Ankeny Fanatic

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Dan Holm

Hot-hitting Jones raises her average 67 points in Centennial’s twinbill split

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Ankeny Centennial's Kennedee Jones entered Thursday's softball doubleheader at Southeast Polk with a .260 average for the season. By the end of the night, Jones had raised her average by 67 points. The senior went 2-for-2 in the first game as Centennial dropped a 6-1 decision, then went 3-for-3 in the nightcap as the fifth-ranked Jaguars earned a split … [Read more...] about Hot-hitting Jones raises her average 67 points in Centennial’s twinbill split

Churchman tosses 4-hit shutout, allows Jaguars to earn split at No. 4 S.E. Polk

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With the start of postseason play just two weeks away, Ankeny Centennial baseball coach Mark Hey will have to make some decisions soon about his pitching plans for the substate tournament. Senior righthander Dane Churchman is one of several options for Hey, and he did nothing on Thursday to take himself out of the running for a postseason … [Read more...] about Churchman tosses 4-hit shutout, allows Jaguars to earn split at No. 4 S.E. Polk

‘The guys played at a high level’: Ankeny sweeps Jaguars behind pitching gems

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The Ankeny baseball team brought all of its pitching arms to Principal Park on Wednesday. That spelled trouble for the Hawks' crosstown rival. Fifth-ranked Ankeny got a pair of pitching gems from Bryce Rinderknecht and Brody Brecht to sweep a doubleheader against No. 10 Ankeny Centennial, 4-1 and 2-1. The Hawks gained some much-needed revenge after … [Read more...] about ‘The guys played at a high level’: Ankeny sweeps Jaguars behind pitching gems

‘We expected a lot of runs’: Hawkettes, Jaguars split high-scoring twinbill

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The Ankeny softball team got a much-needed victory Wednesday against its crosstown rival. Then Ankeny Centennial bounced back with one of its own. The two squads split a high-scoring CIML doubleheader at Ankeny, combining for 35 runs. The 15th-ranked Hawkettes ended a four-game losing skid with an 11-8 victory in the opener before No. 11 Centennial … [Read more...] about ‘We expected a lot of runs’: Hawkettes, Jaguars split high-scoring twinbill

Hawks sweep rival at Principal Park; Centennial salvages split in softball

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Nobody had to remind Brody Brecht what happened last year when his Ankeny baseball team played crosstown rival Ankeny Centennial. Brecht allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings and had 13 strikeouts to lead the fifth-ranked Hawks past No. 10 Centennial, 2-1, in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader at Principal Park. Ankeny also won the … [Read more...] about Hawks sweep rival at Principal Park; Centennial salvages split in softball

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Morgan Severseike, Ankeny Centennial softball

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Junior outfielder Morgan Severseike is a member of the Ankeny Centennial softball team. She has helped the 11th-ranked Jaguars to a 13-3 record. Severseike has appeared in 12 of the 16 games, scoring eight runs. She scored the game's only run as Centennial posted a 1-0 victory over visiting Urbandale in the first game of Monday's … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Morgan Severseike, Ankeny Centennial softball

Boyd’s blast, Bauer’s walk-off single allow Hawks to split with No. 2 Johnston

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Anytime a pitcher gets ahead in the count, it becomes increasingly difficult for the batter to get a hit. Ankeny's Jase Bauer and Cael Boyd proved on Monday that it's not always the case. Bauer hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning--on a no-ball, two-strike pitch--to give the fifth-ranked Ankeny baseball team a 5-4 victory over No. 2 … [Read more...] about Boyd’s blast, Bauer’s walk-off single allow Hawks to split with No. 2 Johnston

‘It’s a karma thing’: Hawkettes drop both ends of twinbill against No. 3 Johnston

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After moving into the Class 5A rankings for the first time, the Ankeny softball team has yet to win a game. The 15th-ranked Hawkettes lost both ends of a doubleheader on Monday against visiting Johnston, the No. 3 team in Class 5A. The Dragons posted a 7-5 victory in eight innings in the opener, then rallied from a 5-2 deficit to complete the sweep with a … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a karma thing’: Hawkettes drop both ends of twinbill against No. 3 Johnston

Centennial splits against No. 3 Urbandale in potential substate preview

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Monday's doubleheader between the Ankeny Centennial and Urbandale baseball teams resulted in a split. The two squads may get a chance to break the tie next month. The third-ranked J-Hawks and No. 10 Centennial have both been placed in Class 4A Substate 7. If they meet again, it would likely be in a substate final. "That's always a motivational … [Read more...] about Centennial splits against No. 3 Urbandale in potential substate preview

Jaguars edge Urbandale in opener, then erupt for 17 runs to complete sweep

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The Ankeny Centennial softball team continued its winning ways on Monday night. The 11th-ranked Jaguars swept a doubleheader against visiting Urbandale to raise their record to 13-3. They posted a 1-0 victory in the opener, then completed the sweep with a 17-8 triumph for their sixth win in the last seven games. "The girls have been coming to the park … [Read more...] about Jaguars edge Urbandale in opener, then erupt for 17 runs to complete sweep

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Mo Watson, Ankeny baseball

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Senior catcher Mo Watson has helped the second-ranked Ankeny baseball team to an 8-4 record. He is batting .344 with three doubles, one triple and nine RBIs. Watson was also a standout last fall on the football field, where the linebacker made 53 tackles while helping the Hawks reach the Class 4A quarterfinals. He was an all-district second-team pick for … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Mo Watson, Ankeny baseball

Former Ankeny, Centennial standouts to join St. Cloud State’s new soccer program

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When St. Cloud State dropped its football program after the 2019 season, it brought an abrupt end to Avery Knief's career. The former Ankeny Centennial punter enjoyed a strong freshman season for the Huskies, averaging 37.5 yards on 70 punts. He considered transferring to a different school, but eventually elected to stay at St. Cloud State. Now, three … [Read more...] about Former Ankeny, Centennial standouts to join St. Cloud State’s new soccer program

Centennial baseball team ends losing skid with sweep over Tigers

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After scoring a total of just seven runs during a four-game losing streak, the Ankeny Centennial baseball team needed to bounce back Friday in a big way. The Jaguars responded with a doubleheader sweep over visiting Valley. Centennial rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to post a 7-5 victory in the opener, then followed with a 4-1 triumph in the second … [Read more...] about Centennial baseball team ends losing skid with sweep over Tigers

Jaguars complete sweep over defending champs on Burnett’s walk-off blast

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A simple approach at the plate led to a game-winning home run by Franie Burnett on Friday night. The senior shortstop homered in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the 11th-ranked Ankeny Centennial softball team a 6-5 victory over No. 6 Valley and a sweep of the CIML doubleheader. The host Jaguars also won the first game, 6-0. "I was just looking … [Read more...] about Jaguars complete sweep over defending champs on Burnett’s walk-off blast

‘I think we’re going to keep rolling now’: Somers sparks sweep with walk-off hit

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The Ankeny baseball players may have violated one of the social distancing guidelines on Friday. But in the Hawks' defense, they had a good reason to do so. Kade Somers hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give second-ranked Ankeny a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Waukee in the first game of a CIML doubleheader. The host Hawks then … [Read more...] about ‘I think we’re going to keep rolling now’: Somers sparks sweep with walk-off hit

A PERFECT DOZEN: No. 2 Waukee sweeps Hawkettes, improves to 12-0

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The Ankeny softball team had a chance to knock off second-ranked Waukee in the first game of Friday's doubleheader at Ankeny. In the second game, the No. 15 Hawkettes never had a chance. Waukee held on for a 2-1 victory in the opener, then completed a sweep with a 16-2 win over the Hawkettes. The Warriors improved to 12-0 on the season, while Ankeny's … [Read more...] about A PERFECT DOZEN: No. 2 Waukee sweeps Hawkettes, improves to 12-0

Jaguars take No. 1 Carlisle into extra innings before dropping 7-6 decision

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The Ankeny Centennial softball team was just three outs away from knocking off the top-ranked squad in Class 4A on Thursday night. The 11th-ranked Jaguars took a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning during a non-conference game at Carlisle. But they couldn't close the deal. The Wildcats scored the tying run in the seventh to force extra … [Read more...] about Jaguars take No. 1 Carlisle into extra innings before dropping 7-6 decision

Hawkettes move into rankings after handing Valley its first loss

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Slowly but surely, the Ankeny softball team is beginning to earn some respect. The Hawkettes moved into the Class 5A rankings for the first time this season on Thursday after splitting a doubleheader at No. 6 Valley on Wednesday. They are now ranked 15th with a 9-3 record. Ankeny coach Dave Bingham would have preferred to keep his team out of the … [Read more...] about Hawkettes move into rankings after handing Valley its first loss

Cox fires 1-hitter to complete Maroons’ sweep over Centennial

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Even without Carter Baumler, the Dowling Catholic baseball team still boasts some talented pitchers. The seventh-ranked Maroons got a one-hitter from Connor Cox and posted a 4-0 victory over visiting Ankeny Centennial to complete a sweep of Wednesday's CIML doubleheader. Dowling won the first game, 4-3, as a trio of pitchers combined to scatter seven … [Read more...] about Cox fires 1-hitter to complete Maroons’ sweep over Centennial