This weekend may have been a turning point for the Ankeny Centennial boys’ soccer team.
The Jaguars improved their overall record to 3-2 with a pair of victories at the Council Bluffs Lewis Central Invitational. After posting a 2-1 win over the host Titans on Friday night, they returned to the pitch on Saturday morning and defeated Omaha (Neb.) Skutt Catholic, 1-0.
“We needed that weekend. It was two totally different games, but the boys played well in both,” said Centennial coach Brian Duax. “This team just has to get over the hump, and then we have to stay over the hump. I thought we absolutely manhandled (Skutt Catholic), and we showed what can make us special.”
Skutt Catholic (1-1) is the five-time defending Class B state champions in Nebraska. The SkyHawks, though, did not have an answer for Centennial junior Tate Duax.
Duax drew a foul in the first half and then converted the ensuing penalty kick for the game’s only goal. It was his third goal of the weekend and his seventh of the season.
“It’s becoming routine for Tate to (beat) outside backs, and all they can do is foul him,” said his father. “We’re moving him around to all sorts of places. We’re trying to move him into different positions so that it becomes virtually impossible to double- or triple-team him. If you play him one-on-one, he’s a pretty special player.”
Centennial goalkeeper Will Kreuger made three saves in the win. The SkyHawks’ best chance to score came in the final seconds, when Kreuger made a save on a free kick from about 40 yards away that was backed by a strong wind.
“It was more of a CIML game (than Friday’s contest),” Duax said. “It was two heavyweights swinging at each other.”
The Jaguars overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit against Lewis Central (2-2). The Titans took an early lead when Jude Mortensen scored on a free kick, then switched to a defensive alignment in an effort to prevent Centennial from scoring an equalizer.
The strategy worked for awhile.
“They made it really hard for us to break them down,” Duax said. “You have to be patient and move the ball–some things that we’re not the best at. But the boys executed it well.”
Duax eventually drew a foul, but Brock Brazeau missed the penalty kick. Arnel Islamovic later drew another foul, and this time Duax converted for the tying goal.
With about 10 minutes left, Duax scored the go-ahead goal off an assist by Garrett Christensen.
“We were pretty comfortable after that,” Duax said. “I don’t know if Will made a single save in that game that wasn’t a routine catch, and I don’t know if they even crossed the half line in the second half for more than 2 seconds. We were just dominating.
“It was a good result, since they beat us 1-0 last year,” he added.
The Jaguars will face Ankeny (2-2) in the annual Ankeny Derby on Monday at Ankeny Stadium. The game will start at 7:30 p.m., following the girls’ contest.
The Hawks are also riding a two-game winning streak.
“They’re way better than their record shows,” Duax said. “They’ve got a fantastic senior class. Landon (Benge), (Dylan) Gloviak and (Austin) Lundberg are the best around at their positions. They’re tough to stop, but I hope that we’re tough to stop, too.”