Despite some heavy losses to graduation, the Ankeny football team isn’t starting over from scratch.
The Hawks return several key players from a team that posted a 6-5 record and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals, including a trio of all-staters.
“This might be the best looking team I’ve had getting off the bus, but we’ve got a lot of guys who haven’t played on Friday nights before,” said Ankeny coach Jeff Bauer. “Let’s see what that means. I think we have a chance to compete with a lot of teams, but we need our guys to play up to their ability.”
Ankeny’s top returnees are senior defensive back La’Marious Clark, senior running back Daniel Larmie and junior linebacker Dawson Whitinger. Clark was named to the Class 5A first team by the Iowa Football Coaches Association, while Larmie and Whitinger were both second-team picks.
Clark was a playmaker in the secondary for the Hawks, racking up 56 tackles and a team-leading five interceptions–two of which he returned for touchdowns. He also averaged 15.3 yards on seven punt returns.
Whitinger, meanwhile, led the team with 88 tackles, which ranked third in Class 5A. He joined Clark on the District 6 first team.
“They’re obviously both really good,” Bauer said of Clark and Whitinger. “But we have some younger guys that are really going to make an impact, too. (Sophomore defensive back Grant) Fischer can really shut people down–we didn’t realize how good he was. Logan Wirtz is a phenomenal athlete, and he’s another defensive back who has made huge leaps and bounds. And Daniel Frazee is this year’s Ben Taylor–a senior who is really stepping up–so we feel very good about our secondary.”
Senior linebacker Nathan Becker is another key returnee for Ankeny’s defensive unit. He made 33 tackles as a junior.
On offense, the Hawks’ attack will once again be centered around Larmie, one of the state’s premier running backs. He rushed for 1,208 yards and 11 touchdowns on 186 carries.
Larmie was also a receiving threat out of the backfield, catching 11 passes for 56 yards. He was a repeat pick to the District 6 first team.
“He’s special,” Bauer said. “Rob Luther is our new offensive coordinator, and he said, ‘Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen a kid like (Larmie) in high school.’ He’s not going to run a 4.4, but he’s always leaning forward and he’s low to the ground and he punishes anybody who gets in his way. And he’s just a great kid.
“We want to try to limit his carries and keep him healthy the whole year,” he added.
Senior receivers Andrew Brandhorst and Owen Fischer are also back on offense along with senior tight end Nathan Richmond and senior offensive linemen Zach Breitbach and Ryan Pruin.
Brandhorst caught 38 passes for 579 yards and three touchdowns, Fischer had 23 receptions for 337 yards and three scores, and Richmond added five catches for 54 yards. Brandhorst was a second-team all-district selection.
“His hands are so strong, and he just catches everything,” Bauer said of Brandhorst. “He’ll be a matchup problem for a lot of people, and so will Fischer. His route running is just unbelievable.”
Breitbach, who recovered a fumble for a touchdown in a win at Cedar Rapids Washington, earned all-district honorable mention. Pruin is back at center, and those two will be joined on the offensive line by former Centennial player Owen Liechti.
Liechti, a senior, transferred after being named to the District 1 second team. He will start at left tackle.
“This is definitely the biggest line I’ve been associated with here at Ankeny,” Bauer said.
Senior Kael Roush is expected to take over at quarterback. He completed 7-of-11 passes for 132 yards while serving as the backup to Luke Anderson a year ago.
Roush also ran for 45 yards on three carries.
“Roush was competing with Luke for the job two years ago, but then Kael got hurt and Luke took us to the championship game,” Bauer said. “Luke was coming back last year and you can’t replace him, even though we had two good quarterbacks. I think Kael is going to turn some heads this year. He’s a great leader and really knows the game.”
The Hawks will open their season on Friday by hosting Waukee Northwest. Bauer is excited to unveil the team’s new offense.
“We’re still adjusting to the new system, but coach Luther has been awesome,” he said. “The kids love him, and the transition has gone really smooth. He has a lot of experience that I can lean on.”