied at 7-7.
“I wouldn’t say we were rattled, but they came out hot and they’re a really good football team,” said Ankeny linebacker Connor Kayser. “We had a really long talk in the locker room about what it was going to take. And at the end of the day, it was just a bunch of dudes digging really deep. I told them, ‘You’ve got to find a place you don’t usually go’, and we found that and we pulled it out. I’m so proud of these guys and how far we’ve come this season as a group of brothers. It’s amazing.”
Ankeny scored what proved to be the game-winning points midway through the third quarter following an interception by Vos. Ryan Harrington kicked a 44-yard field goal with 6 minutes 57 seconds left in the period after quarterback Luke Anderson had tossed a 45-yard bomb to Evan Irlmeier four plays earlier.
Harrington, a junior, wasn’t surprised that he had a chance to play a big role in the outcome.
“I knew our defense was coming out (strong) the second half,” he said. “They played great. They really gave us an opportunity to win the game.”
After an exchange of punts, Centennial drove into Ankeny territory in the final minute of the period. On fourth-and-3 from the Hawks’ 40-yard line, quarterback Trenton Smith tried to fire a quick pass to the sideline, but Mohrfeld picked the ball off and raced 55 yards all the way to the Jaguars’ 4 before being pushed out of bounds.
“They were running that play under (our coverage) all the time,” Mohrfeld said. “I knew it was going to come back to me at some point. It did, and I read it and took it away.”
Ankeny was unable to capitalize, however. Harrington missed a 23-yard field goal with 11:46 remaining in the game.
“It’s really hard, but you learn from it. I was there against Valley (when I missed a crucial extra point),” Harrington said. “It’s a big adversity moment. But, it’s a good thing honestly. It makes you better.”
Centennial used its final timeout with 6:36 left, then picked up a huge first down when Smith completed an 8-yard pass to Max Snyder that moved the ball across midfield. But, two plays later, Dalton intercepted a long pass at the Hawks’ 7.
Ankeny was eventually forced to punt with a little more than a minute to go, giving the Jaguars one last possession. A 25-yard pass from Smith to Lawson Langford moved the ball into field-goal range at the Hawks’ 25.
After Braeden Jackson ran for 3 yards, Smith spiked the ball to stop the clock. Jackson then caught a third-down pass in the end zone, but was ruled out of bounds.
That set the stage for the Jaguars’ missed field goal that sealed Ankeny’s victory.
“I thought it would be (a defensive game),” Pezzetti said. “I knew it would be a short-possession game, and it was the first half. The second half we kept on giving the ball back to each other, but hats off to them. Their kids played great for them.”
Centennial opened the game with a long drive that took more than 7 minutes off the clock. It failed to produce any points, though, as Mohrfeld blocked a 32-yard field-goal attempt by Bendezu.
“Our special teams were great,” Harrington said. “So shoutout to them.”
On their next possession, the Jaguars drove 61 yards in seven plays for their only score of the game. A 24-yard pass to Snyder helped set up Jackson’s 8-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left in the first quarter.
Jackson ran 27 times for 100 yards and caught three passes for 35 yards.
“I thought BJ played great, and I thought JJ (Morgan) played great,” Pezzetti said. “We had some chances in the first half. We really controlled the game. The second half we just couldn’t get things going.”
After the Jaguars missed a 48-yard field goal with 5 minutes left in the half, Ankeny finally got its initial first down when Anderson threw a 10-yard pass to Devon Akers. The completion sparked a 10-play, 75-yard drive that tied the game.
Daniel Larmie had seven carries for 48 yards on the drive, including a 28-yard scamper. He scored on a 3-yard run with 1:25 to go until halftime.
Larmie ran 15 times for 77 yards, while Anderson completed 9-of-15 passes for 90 yards. It was just enough offense to punch the Hawks’ ticket to the title game.
“These kids have grown, and this team has grown,” Bauer said. “My staff has been incredible. We come up with a game plan every week, and we’re able to compete with the schedule we had. I can’t tell you how proud I am of the whole staff and the kids.”
