(Story by Stephen McDaniel)
It wasn’t exactly the start to the Chris Harken era that the Jaguars wanted, but the Ankeny Centennial girls’ basketball team knows there’s only going up from game one.
Harken and the Jaguars ran into a well-oiled machine Tuesday in the second-ranked Waukee Northwest Wolves and started off the season with a 65-31 road loss.
“It’s very good to get (the first game) out of the way,” Harken said. “Not the outcome we wanted obviously, but it’s that relief of being back in the season and now we know where we can go and grow.”
There might not be a tougher situation across Class 5A basketball for a new head coach to walk into than the one Harken is facing after taking over the Jaguars’ program following the retirement of legendary coach Scott DeJong.
Just a season ago, Centennial compiled a 17-8 record and reached the Class 5A semifinals before losing to eventual champion Johnston.
The Jaguars graduated nine seniors from that roster, which included five of the team’s top six scorers. Among those that departed were all-staters Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt, who are now playing Division I hoops at Drake and Illinois State, respectively.
So on top of juggling an almost brand new lineup, Centennial had the difficult task of opening the season on the road against the title-contending Wolves.
“You can prepare them as much as you want, but you don’t actually get the feel until you get out there and play,” Harken said. “I’ll take the responsibility on this one. I may not have prepared them well enough for (Northwest’s) aggressiveness. All props to Northwest. They’re legit and they’re a great team.”
Northwest retained nearly every contributor from a team that went 19-5, finished one spot ahead of the Jaguars in third place in the CIML, and also reached the Class 5A semifinals.
The level of talent and experience the Wolves had quickly helped them separate themselves from the start as Northwest controlled Centennial’s season opener from start to finish.
The Jaguars started out by facing an 18-0 deficit before freshman Faith Perpich got them on the board. They trailed 38-13 going into halftime and were then outscored 27-18 the rest of the way as the Wolves (2-1) picked up the victory in their third game of the season.
“We just want to continue to see growth,” Harken said. “This is a good reality check for us, where we’re at and where we need to be. I just want them to be frustrated a little bit about the turnout and, at the same time, use it as an opportunity to grow.”
The Jaguars saw some positives that they’re hoping to build off of despite suffering the loss.
If Centennial is able to find success this season, there’s a good chance that junior Lizzie Beam will play a role in it.
Beam is just one of the few returners to the lineup after posting just over four points per game coming off the bench as a sophomore on the veteran-led Jaguars of last season. She looks to take a big step up this winter.
Beam sparked a 9-0 run for Centennial by herself right before halftime by scoring on a drive to the hoop, knocking down some free throws and cashing in on a 3-pointer. She scored two more buckets in the second half to finish the night with a career-high 13 points.
“Once she figures out her role, she’ll be huge,” Harken said of Beam. “We’re really excited about her potential growth this year from being a role player last year to being a leader. We see sparks of it during practice and tonight like the run to end the first half and that attitude the second half. She’ll be vital for us.”
Another bright spot for Harken and the future of the program was Perpich.
As one of four freshmen on roster, Perpich started for the Jaguars and provided them with one of their best options on offense against a loaded opponent.
She tallied seven points in the second half with a pair of drives to the hoop and a 3-pointer, finishing with 11 points.
“We’ve seen what she’s capable of and she’s got a bright future for us,” Harken said. “First varsity start against the No. 2 team is kind of an eye opener for her. But once she settled down, she was able to get to the rim against a very good defense. The future is definitely bright.”
The Jaguars know the competition isn’t going to slow down while playing in the CIML, but they’re finding the building blocks to help bring the program back up.
Centennial will host its home opener on Friday against crosstown rival Ankeny (3-0), which moved up to No. 6 in the latest rankings after the Hawkettes’ 65-46 win over then-No. 11 Valley on Tuesday.
