Ankeny Fanatic

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Football

IT’S ALL CHALK: Favorites prevail in opening round of Class 5A playoffs

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There were no upsets in the opening round of the Class 5A football playoffs as all eight of the higher seeded teams prevailed on Friday by an average margin of 26.75 points. Ankeny, the No. 5 team in the final RPI rankings, rolled to a 42-3 victory over visiting Waukee Northwest. The Hawks, who won last year's Class 4A championship, will play at Cedar … [Read more...] about IT’S ALL CHALK: Favorites prevail in opening round of Class 5A playoffs

Hawks to host Waukee Northwest, Jaguars to play at Valley in first round

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The Class 5A football pairings have been announced by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Fourth-ranked Ankeny (7-2) earned the No. 5 spot in the final RPI rankings and will host a first-round game against Waukee Northwest (5-4) on Friday at 7 p.m. The two teams met just a week ago, with the Hawks rolling to a 48-7 victory at Northwest. Cedar … [Read more...] about Hawks to host Waukee Northwest, Jaguars to play at Valley in first round

Hawks knock Lincoln out of playoffs, move up to No. 5 in final RPI rankings

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The Ankeny football team appears to be ready for the Class 5A playoffs. The fourth-ranked Hawks closed out the regular season on Friday with a 56-0 victory over visiting Des Moines Lincoln. The loss knocked Lincoln (5-4) out of playoff contention, dropping the Railsplitters to 18th in the final RPI rankings. The top 16 teams in the final rankings will … [Read more...] about Hawks knock Lincoln out of playoffs, move up to No. 5 in final RPI rankings

Ankeny falls to No. 7, Centennial drops to No. 19 in latest Class 5A RPI rankings

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Both Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial dropped in the latest Class 5A RPI football rankings that were released by the Iowa High School Athletic Association on Monday. Ankeny (6-2) is seventh in the rankings with an RPI of 0.6150. The Hawks were tied for sixth a week ago but did not move up following an impressive 48-7 victory at Waukee Northwest on … [Read more...] about Ankeny falls to No. 7, Centennial drops to No. 19 in latest Class 5A RPI rankings

KABOOM!: Kadolph rushes for 250 yards, 6 TDs in Hawks’ rout over Northwest

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At times this season, the Ankeny football team hasn't looked like the squad that won the Class 4A state championship in 2020. On Friday night, however, the Hawks looked like the team to beat in the inaugural Class 5A playoffs. Colin Kadolph rushed for 250 yards and six touchdowns to lead fifth-ranked Ankeny to a 48-7 victory at Waukee Northwest, … [Read more...] about KABOOM!: Kadolph rushes for 250 yards, 6 TDs in Hawks’ rout over Northwest

No. 5 Hawks get back on winning track, romp to 56-7 victory over North

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The Ankeny football team needed a bounce-back win after a last-minute loss at Valley a week ago. Des Moines North provided an opportunity to do just that. The fifth-ranked Hawks built a 42-0 halftime lead and went on to post a 56-7 victory over visiting North on Friday. They improved to 5-2 on the season, while the Polar Bears' record dropped to … [Read more...] about No. 5 Hawks get back on winning track, romp to 56-7 victory over North

‘They made more plays than we did’: Valley’s late TD hands Hawks 38-35 loss

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The Ankeny football team knows how to rebound from a tough loss. Now, the Hawks will have to do it again. Mason Morrow threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ayden Price with 13 seconds left and fifth-ranked Valley defeated No. 1 Ankeny, 38-35, on Friday at Valley Stadium. "I definitely think we will bounce back stronger," said Ankeny receiver Brady … [Read more...] about ‘They made more plays than we did’: Valley’s late TD hands Hawks 38-35 loss

McCullough to follow sister’s footsteps, will play football at Northern Iowa

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Ankeny receiver Brady McCullough has always had a tight bond with his older sister Sara. The siblings will have a chance to grow even closer over the next few years. McCullough verbally committed on Wednesday to play football at Northern Iowa, where Sara is a redshirt freshman on the women's basketball team. He announced his decision via … [Read more...] about McCullough to follow sister’s footsteps, will play football at Northern Iowa

Roosevelt has no answers for Hawks’ aerial attack, lousy field position

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The entire first half of Friday's football game at Ankeny Stadium was played on one end of the field. Second-ranked Ankeny took advantage of great field position to build a 42-0 halftime lead and went on to defeat No. 10 Des Moines Roosevelt, 49-6, in a matchup of Group 1 teams in the new Class 5A. "I'm not shocked," said Ankeny coach Rick Nelson. "But … [Read more...] about Roosevelt has no answers for Hawks’ aerial attack, lousy field position

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Colin Kadolph, Ankeny football

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Senior running back Colin Kadolph rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries to help the sixth-ranked Ankeny football team to a 21-7 victory over No. 1 Southeast Polk on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. Kadolph has rushed for 641 yards and five touchdowns on the season. He is averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Here is some inside info on … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Colin Kadolph, Ankeny football

‘I think we know who’s No. 1 now’: Ankeny shuts down Rams for 21-7 victory

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Former Ankeny football coach Brad Zelenovich has built a powerhouse program at Southeast Polk. But Zelenovich still hasn't figured out how to beat the Hawks. Sixth-ranked Ankeny turned in a dominant defensive performance to beat No. 1 Southeast Polk, 21-7, on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. Zelenovich, who coached the Hawks for two seasons before taking over … [Read more...] about ‘I think we know who’s No. 1 now’: Ankeny shuts down Rams for 21-7 victory

Hawks take down No. 1 S.E. Polk in rematch of last year’s Class 4A title game

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That loss to Ankeny Centennial is just a distant memory now for the Ankeny football team. The sixth-ranked Hawks have responded with back-to-back wins over two of the state's top squads. Ankeny followed up last week's victory over Dowling Catholic with a 21-7 triumph over No. 1 Southeast Polk on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. The contest was a rematch of … [Read more...] about Hawks take down No. 1 S.E. Polk in rematch of last year’s Class 4A title game

‘WE’RE BACK’: Hawks rebound from loss with convincing win over Dowling

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JJ Kohl and the Ankeny football team had something to prove. Kohl tossed four touchdown passes, three of them to Brady McCullough, and the sixth-ranked Hawks bounced back from last week's loss to Ankeny Centennial with a 27-13 victory over No. 2 Dowling Catholic on Friday at Valley Stadium. It was a rematch of last year's Class 4A semifinal that was won … [Read more...] about ‘WE’RE BACK’: Hawks rebound from loss with convincing win over Dowling

GOODE ENOUGH: Jaguars shock Ankeny behind QB’s 2 TD runs, strong defense

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There wasn't much belief in the Ankeny Centennial football team following the Jaguars' 42-13 loss at Indianola in their season opener. But the players in the locker room never lost faith in themselves. "We just had some small mistakes that we had to fix," said Centennial senior Trey Porter. Porter intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble, while … [Read more...] about GOODE ENOUGH: Jaguars shock Ankeny behind QB’s 2 TD runs, strong defense

CENTENNIAL 14, ANKENY 7: Pezzetti ties all-time record in stunning fashion

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Jerry Pezzetti stood at midfield and watched as his Ankeny Centennial football players celebrated a huge win over their crosstown rival. He wiped a tear out of his eye after reaching a coaching milestone. "You've got to hand it to these kids," Pezzetti said following the Jaguars' 14-7 victory over second-ranked Ankeny on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. "They … [Read more...] about CENTENNIAL 14, ANKENY 7: Pezzetti ties all-time record in stunning fashion

OPENING STATEMENT: Hawks’ defense shines in 49-0 win over Waukee

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Braden Simonsen will have a lot to celebrate Saturday on his birthday. Simonsen returned a blocked punt for a touchdown and the third-ranked Ankeny football team rolled to a 49-0 victory over visiting Waukee in the season opener for both squads on Friday. "Scoring the touchdown was a great early birthday present!" Simonsen said. It was an … [Read more...] about OPENING STATEMENT: Hawks’ defense shines in 49-0 win over Waukee

‘It’ll be fun to watch’: No. 3 Hawks look to contend for first Class 5A crown

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The cupboard is hardly bare for the Ankeny football team. The Hawks suffered heavy losses to graduation after winning the Class 4A state title last fall, but several standouts are back from the squad that finished with an 11-1 record. Some talented newcomers have joined the roster as well. Ankeny is third in the new Class 5A division in the preseason … [Read more...] about ‘It’ll be fun to watch’: No. 3 Hawks look to contend for first Class 5A crown