Senior defensive end Andrew Haase helped the Ankeny football team to a 23-16 victory over top-ranked Dowling Catholic on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. The Hawks allowed just three points in the final three quarters to earn their first win of the season.
“Andrew was everywhere tonight,” Ankeny coach Jeff Bauer said afterwards.
Here is some inside info on Haase:
Congratulations on the win over Dowling. What do you think was the biggest key to the victory?
Thank you! I think our key to victory was playing like a team and finishing drives on both sides. The offense got going and finished in the red zone, and the defense got off the field on third down.
After losing your first two games, did you feel like this was a must-win game at this point in the season?
Yes, this was a must-win game for us. We needed to win this one bad not just for team morale but to prove ourselves to the rest of the state.
After the Maroons scored touchdowns on their first two drives, your defense allowed just one field goal the rest of the way. What changes or adjustments did you make after those first two drives, or did the defense simply just start playing better?
We simply played better. Our secondary was flying around the second half, and our linebackers scrapped and filled (the holes) a lot better.
Dowling’s Ra’Shawd Davis rushed for 125 yards on 30 carries, but 74 of those yards came in the first quarter. Was keeping him contained the key to slowing down their offense?
Keeping Davis contained was a part of the game plan, but we knew if each defensive player did their job we would have success not just stopping the run but also containing their passing attack.
Your offense scored 23 points–matching its total from the first two weeks combined. What improvements did you see from the offense?
The offense had a fantastic week of practice, and I felt like both the rushing and passing attack broke through this week.
Your team scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 7-yard pass from Luke Anderson to Evan Irlmeier with 1 minute 16 seconds left. How important was it to get a touchdown in that situation as opposed to a field goal?
Scoring a touchdown in that situation benefited the defense tremendously because we could focus on their passing attack only as they had to move the entire length of the field and get into the end zone all within a minute.
Even though you got the touchdown, your place-kicker–Ryan Harrington–had already made three field goals in the game and is now 6-for-7 on the season, including one from 53 yards. What can you say about his performance?
I think Ryan is the best kicker in the state and will continue to benefit us this season and will benefit any college program he goes to in the future.
Your team also defeated Dowling in the Class 5A quarterfinals last season. I know the Maroons have a lot of new starters, but did that win give you confidence that you could beat them again?
We weren’t really thinking about last year. All week our coaches said they are one of the best coached teams in the state. Even with a lot of underclassmen playing, they are a very tough team and I expect them to have a very successful season.
Your team will now play at Johnston on Friday, and that’s another opponent that you played in last year’s playoffs. Do you expect them to be pretty fired up for their homecoming game?
Yes, playing a team on their homecoming is always tough. We expect it to be a tough game as they are well coached and sure to be well prepared.
Like your team, Johnston has a 1-2 record with a pair of close losses to two top-10 teams–Cedar Falls and Valley. Do you expect another close game?
I hope it’s not a close game in our favor, but it will be a very good game.
You have committed to play next year for Wayne State College. How are they doing this season, and will you have a chance to get over there to catch a game?
Wayne is doing well. They started out 2-1 with the only loss being to Mankato so they are expecting to have a very good season. I will be heading over to see them play Sioux Falls in late October.
