Going into the final third of the regular season, the Ankeny Centennial football team didn’t have much margin for error.
That’s what made Friday’s contest against visiting Indianola a de facto playoff game for the Jaguars, who entered the night ranked 14th in the initial RPI rankings from the Iowa High School Athletic Association–one spot behind the Indians.
“We knew going into this game that if we want to make it to the playoffs, we were going to have to win this game,” said sophomore quarterback Brekken Miller. “I think we came out and executed really well.”
Miller passed for three touchdowns, JJ Morgan caught two of them and ran for another, and Centennial improved to 4-3 on the season with a 33-15 victory at Ankeny Stadium. The Jaguars are now sitting in good position to earn a playoff berth for the 13th consecutive year.
“I think they’re all playoff games (at this point),” said Centennial co-head coach Ryan Pezzetti. “It’s just where you’re at and where your seed is, but to be in the final 16 it’s so important to our community and our kids and our program. Making the playoffs every year since Centennial has existed, it’s important to us to keep that streak alive.”
Indianola dropped to 4-3 under longtime coach Eric Kluver, a former Ankeny star who once played for Jaguars co-head coach Jerry Pezzetti. The Indians held a 15-14 lead at halftime before being outscored, 19-0, in the second half.
“We hurt ourselves,” said Kluver, who was named to Ankeny Fanatic’s all-time Ankeny football team in 2023. “We had fourth-and-short, and we can’t snap (the ball) with the center/quarterback exchange. There were just some simple things that killed us, and that killed us against Valley as well (on Sept. 26).”
A fumbled snap on fourth down resulted in a 14-yard loss on Indianola’s second possession of the third quarter, giving Centennial the ball at midfield. The Jaguars then drove 49 yards in just four plays and took the lead for good, 20-15, on a 17-yard pass from Miller to Cameron Meiners with 5 minutes 44 seconds left in the period.
“I thought we created some balance,” Pezzetti said of his team’s offense. “We did hit some passes, and we knew up front that they’re pretty talented. They’ve got some really good football players. They did stop us at times, but I felt like as the game went on we did a better job of executing and balancing the playing field with the run and pass.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Centennial extended its lead to 26-15 on a 54-yard pass from Miller to Morgan. The ball was tipped by Indianola defender Max Walljasper before falling into the hands of Morgan, who then broke a tackle and raced to the end zone.
“He’s a dual threat, he can really do it all,” Miller said of Morgan, who finished with more than 200 all-purpose yards. “He did a great job tonight.”
Morgan later sealed the victory when he ran 7 yards for a touchdown with 1:26 remaining. He was stopped well short of the end zone, but then carried a few Indianola defenders across the goal line.
“The game’s not over until it’s over, so we just showed what we could do tonight,” said Morgan. “And I like to show that I’m a well-rounded back. Running, catching, I can do it all.”
The two teams took turns trading punches in the first half. Indianola struck first with a 65-yard drive on its opening possession, capped off by a 13-yard scoring pass to Luke Gordon.
Draven Westcott then ran for a two-point conversion after a Centennial penalty moved the ball closer to the goal line.
“We got off to a slow start, but after we got settled in, we really played well,” Pezzetti said.
Miller later connected with Meiners for a 57-yard bomb to set up the Jaguars’ first touchdown. Devan Goode then scored on a 20-yard run on the next play, but a two-point conversion attempt failed.
Rowan Doak intercepted a fourth-down pass to stop Indianola’s ensuing drive, but Centennial was unable to move the ball and was forced to punt. Then, two plays later, the Indians tried a flea-flicker pass that was picked off by Nolan Bennett.
Morgan carried the ball four times for 41 yards on the Jaguars’ ensuing possession. Then, Morgan circled out of the backfield and caught a short pass from Miller that he turned into a 27-yard scoring reception with 2:54 left in the half.
A two-point conversion pass from Miller to Meiners gave Centennial a 14-8 advantage.
“We came into this game knowing that they’re a good team–just as good as us,” Morgan said. “All we had to do was execute and just play strong. That’s what we did tonight.”
Indianola answered with a 45-yard run by Asher Brueck on the Indians’ next play from scrimmage. That set up a 1-yard scoring plunge three plays later that put Indianola ahead at the break.
After giving up 189 yards in the first half, the Jaguars made some adjustments and pitched a shutout in the second half.
“Our defense did a great job,” Miller said. “The second half they really came out and punched them in the face. (Indianola) had no answers. They had nothing to say. It was a great job out of our guys.”
Kluver said his team simply made too many mistakes.
“We turned the ball over too much,” he said. “I thought for the most part our guys fought hard, but Centennial just made more plays than we did tonight.”
The Jaguars played without standout offensive lineman Braylin Diekin-Keahey, who suffered an injury during a loss at Valley on Oct. 3. He is questionable for next Friday, when Centennial heads back to Valley Stadium for a showdown against No. 2 Dowling Catholic (6-1).
The Maroons are coming off a 30-14 win over Waukee.
“If we can get healthy at the right time and make a run, it’s been proven that teams that are healthy at the end of the year can make a run at it,” Pezzetti said.
