Ankeny Fanatic

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Football

The matchups: Hawks to host S.C. East; Jaguars travel to Cedar Falls for rematch

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The Class 5A football playoff pairings have been announced by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. No. 3 Ankeny (8-1) has been placed in Pod C and will host a first-round game against No. 13 Sioux City East (7-2) on Friday. The Black Raiders' only losses were to Ankeny Centennial and Waukee Northwest, two teams that the Hawks defeated this … [Read more...] about The matchups: Hawks to host S.C. East; Jaguars travel to Cedar Falls for rematch

Hawks fly into playoffs with 54-6 win at Lincoln, move up to No. 3 in RPI rankings

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The Ankeny football team is cruising into the Class 5A playoffs. The Hawks, who were tied for third in the latest Associated Press rankings, rolled to a 54-6 victory at Des Moines Lincoln in their regular-season finale on Friday. Ankeny improved to 8-1 with its sixth straight win. Lincoln finished with a 1-8 record. The Hawks have outscored … [Read more...] about Hawks fly into playoffs with 54-6 win at Lincoln, move up to No. 3 in RPI rankings

‘I was proud of our defense’: Hawks shut down Waukee NW en route to 31-7 win

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Ankeny football coach Rick Nelson had an uneasy feeling about Friday's game against visiting Waukee Northwest. The seventh-ranked Wolves were coming off a 20-14 victory over Ankeny Centennial on the same field a week ago, when Brady Grisham ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns. "I was scared they were just going to be able to run it down our throats," … [Read more...] about ‘I was proud of our defense’: Hawks shut down Waukee NW en route to 31-7 win

Hawks romp to 72-0 victory at North, will host Waukee Northwest on Friday

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The Des Moines North football team got off to a 4-1 start, winning four games in a season for the first time since 2008. But the Polar Bears had not played an opponent like third-ranked Ankeny. The Hawks visited North on Friday and turned in a dominating performance, rolling to a 72-0 victory. They built a 51-0 halftime lead and cruised to the win, … [Read more...] about Hawks romp to 72-0 victory at North, will host Waukee Northwest on Friday

Hawks’ big defensive stand, late scoring drive clinch 34-24 victory over Valley

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A huge defensive stand and a late scoring drive allowed the Ankeny football team to post a 34-24 victory over visiting Valley on Friday. The third-ranked Hawks allowed just three points in the second half while raising their record to 5-1 on the season. The Tigers dropped to 3-3. "That was a big one," said Ankeny defensive back Ben Sandvig. "We just … [Read more...] about Hawks’ big defensive stand, late scoring drive clinch 34-24 victory over Valley

‘It felt so good to be back there’: Patton helps Hawks to victory over Roosevelt

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Jamison Patton felt right at home on Friday night at Drake Stadium. So did his Ankeny football teammates. Patton caught four passes for 37 yards against his former team as the third-ranked Hawks built a 28-0 lead and went on to post a 35-18 victory over host Des Moines Roosevelt. He played for the Roughriders last season before transferring to … [Read more...] about ‘It felt so good to be back there’: Patton helps Hawks to victory over Roosevelt

KOHL-BLOODED: Near-perfect QB fires 4 TD passes, leads Hawks past No. 1 SEP

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On paper, the Ankeny football team was expected to have an explosive offense in 2022. After being held to 17.7 points per game in the first three weeks of the season, the fourth-ranked Hawks finally unleashed their lethal attack on Friday. Quarterback JJ Kohl completed 21-of-23 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns to lead Ankeny to a 31-14 victory … [Read more...] about KOHL-BLOODED: Near-perfect QB fires 4 TD passes, leads Hawks past No. 1 SEP

‘We beat ourselves’: Hawks struggle offensively in 17-10 loss to Dowling

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A loss early in the season doesn't mean that the Ankeny football team won't be playing for a championship in November. In 2020, the Hawks suffered a loss at Waukee in Week 2, but went on to capture the Class 4A state title. Last year, Ankeny was 4-2 at one point, but still went on to play for the Class 5A championship. Now, the Hawks will try to … [Read more...] about ‘We beat ourselves’: Hawks struggle offensively in 17-10 loss to Dowling

‘It was intense’: Patton scores go-ahead TD, lifts Hawks past rival Centennial

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Jamison Patton transferred to Ankeny to play in football games like Friday night's showdown against Ankeny Centennial. The move has paid off for the Hawks. Patton scored the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter and second-ranked Ankeny went on to defeat the Jaguars, 17-10, before an overflow crowd at Ankeny Stadium. The former Des Moines Roosevelt … [Read more...] about ‘It was intense’: Patton scores go-ahead TD, lifts Hawks past rival Centennial

After sluggish start, Hawks roll past Waukee behind Williams’ 3 2nd-half TDs

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Ankeny football coach Rick Nelson didn't know what his team was doing during the first half of Friday's season opener at Waukee. The Hawks were intercepted three times before the half and went to the locker room trailing, 7-0. "We did some really extreme things," said Nelson. "I'll have to watch the film. I don't know sometimes what we were doing. I'm … [Read more...] about After sluggish start, Hawks roll past Waukee behind Williams’ 3 2nd-half TDs

Led by Kohl, No. 1 Hawks look to contend for 2nd state title in 3 years

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There's been a lot of hype surrounding the Ankeny football team the last couple of seasons. It might be time to take the hype up another notch. The Hawks are No. 1 in the Class 5A preseason rankings by The Des Moines Register. They return several standouts from last year's state runner-up squad--and have also added some talented newcomers. "It's a … [Read more...] about Led by Kohl, No. 1 Hawks look to contend for 2nd state title in 3 years

Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny football team (pre-Pezzetti era)

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Ankeny's success on the football field didn't begin with coach Jerry Pezzetti's arrival in 1969. In the previous four decades, Ankeny racked up 11 undefeated seasons, including five in a row from 1933-37 that resulted in a 44-game winning streak. The Hawks also went unbeaten in 1943, 1946, 1950, 1957, 1959 and 1961. Unlike today, most of the stars of … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny football team (pre-Pezzetti era)

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: JJ Kohl, Ankeny football

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Senior quarterback JJ Kohl of the Ankeny football team is considered one of the nation's top recruits in the Class of 2023. A four-star prospect, he is now the No. 5 quarterback and No. 36 overall nationally in the latest rankings by On3 Recruits. Kohl, an Under Armour All-American, helped the Hawks to a 10-3 record last season. He completed 143-of-237 … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: JJ Kohl, Ankeny football

Ankeny’s Jackson commits to play football at Minnesota State-Mankato

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Ankeny defensive end Diego Jackson has verbally committed to play football at Minnesota State-Mankato. Jackson announced his decision via Twitter on Wednesday. "I'm excited to announce my commitment to @MinnStFootball!" Jackson tweeted. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior-to-be helped the Hawks to a 10-3 record and a second-place finish in Class 5A last … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Jackson commits to play football at Minnesota State-Mankato

‘STAYING HOME’: Three-star athlete Patton to play football for Cyclones

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Ankeny defensive back Jamison Patton has verbally committed to play football for Iowa State. Patton announced his decision via Twitter on Monday. He tweeted: "STAYING HOME #CyclONEnation". Patton transferred to Ankeny in the spring from Des Moines Roosevelt, where he starred as a dual-threat quarterback. He was recruited by Power Five schools as an … [Read more...] about ‘STAYING HOME’: Three-star athlete Patton to play football for Cyclones

‘They believed in me before anyone else did’: Four-star QB Kohl picks Cyclones

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Ankeny quarterback JJ Kohl had scholarship offers from schools all over the country. In the end, he decided to stay close to home. The junior announced his verbal commitment on Monday night to play football at Iowa State, beginning in the fall of 2023. "It wasn’t an easy decision," said Kohl. "I had some other schools that I was considering, and I … [Read more...] about ‘They believed in me before anyone else did’: Four-star QB Kohl picks Cyclones

Ankeny lineman Monsivais to play football at Northwest Missouri State

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Ankeny offensive lineman Drew Monsivais has verbally committed to play football at Northwest Missouri State. Monsivais, a junior, helped the Hawks to a 10-3 record and a runner-up finish in Class 5A last season. "It was a pretty easy decision," said Monsivais. "There’s a certain feeling I got the first time I was there and have had every time I’ve been … [Read more...] about Ankeny lineman Monsivais to play football at Northwest Missouri State