There may not be a more experienced girls’ basketball team in the state than Ankeny Centennial.
The Jaguars return every player from last year’s squad that posted a 14-9 record and qualified for the Class 5A state tournament.
“We have been able to progress faster with our whole team back. We are starting at a different level than last year,” said Centennial coach Scott DeJong, who needs one more win to reach the 700-victory career milestone. “I think way back in the day we have had all our starters back, but I don’t ever recall the whole team (returning). The biggest thing will be the amount of growth we see over the course of the season. Our teams typically show a good deal of improvement throughout the season, but that is something this team will need to figure out.”
The Jaguars will again be led by a pair of Division I players in senior guard Mya Crawford and senior forward Jaeden Pratt. Crawford has signed a letter of intent to play for Drake, while Pratt is headed to Illinois State.
Crawford was a first-team all-state pick as a junior, when she set a school record with 75 steals and tied another mark with 352 points. She led the team in scoring (15.3), rebounding (7.3), assists (3.0) and steals (3.3) while also making a team-high 104 free throws.
Crawford was a unanimous selection to the CIML Conference first team. She was also named to the Class 5A West all-district squad along with Pratt, who was a repeat pick.
Pratt averaged 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds while leading the Jaguars with 19 blocks. She owns the school record with 462 career rebounds.
Pratt scored a career-high 22 points in Centennial’s 46-44 loss to conference rival Waukee in the Class 5A quarterfinals. She was a repeat pick to the all-state second team by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association, and she also earned all-conference second-team honors.
“They are more experienced and mature players than last year, so I think that mental part of their game will show improvement,” DeJong said of the duo. “They will play more confidently. Their skill sets have also improved. Jaeden and Mya know that many of the teams on our schedule also have multiple Division I-caliber players, so they can’t be satisfied where they are today. Their growth throughout the season will be important to our success.”
The Jaguars also return three other starters in senior guards Finley Blackmore, Ava Martin and Tillie Smith. They each received all-conference honorable mention a year ago.
Martin averaged 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. She made 26 3-point goals and was the team’s best shooter from behind the arc, making 37.1 percent of her attempts.
Blackmore averaged 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds. She is a Western Colorado recruit.
Smith, meanwhile, averaged 5.8 points and led the team with 38 3-pointers. She has committed to Grand View.
“Those three girls gained great experience last year,” DeJong said. “They are all good 3-point shooters, and that shooting ability will be important to our team success.”
Senior forward Kylin Smith and sophomore guard Lizzie Beam were the team’s top reserves last season. Smith averaged 2.0 points and 4.4 rebounds, while Beam contributed 1.4 points and 1.1 rebounds.
Junior forward Rylyn Boeding and junior guard Maize Smith could also play pivotal roles off the bench.
“Maize is back from her ACL injury last year and has looked good in practice,” DeJong said. “Rylyn also missed most of last season with an injury, and she has also looked good in practice. We for sure have much more depth than we had last year.”
The Jaguars, who are third in the Class 5A preseason rankings, will open their season on Nov. 30 against No. 5 Pleasant Valley at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. The Spartans went 19-5 and reached the state tournament last year.
“Our practices have been good!” said DeJong, whose team posted a 61-32 victory at Gilbert in a scrimmage on Tuesday. “We are in good health at this point. Jaeden took some days off (after volleyball) and we had her back at the end of last week, so it will be good to get her back in the mix.”
DeJong said it will be important for his team to stay healthy.
“That would be the biggest (factor in our success),” he said. “Then the growth we show during the season and the ability to navigate the adversity we will see as the season progresses. We start off with Pleasant Valley, Waukee Northwest, Ankeny and Dowling Catholic our first four games. No doubt there will be some tough times in those games, and how we handle those situations will go a long way in determining how our season goes!”
