Ankeny Fanatic

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Boys' Basketball

‘This was big for us’: Crandall, Hawks roll past North in their regular-season finale

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At times this season, the Ankeny boys' basketball team has struggled to find the basket. That wasn't an issue for the Hawks on Friday night. Ryan Crandall poured in 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting and Ankeny rolled to an 84-72 victory at Des Moines North in its final game of the regular season. The Hawks scored more points than they did in their … [Read more...] about ‘This was big for us’: Crandall, Hawks roll past North in their regular-season finale

‘It was kind of like we forgot how to play basketball’: Hawks drubbed by S.E. Polk

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team has posted some impressive victories this season. The Hawks have also suffered some disappointing losses. Tuesday's non-conference game at Southeast Polk would fall into the latter category. After jumping out to a 21-14 lead, Ankeny went cold midway through the second quarter and never recovered. The Rams went on a … [Read more...] about ‘It was kind of like we forgot how to play basketball’: Hawks drubbed by S.E. Polk

No. 6 Ames boys extend winning streak to 8 games with victory over Hawks

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The Ames boys' basketball team is one of the hottest squads in the state. The sixth-ranked Little Cyclones extended their winning streak to eight games on Friday with a 56-37 victory at Ankeny. They won the first matchup against the Hawks last month by a similar score, 55-34. "We just couldn't get any shots to fall," said Ankeny coach Brandt Carlson. … [Read more...] about No. 6 Ames boys extend winning streak to 8 games with victory over Hawks

Boys’ Class 4A substate basketball pairings announced

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The boys' Class 4A substate basketball pairings have been announced by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Eighth-ranked Ankeny Centennial (10-4) has earned a No. 1 seed in Substate 2. The Jaguars will host a semifinal game against Des Moines Lincoln (4-9) or Indianola (13-6) on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. No. 6 Ames (12-3) will host Des Moines … [Read more...] about Boys’ Class 4A substate basketball pairings announced

THE HAMMER AND NEYAIL: Ankeny boys roll to 66-38 victory over Huskies

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If the Ankeny boys' basketball team hopes to make another deep postseason run, then the Hawks need to start building some momentum in the next two weeks. Tuesday's non-conference game against visiting Des Moines Hoover was a huge step in the right direction. Ankeny equaled its best defensive performance of the season in romping to a 66-38 victory over … [Read more...] about THE HAMMER AND NEYAIL: Ankeny boys roll to 66-38 victory over Huskies

Hawks pull away from Roosevelt in 4th quarter, move back to .500 mark

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With the Class 4A postseason pairings to be determined soon, the Ankeny boys' basketball team needs every victory it can get. Coming off a pair of losses to ranked opponents, the Hawks moved back to the .500 mark with a 53-42 win at Des Moines Roosevelt in a non-conference game on Tuesday. They evened their overall mark at 7-7. "We were solid … [Read more...] about Hawks pull away from Roosevelt in 4th quarter, move back to .500 mark

‘We didn’t finish very well’: Hawks falter down stretch in loss at No. 5 Valley

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team went on some mini-runs during Monday's game at Valley. It wasn't enough to offset the fifth-ranked Tigers' longer runs. Valley used an 11-0 spurt in the first half to take a 17-7 lead, then later went on a 17-2 run in the second half to pull away for a 66-44 victory in a CIML non-conference game. "We didn't finish … [Read more...] about ‘We didn’t finish very well’: Hawks falter down stretch in loss at No. 5 Valley

Centennial boys outlast Hawks in seesaw battle, clinch share of league crown

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It's a good bet that the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team will be practicing its free throws before Tuesday's game against second-ranked Waukee. The No. 4 Jaguars nearly let Friday's game at Ankeny slip away due to some poor free-throw shooting. They missed all seven of their attempts in the third quarter, which allowed the Hawks to rally from a … [Read more...] about Centennial boys outlast Hawks in seesaw battle, clinch share of league crown

4A postseason assignments announced: Hawks, Jaguars face tough draws

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The road to the state tournament will be a tough one for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball teams. The Class 4A postseason assignments were announced on Friday by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Fourth-ranked Centennial (9-1) has been placed in Substate No. 2, while Ankeny (6-5) has been placed in Substate No. 8. Both … [Read more...] about 4A postseason assignments announced: Hawks, Jaguars face tough draws

Hawks’ confidence grows with impressive road victory over Dowling Catholic

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team won't be lacking confidence heading into Friday's showdown against fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial. The Hawks are coming off an impressive 61-46 victory at Dowling Catholic in a non-conference game on Thursday. They raised their record to 6-5 on the season, while the Maroons dropped to 5-6. "When a young team gets … [Read more...] about Hawks’ confidence grows with impressive road victory over Dowling Catholic

Lipsey leads Little Cyclones past Ankeny boys, into tie for 2nd place

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Ames guard Tamin Lipsey showed on Saturday why he's considered one of the nation's top boys' basketball players in the Class of 2022. The junior poured in a game-high 23 points to lead the host Little Cyclones past Ankeny, 55-34, in a CIML Iowa Conference game. He also had four rebounds, four assists and two steals. "He's never (out of control), and … [Read more...] about Lipsey leads Little Cyclones past Ankeny boys, into tie for 2nd place

‘Our post players played great’: Kohl, Simonsen lead Hawks to road victory

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Ankeny's JJ Kohl and Braden Simonsen bring a football mentality to the basketball court. The two post players combined for 24 points and helped the Hawks to dominate the boards in a 69-38 victory on Friday at Fort Dodge. "We had 22 offensive rebounds," said Ankeny coach Brandt Carlson. "That was definitely the key to the game, and our post players … [Read more...] about ‘Our post players played great’: Kohl, Simonsen lead Hawks to road victory

Hawks keep it close for awhile before No. 2 Waukee pulls away in 2nd half

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team proved on Tuesday night that it can play on the same court with second-ranked Waukee. For awhile, anyway. The Hawks outscored Waukee in the second quarter, 13-5, to pull within 28-20 at halftime. The visiting Warriors then used a 19-0 run in the third quarter to pull away for a 65-37 victory in a non-conference … [Read more...] about Hawks keep it close for awhile before No. 2 Waukee pulls away in 2nd half

Blimpie Sub of the Week: JJ Kohl, Ankeny boys’ basketball

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Sophomore JJ Kohl is a member of the Ankeny boys' basketball team. He has helped the Hawks to a 4-4 record. Kohl scored seven points on Tuesday in Ankeny's 65-37 loss to visiting Waukee, the No. 2 team in Class 4A. He had 20 points and 19 rebounds in the Hawks' 71-61 victory over visiting Mason City on Jan. 12. Kohl is averaging 9.1 points and 6.3 … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: JJ Kohl, Ankeny boys’ basketball

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Matt Stueckradt, Ankeny boys’ basketball

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Senior guard Matt Stueckradt has helped the Ankeny boys' basketball team to a 4-3 record. He has started four of the seven games. Stueckradt is averaging 3.0 points and 1.3 assists per game. He scored five points in the Hawks' 71-61 victory over visiting Mason City on Tuesday. Here is some inside info on Stueckradt: How is the season going thus … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Matt Stueckradt, Ankeny boys’ basketball

Kohl dominates inside, leads Ankeny boys past Mohawks, into 2nd place

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It has taken awhile for JJ Kohl to find his role on the Ankeny boys' basketball team. If the Ankeny Centennial transfer continues to play like he did on Tuesday, he could become the Hawks' go-to player. Kohl scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead Ankeny to a 71-61 victory over visiting Mason City. He went 8-for-11 from the … [Read more...] about Kohl dominates inside, leads Ankeny boys past Mohawks, into 2nd place

Stueckradt sticks to Marshalltown’s leading scorer, helps Hawks to victory

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Ankeny guard Matt Stueckradt scored only three points during Friday's boys' basketball game against visiting Marshalltown. His impact on the game came at the other end of the floor. Stueckradt held Marshalltown's leading scorer without a point in the first half as Ankeny built a 22-17 lead, and the Hawks eventually held on for a 49-44 victory in the … [Read more...] about Stueckradt sticks to Marshalltown’s leading scorer, helps Hawks to victory

‘I was a little nervous’: Assistant coach Lamaak guides Jaguars past rival

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Ben Lamaak felt a little uneasy heading into Tuesday's game against the Ankeny boys' basketball team. The play of his Ankeny Centennial squad calmed his nerves. Lamaak, a longtime assistant coach, took over the team due to the absence of head coach Bob Fontana and guided the third-ranked Jaguars to a 71-56 victory in a CIML Iowa Conference game at … [Read more...] about ‘I was a little nervous’: Assistant coach Lamaak guides Jaguars past rival

Potent Waukee boys shut down Hawks in rematch of last year’s Class 4A title game

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The Waukee boys' basketball team that lost to Ankeny in last year's Class 4A championship game was a loaded squad with at least two Division I recruits. Now, the Warriors are even better. The addition of Dowling Catholic transfer Omaha Biliew, one of the nation's top prospects in the Class of 2023, has made Waukee the prohibitive favorite to capture … [Read more...] about Potent Waukee boys shut down Hawks in rematch of last year’s Class 4A title game