Entering Friday’s showdown at Ankeny Stadium, the third-ranked Valley football team had allowed a total of just seven points in its previous three games.
But the Tigers had not faced an opponent during that stretch with as many offensive weapons as No. 5 Ankeny.
Kael Roush passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns while Daniel Larmie ran for 136 yards and another score to lead the Hawks to a 34-26 victory in a top-five showdown with massive playoff implications.
“It feels awesome,” said Ankeny receiver Owen Fischer, who caught eight passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. “We earned it. We’ve worked hard.”
Ankeny outgained Valley by a 464-275 margin while raising its record to 6-2 on the season. The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Tigers, who fell to 6-2.
The win could potentially elevate the Hawks into one of the top four spots in the RPI rankings from the Iowa High School Athletic Association. They own a head-to-head victory against No. 4 Sioux City East, and No. 1 Waukee Northwest also lost on Friday to Waukee, 31-28.
However, Ankeny is not projected to move up in the next rankings–because many of its opponents like Northwest lost, which will hurt its opponents’ winning percentage.
“I don’t think there is anyone else that can beat us if we’re playing our best,” said Ankeny senior Andrew Brandhorst.
Brandhorst spent most of Friday’s game as a decoy. Ankeny’s leading receiver didn’t make his first catch until early in the fourth quarter, when he caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Roush on third-and-6 to give the Hawks a 27-19 lead with 8 minutes 30 seconds left.
It capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive that followed a missed 34-yard field-goal attempt that would have put the Tigers ahead.
“I stayed patient,” Brandhorst said. “I knew Kael was playing well. I knew he was going to get it to me at some point.”
After Ankeny forced a punt, Brandhorst then got behind the Valley defense and caught a 49-yard pass before being tackled at the Tigers’ 3. That set up a 1-yard sneak by Roush for a touchdown with 4:23 remaining.
“He was getting guarded by probably one of the best players in the state (in Jayden McGregory),” Roush said of Brandhorst. “There’s not much you can ask for him but when his number was called, he stepped up for sure.”
Valley later closed the gap to 34-26 on an 8-yard pass from Drake DeGroote to McGregory with 1:12 remaining, but the Tigers’ ensuing onside kick went out of bounds. That allowed Ankeny to run out the clock.
“I’m so proud of the kids,” said Ankeny coach Jeff Bauer. “We made a couple of crucial mistakes in the first half that gave them 13 points. But I’m so proud of the way we came back from that. We put it behind us and really executed the second half.”
Ankeny got off to a bad start when a fumbled snap by Roush was recovered by Valley’s Caden Flewellyn in the end zone for a touchdown. It came with 7:51 left in the first quarter.
“I just wasn’t ready for it. It was on me,” said Roush, who completed 13-of-18 passes. “I probably should have kicked (the ball) out of the end zone and not tried to recover it, but we recovered really well from it so it was really good.”
The Hawks then drove 90 yards in 10 plays and tied the game at 7-7 on a 1-yard run by Larmie with 4:15 to go in the period. The big play on the drive was a 50-yard pass from Roush to Fischer.
“We knew we’d have to be able to run the ball a little bit, but we talked all week about how me and Tayzn (Lando-Alfafara) and Hayden (Carlson) were going to have to step up if they doubled Brandhorst,” Fischer said. “They can’t double everyone. That’s what our coach keeps saying.”
Valley answered right away with a 45-yard pass from DeGroote to McGregory that set up a 16-yard touchdown run by Blake Dorenkamp two plays later, but the Tigers missed the PAT attempt.
Ankeny then tied the game at 13-13 on a 37-yard scoring pass from Roush to Fischer with 9:18 left in the first half. The Hawks also missed the PAT.
“He’s awesome. He works very hard in practice,” Roush said of Fischer. “He didn’t have a touchdown until last week and now we’re getting him involved in everything and even Tayzn Lando–he stepped up. But none of that happens without the O-line for sure.”
Roush threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Lando-Alfafara on Ankeny’s next possession. It was the only catch of the game for the senior, who caught a short pass in the middle of the field and then outraced the Valley defenders to the end zone.
“Kael is a first-year starter, and there’s no position in sports like playing quarterback,” Bauer said. “It’s hard, especially in 5A football with all the great defenses. But he’s learned and he’s really progressed the last few weeks. He’s getting to his second and third reads, and his arm talent is there. He can make throws that most kids can’t. It was just a joy to watch him throw tonight, and obviously (our receivers) are awesome. It was a great night.”
After the Hawks turned the ball over on downs at their own 13-yard line late in the half, Valley scored three plays later on a 4-yard run by Dorenkamp. But the Tigers again missed the PAT attempt, allowing Ankeny to take a 20-19 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Hawks’ defense then held Valley to just 84 total yards on its first four possessions of the second half.
“It feels really good,” said Ankeny linebacker Nathan Becker. “We’ve been missing some pieces along the way–it was a little touch and go. But we really put it together this game on both sides of the ball. It was a really good plan by (defensive coordinator Todd) McGhghy. The plan was just stop the run and make them throw and try to make some plays along the way.”
Valley drove 62 yards in seven plays on its final possession to make it a one-score game, but it was too little and too late for the Tigers.
“We’ve had all of our tough challenges at home and we’ve given away a couple of games, and for us to come out here in the second half and show what Ankeny football is all about, it was amazing,” said senior defensive back La’Marious Clark. “They’ve got some really good talent over there, but we take pride in covering the back end and it showed tonight.”
The Hawks will close out the regular season on Friday with a game at Council Bluffs Lincoln. The Lynx (4-4) are coming off a 48-7 loss at Sioux City East.
A win would wrap up at least one home playoff game–and possibly two–for Bauer’s team.
“Who knows how it’s going to shake out?” he asked. “We just have to take care of our own business and then see what happens.”
