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Football

‘We didn’t play well enough to win’: Hawks’ season ends with loss to reigning champs

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) There was nothing that the Ankeny football players would’ve enjoyed more than being the team to officially end the four-year championship reign of the Southeast Polk Rams. But one too many mistakes on a cold Halloween night and a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute ended Ankeny’s season well short of what the Hawks were … [Read more...] about ‘We didn’t play well enough to win’: Hawks’ season ends with loss to reigning champs

Playoff pairings announced: Hawks to host S.E. Polk, Jaguars travel to No. 3 Johnston

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The Class 5A football playoff pairings have been announced by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Fifth-seeded Ankeny (7-2) will host No. 12 Southeast Polk (5-4) in Friday's opening round. The Rams are the four-time defending state champions. The winner of that game will play either No. 4 Iowa City Liberty (8-1) or No. 13 Waukee (4-5) in the … [Read more...] about Playoff pairings announced: Hawks to host S.E. Polk, Jaguars travel to No. 3 Johnston

Hawks rout Council Bluffs Lincoln, move up to No. 5 in final Class 5A RPI rankings

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It took only 15 seconds for the Ankeny football team to grab the lead for good in Friday's game at Wickersham Stadium. Owen Fischer returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, and the sixth-ranked Hawks went on to rout Council Bluffs Lincoln, 61-0, in the regular-season finale for both squads. "They blocked it up really nicely," Fischer said … [Read more...] about Hawks rout Council Bluffs Lincoln, move up to No. 5 in final Class 5A RPI rankings

‘The campus felt like a great fit’: Clark verbally commits to play for Panthers

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It's been a good weekend for Ankeny senior defensive back La'Marious Clark. On Friday, he made three tackles while helping the fifth-ranked Hawks to a 34-26 victory over No. 3 Valley in a top-five showdown at Ankeny Stadium. Then, on Sunday, he announced his verbal commitment to play football for the University of Northern Iowa. "I checked out a few … [Read more...] about ‘The campus felt like a great fit’: Clark verbally commits to play for Panthers

‘We earned it’: Hawks overcome 2 costly mistakes to knock off No. 3 Valley, 34-26

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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 … [Read more...] about ‘We earned it’: Hawks overcome 2 costly mistakes to knock off No. 3 Valley, 34-26

‘That sealed the deal’: Northern St. lands Ankeny’s Brandhorst after game day visit

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The Northern State University football program has landed a verbal commitment from Ankeny's leading receiver. Senior Andrew Brandhorst has committed to play for the Wolves, an NCAA Division II program located in Aberdeen, S.D. "I looked at a lot of schools, but it wasn’t necessarily a tough decision," said Brandhorst. "Coach (Kyle) Weisman, the … [Read more...] about ‘That sealed the deal’: Northern St. lands Ankeny’s Brandhorst after game day visit

‘We needed a game like this’: Hawks rout Little Cyclones in tune-up for No. 4 Valley

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Ankeny football coach Jeff Bauer just wanted to see his squad execute and handle business coming off the Hawks' loss to Johnston in a top-five showdown a week ago. And by the end of the first quarter on Friday in Ames, the Hawks were already pushing for a running clock. Seventh-ranked Ankeny got the bounce-back win and a … [Read more...] about ‘We needed a game like this’: Hawks rout Little Cyclones in tune-up for No. 4 Valley

Hawks are No. 7, Jaguars No. 14 in initial Class 5A RPI football rankings from IHSAA

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Both Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial are in position to make the Class 5A football playoffs with three weeks left to go in the regular season. The Iowa High School Athletic Association unveiled its initial RPI rankings for Class 5A on Monday. The Hawks are No. 7 with an RPI of 0.6085, while the Jaguars are No. 14 with an RPI of 0.5285. The RPI … [Read more...] about Hawks are No. 7, Jaguars No. 14 in initial Class 5A RPI football rankings from IHSAA

‘It was a total team loss’: Hawks’ late lead slips away against No. 5 Johnston

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny football team just couldn’t find a way to get its offense and defense to sync up in a top-five showdown. As fourth-ranked Ankeny’s offense started to get going in the second half, so did No. 5 Johnston and the Dragons were able to pull out a 30-21 victory on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. “Obviously, we’re … [Read more...] about ‘It was a total team loss’: Hawks’ late lead slips away against No. 5 Johnston

Hawks build 26-0 lead, then hold off S.C. East’s furious rally for homecoming win

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Two of the state's top defensive units were on display Friday night at Ankeny Stadium. In the end, the fourth-ranked Ankeny football team made just enough plays to hold on for a 26-20 victory over previously unbeaten Sioux City East. It was the Class 5A District 3 opener for the Hawks (4-1), who survived an onside kick with 20 seconds left to extend their … [Read more...] about Hawks build 26-0 lead, then hold off S.C. East’s furious rally for homecoming win

‘He’s insane’: Larmie runs for 210 yards, carries No. 5 Hawks past rival Centennial

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With the game on the line, the Ankeny football team trusted its faith in Daniel Larmie. The senior running back delivered another virtuoso performance. Larmie ran 35 times for 210 yards and two touchdowns to carry the fifth-ranked Hawks to a 29-15 victory over Ankeny Centennial on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. "I love when they trust me like that," … [Read more...] about ‘He’s insane’: Larmie runs for 210 yards, carries No. 5 Hawks past rival Centennial

‘It got away from us’: Jaguars’ bid for 2nd straight victory over Ankeny falls short

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) After two quarters of play, the Ankeny Centennial football team was within striking distance going into the locker room after a momentum-swinging interception right before halftime. But things took a nose dive south from the very first play of the second half, and the Jaguars watched as the annual Jag-Hawk crosstown rivalry … [Read more...] about ‘It got away from us’: Jaguars’ bid for 2nd straight victory over Ankeny falls short

‘We tried to spread the ball around’: Hawks rout Riders, limit Larmie’s touches

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The Ankeny football team didn't need a heavy dose of Daniel Larmie on Friday night. The leading rusher in Class 5A, Larmie scored the game's first touchdown before the fifth-ranked Hawks relied on some other weapons and a strong defensive performance to beat Des Moines Roosevelt, 49-0, at Ankeny Stadium. "We were trying to limit Larmie, and we had some … [Read more...] about ‘We tried to spread the ball around’: Hawks rout Riders, limit Larmie’s touches

‘Our defense was lights out’: Hawks shut down Waukee for 26-13 road victory

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Friday night’s showing in Waukee might have been one of the top defensive performances Ankeny coach Jeff Bauer has seen during his tenure at the helm of the Hawks’ program. Ankeny marched into Waukee Stadium, locked the Warriors down on their home turf and walked away with a 26-13 victory for the Hawks’ first win of the … [Read more...] about ‘Our defense was lights out’: Hawks shut down Waukee for 26-13 road victory

‘We know we’ve got a good team’: Hawks fall short in opener against Waukee NW

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) For just a brief moment, the Ankeny football players thought they’d put the dagger in what would have been a season-opening victory over Waukee Northwest. An untimely holding penalty wiped away an Ankeny touchdown and opened up the opportunity for the fourth-ranked Wolves to snatch a 25-24 win from the jaws of defeat during … [Read more...] about ‘We know we’ve got a good team’: Hawks fall short in opener against Waukee NW