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Football

Ankeny is No. 3, Centennial No. 23 in first Class 5A RPI football rankings from IHSAA

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The Ankeny football team is No. 3 in Class 5A in the first RPI rankings of the season from the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Southeast Polk (6-0), the lone remaining unbeaten team, is No. 1 with an RPI of .7078. The Rams are just ahead of No. 2 Johnston (5-1), which has an RPI of .7063 after handing Ankeny its first loss, 27-0, on Friday. The … [Read more...] about Ankeny is No. 3, Centennial No. 23 in first Class 5A RPI football rankings from IHSAA

‘We just weren’t consistent enough’: Jags’ playoff hopes take hit with loss to Valley

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Ankeny Centennial's quest for a berth to the Class 5A football playoffs took another hit on Friday night at Ankeny Stadium. Valley quarterback Jack Tracy threw for touchdowns on his first three passes and the Tigers went on to defeat Centennial, 45-20, in a matchup of teams desperate for a victory to bolster their postseason hopes. Valley ended a … [Read more...] about ‘We just weren’t consistent enough’: Jags’ playoff hopes take hit with loss to Valley

‘Urbandale is a good team’: J-Hawks rally from early 14-0 deficit to beat Centennial

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A fast start ignited the Ankeny Centennial football team to a 14-0 lead over visiting Urbandale on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. Unfortunately, the Jaguars couldn't sustain their early momentum. The J-Hawks closed to within 17-14 at halftime and then dominated the second half to post a 35-23 victory. They scored 28 unanswered points to spoil Centennial's … [Read more...] about ‘Urbandale is a good team’: J-Hawks rally from early 14-0 deficit to beat Centennial

Centennial looks to bounce back after Jag-Hawk battle turns into lopsided affair

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Friday night’s Jag-Hawk showdown was one that entered into the record books, and it was a game that the Ankeny Centennial football team is hoping to leave in the rear view mirror. Some early momentum swingers quickly snowballed into a tough 59-0 shutout loss against crosstown rival Ankeny (4-0). Two of Centennial’s … [Read more...] about Centennial looks to bounce back after Jag-Hawk battle turns into lopsided affair

‘We came out firing on offense’: Jaguars romp to 45-7 victory over Railsplitters

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On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a skydiver delivered the game ball to Ankeny Stadium on Friday night for a Week 3 battle between Ankeny Centennial and Des Moines Lincoln. With multiple branches of the armed services in attendance, the Jaguars got off to a fast start and never looked back. Centennial scored four touchdowns in the first 13 minutes, … [Read more...] about ‘We came out firing on offense’: Jaguars romp to 45-7 victory over Railsplitters

‘It was a great feeling’: Manning’s field goal as time expires lifts Jaguars past Linn-Mar

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It took a whole team effort inside 8 minutes to play for the Ankeny Centennial football team to secure its first win of the 2026 season. A third-down sack, a 90-yard drive by the offense and a walk-off, 20-yard field goal by senior kicker Noah Manning clinched the Jaguars' 23-20 victory over Linn-Mar on Friday night in … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great feeling’: Manning’s field goal as time expires lifts Jaguars past Linn-Mar

Jaguars’ passing game unable to keep pace with S.E. Polk’s prolific ground attack

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The Ankeny Centennial football team got off to a promising start in its season opener on Friday. The Jaguars scored a touchdown on the game's first possession and trailed visiting Southeast Polk by just 21-18 at halftime after Noah Manning kicked a 42-yard field goal with 4 seconds left in the second quarter. But the Rams then totally dominated the … [Read more...] about Jaguars’ passing game unable to keep pace with S.E. Polk’s prolific ground attack

‘We’re excited to see what we can do’: Jaguars to host S.E. Polk in Friday’s opener

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In recent years, the Ankeny Centennial football team has produced several Division I players. Easton Miller and Connor Welsch are on Iowa State's roster, while Braeden Jackson plays for Iowa. Brothers Elijah and Trey Porter are teammates at Northern Illinois. "It's really a compliment to our staff and to the program," said Centennial co-head coach Ryan … [Read more...] about ‘We’re excited to see what we can do’: Jaguars to host S.E. Polk in Friday’s opener

‘I just really liked the coaching staff’: Centennial TE Newman commits to Illinois

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Ankeny Centennial football standout Cade Newman is headed to Champaign. The junior tight end announced his verbal commitment to Illinois on Saturday. Iowa State, Wake Forest, Air Force and Army were among his 19 Division I offers. "I took two official visits--one to Iowa State and the other to Illinois," said Newman. "I just really liked the coaching … [Read more...] about ‘I just really liked the coaching staff’: Centennial TE Newman commits to Illinois

‘I loved the staff’: Centennial’s Targgart commits to play football for Wartburg

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Ankeny Centennial linebacker Nash Targgart has verbally committed to play football at Wartburg College next year. Targgart said he reached out to various schools all over the Midwest in an effort to continue his career on the gridiron. "Wartburg was the only one that I heard back from," said Targgart. "I felt like at Wartburg I loved the staff and the … [Read more...] about ‘I loved the staff’: Centennial’s Targgart commits to play football for Wartburg

Jerry Pezzetti to be inducted Friday into Melcher-Dallas Athletic Hall of Fame

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Chalk up another honor for legendary football coach Jerry Pezzetti. Pezzetti, the co-head coach at Ankeny Centennial along with his son Ryan, will be inducted into the newly established Melcher-Dallas Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night. He will be honored along with the other members of the inaugural class of inductees about 7:15 p.m. between the … [Read more...] about Jerry Pezzetti to be inducted Friday into Melcher-Dallas Athletic Hall of Fame

‘St. Thomas felt like the best for me’: Centennial’s Morgan commits to Tommies

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Ankeny Centennial running back JJ Morgan has verbally committed to play football for the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. St. Thomas went 7-5 this season, including a 20-13 victory at Drake on Nov. 8. The Tommies compete at the NCAA Division I FCS level as a member of the Pioneer Football League. "I was looking at a lot of schools around the … [Read more...] about ‘St. Thomas felt like the best for me’: Centennial’s Morgan commits to Tommies

Morgan, Dieken-Keahey, McIntire among 10 Jaguars on all-district first team

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The Ankeny Centennial football team landed 10 players on the all-district first team, led by senior running back JJ Morgan, who was named the District 4 Offensive MVP. Senior offensive lineman Braylin Dieken-Keahey and senior punter Austin McIntire were among the other first-team picks. Dieken-Keahey earned first-team honors for the second straight year … [Read more...] about Morgan, Dieken-Keahey, McIntire among 10 Jaguars on all-district first team

Unanimous pick Flanders joins Schmidt, Lei-Butters on all-CIML first team

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Ankeny Centennial volleyball standouts Mya Lei-Butters and Tatem Schmidt have been named to the CIML Conference first team along with Ankeny star Hailey Flanders, who was a unanimous selection. A total of 14 players from the two schools earned recognition from the league's coaches. The Jaguars landed Maegan Cheeseman and Mady Ott on the all-conference … [Read more...] about Unanimous pick Flanders joins Schmidt, Lei-Butters on all-CIML first team

‘We just came up a little bit short’: Jaguars’ late rally falls short in loss at Johnston

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After twice falling behind by three touchdowns, the Ankeny Centennial football team could have let its season come to an uneventful conclusion. But the Jaguars refused to go away quietly. Visiting Centennial rallied for a pair of scores and had a chance to drive for a tying touchdown in the final minutes before third-seeded Johnston held on for a 34-26 … [Read more...] about ‘We just came up a little bit short’: Jaguars’ late rally falls short in loss at Johnston

‘We’re extremely confident’: Jags wrap up playoff berth with 49-7 win over S.C. North

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) With playoff football looming in the background, Ankeny Centennial needed to come out on its home turf and take care of business before it worried about the postseason. And the Jaguars did just that. Centennial had the running clock going in the second half as the Jaguars earned their spot in the Class 5A playoffs with a … [Read more...] about ‘We’re extremely confident’: Jags wrap up playoff berth with 49-7 win over S.C. North

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