The Southeast Polk football team isn’t ready to give up its throne.
The three-time defending Class 5A state champions scored two touchdowns in a span of 2 minutes in the third quarter and went on to beat top-ranked Ankeny Centennial, 21-13, on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. The Jaguars (3-1) suffered their first loss of the season, while Southeast Polk (2-2) got a much-needed win for playoff seeding purposes.
“They played great. Hat’s off to them,” said Centennial co-head coach Ryan Pezzetti. “Coach (Brad) Zelenovich did a great job preparing his kids tonight. We played well at times, but we didn’t play well enough to win.”
Centennial held a 10-7 lead at halftime after Ryan Bendezu booted a 44-yard field goal with 1 minute 47 seconds left in the second quarter. His kick capped off a 13-play, 43-yard drive.
“We were feeling pretty good,” said Bendezu. “We had the momentum.”
But the momentum quickly turned in the second half, when Centennial was forced to punt on its opening possession. The Rams then needed just five plays to drive 57 yards for the go-ahead score.
After Holden Hansen fired a 23-yard pass to Joey Lauters, Landon Vander Werff raced 13 yards up the middle to put Southeast Polk ahead, 14-10, with 8:27 left in the period.
Another three-and-out by Centennial forced Isaiah Bassett into a punting situation from near his own goal line, and the Rams brought a heavy rush that resulted in a blocked kick. Drew Thompson fell on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, giving the visitors a 21-10 advantage at the 6:39 mark.
“We haven’t had a punt blocked in years,” Pezzetti said. “Obviously, they saw something in our protection and took advantage of it. That was at a crucial time.”
The Jaguars answered with a 51-yard drive on the ensuing possession–all of it on the ground–to close the gap. Bendezu drilled a 46-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the quarter to cut Southeast Polk’s lead to 21-13.
Bendezu has now made 4-of-5 field goals and 16-of-16 PATs this season.
“I just kind of trust what I do in practice. I kind of try to keep my lines straight and just try to rip it,” said Bendezu, who made a 52-yard field goal in a win at Cedar Falls on Sept. 13. “I’ve made a 55-yarder in pregame and 55-plus in practice. That’s kind of my range.”
Centennial quarterback Chase Kluver, who also starts at safety, was banged up on Southeast Polk’s next possession when the Rams converted on fourth-and-1 at midfield. But he was able to return on offense after the Jaguars eventually forced a punt.
“He’ll be fine,” Pezzetti said. “Playing safety in 5A football, he’s going to take some hits and be involved with some collisions. But we knew that we could be in that situation where he’d get dinged up.”
Centennial drove from its own 10-yard line and threatened to tie the game after Kluver tossed a 32-yard pass to Sam Heither that took the ball to the Rams’ 47. But four plays later, Southeast Polk’s Cael Winget intercepted a pass at the 8-yard line with 2:30 remaining.
However, the Jaguars forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their own 33 with 1:15 left after using the last of their timeouts.
Centennial moved the chains when Kluver scrambled for a fourth-down conversion, picking up some additional yards on a defensive holding call. Kluver then completed passes of 8 and 14 yards to Braeden Jackson before connecting with Heither for a 20-yard gain to the Rams’ 6 in the final seconds.
After Kluver spiked the ball to stop the clock with 1 second left, Centennial had time for one final play. Kluver then rolled out to his right, but his heave into the end zone fell incomplete to end the game.
“We knew it was going to be a four-quarter game, and it obviously was. It went down to the end,” Pezzetti said. “The little things–the little mistakes that we made that we haven’t traditionally made in the first three games–caught up to us.”
The Jaguars outgained Southeast Polk by a 257-244 margin. Kluver tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Heither on Centennial’s first possession of the game, which was set up by Isaac Bruhl’s interception.
Reed Anderson then intercepted another pass on the Rams’ following possession, but Centennial was unable to convert. Southeast Polk later tied the game at 7-7 on a 28-yard pass from Hansen to Kaden Hills with 8:50 left until halftime.
“We had a couple new guys playing and some injuries and some sickness, but we’ll bounce back,” Pezzetti said. “One thing we always say about a loss, it’s either going to make your team better as you move forward or it won’t. It’s all about how you respond.”
The Jaguars will play Des Moines East (2-2) on Friday at Williams Stadium. The Scarlets are coming off a 24-8 loss at Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Thursday.
