For the fourth consecutive year, the pick axe trophy that goes to the annual winner of the Ankeny Derby has changed hands.
The Ankeny boys’ soccer team got a goal from Landon Benge early in the second half and went on to beat crosstown rival Ankeny Centennial, 1-0, on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. The two teams have traded victories every year since 2021.
“We were pretty confident,” said Benge. “We felt like as a team collectively we had confidence in ourselves. We all work out well together, and we all put in the work. It showed tonight.”
Ankeny now leads the all-time series by a 6-4 margin. The Hawks improved to 3-3 in the CIML Conference and 9-6 overall, while Centennial’s records dropped to 2-4 and 5-10.
“I didn’t grow up here so I don’t know how the battle is, but I’ve been around it a couple years,” said Ankeny coach Trevor Fuccio. “It means everything to the boys, so I’m happy we got the result.”
The loss was Centennial’s third in a row since the Jaguars posted a 3-2 victory at then-No. 2 Johnston on April 23. Coach Brian Duax’s squad was held scoreless for the second straight game, despite some quality chances.
Tate Duax just missed a shot in the 32nd minute. The Jaguars later hit the crossbar with about 5 minutes left to play.
“It was a tough result,” said coach Duax. “We had the run of play, I would say, for the majority of the game. I thought Ankeny was better the first 15 or 20 minutes, but we were the more complete side (afterwards). We just didn’t finish chances.
“The boys did everything that we asked them to, but the game of soccer can be cruel. You can be unlucky sometimes,” he added.
After a scoreless first half, Benge put the Hawks ahead in the opening minutes of the second half. It was his team-leading 11th goal of the season.
“There was like a loose ball–a 50/50 between the two teams,” Benge said. “I won the ball, dribbled two guys and slotted it into the corner.”
Benge has accounted for 50 percent of his team’s goals this season.
“I think he probably had a couple other opportunities if I’m being hard on him, but at this point that’s tough to do,” Fuccio said. “He’s been a quality player. We rely on him up top a lot, and he came through for us.”
The Jaguars desperately tried to score an equalizer the rest of the way, but they couldn’t crack Ankeny’s defense. Goalkeeper Jackson Dockendorff had four saves for the Hawks.
“Kudos to them for being super compact,” Duax said of the Hawks. “Dylan Gloviak was a monster, and Lando was just being Lando–taking our defense on and just being an absolute menace if you let him get running. I’ve known him since he was about 11 years old, and that was a typical Lando goal.”
Ankeny got a lift from its bench throughout the second half. A few Hawks left the game due to cramps.
“It was getting a little risky there,” Fuccio said. “I’ll give Kingston (Ukpabi) the shoutout. That was his first 4 minutes of varsity (action). At practice he never loses a tackle, and he went in and put in a shift.”
The win could potentially move Ankeny back into the Class 4A rankings. The Hawks were ranked as high as third earlier in the season.
The Class 4A substate pairings will be announced on Monday.
“This (win) feels amazing, especially with the pairings coming out soon,” Benge said. “This will be good for us.”
Duax said the Jaguars have no control over their postseason draw.
“Even if we would have won tonight, we are not going to be seeded,” he said. “We’re at the mercy of wherever they want to put us. But we’re not afraid to play anybody.”
Both teams will face another conference opponent on Tuesday. Ankeny will host Urbandale (3-3, 6-7), while the Jaguars will visit Southeast Polk (1-5, 8-5).
