Ankeny Fanatic

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Girls' Basketball

Hot-shooting Johnston extends winning streak with 68-49 victory over Jaguars

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Many have tried in the last 43 games, but none have succeeded and Ankeny Centennial was the latest girls' basketball team to add to Johnston’s long winning streak. The fourth-ranked Jaguars attempted to pull off a big road upset of No. 1 Johnston on Tuesday, but the nation's No. 13 squad … [Read more...] about Hot-shooting Johnston extends winning streak with 68-49 victory over Jaguars

‘The balance was good to see’: 4 players score in double digits in Jaguars’ road win

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There was no time for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to dwell on Friday's loss at Waukee. The fourth-ranked Jaguars had to play a rare Saturday afternoon game less than 24 hours later. Centennial traveled to Ames for a non-conference contest and rolled to a 60-21 victory over the … [Read more...] about ‘The balance was good to see’: 4 players score in double digits in Jaguars’ road win

‘We just didn’t finish out the game well’: Jaguars fall at Waukee in last few minutes

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It was an uphill battle most of the way for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. In the end, the fourth-ranked Jaguars fell just a little short. Despite battling back from a 10-point deficit and a strong second half from senior Mya Crawford, Centennial dropped a 57-53 decision at No. 12 Waukee in a … [Read more...] about ‘We just didn’t finish out the game well’: Jaguars fall at Waukee in last few minutes

Centennial girls roll past Class 4A No. 2 North Polk, handing Comets their first loss

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) There are some days where everything just seems to be clicking, and the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team picked a perfect time to do so. The Class 5A fourth-ranked Jaguars were locked in on both ends of the court, and it led to a 20-point victory during their top-five showdown with Class 4A No. 2 North Polk as … [Read more...] about Centennial girls roll past Class 4A No. 2 North Polk, handing Comets their first loss

Crawford, Pratt record double-doubles in Jaguars’ 58-41 victory over Valley girls

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Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball coach Scott DeJong didn't expect a repeat of his team's 73-42 victory at Valley last month. The fourth-ranked Jaguars won the rematch, 58-41, on Tuesday at Centennial. "The last time the stars aligned," said DeJong. "We were just hoping we could beat them. Waukee Northwest was a single-digit game (with Valley) in the … [Read more...] about Crawford, Pratt record double-doubles in Jaguars’ 58-41 victory over Valley girls

After 6 ties and 5 lead changes, Dowling girls pull away late to beat Jaguars again

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team is still searching for a signature victory to put on its postseason resume. The fourth-ranked Jaguars once again battled No. 2 Dowling Catholic down to the wire on Friday before dropping a 52-45 decision at Centennial. There were six ties and five lead changes before the Maroons closed out the CIML Conference … [Read more...] about After 6 ties and 5 lead changes, Dowling girls pull away late to beat Jaguars again

Crawford enjoys historic night as Jaguars roll past Urbandale for 2nd time this year

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Ever since transferring from Cedar Falls to Ankeny Centennial after her freshman girls' basketball season, Mya Crawford has carved out a pretty important role for the Jaguars. She’s started nearly 60 games over two and a half seasons, she’s scored a lot of baskets and she’s helped win a ton of games for Centennial. But … [Read more...] about Crawford enjoys historic night as Jaguars roll past Urbandale for 2nd time this year

‘We’ve got to make better adjustments’: Jags’ lead slips away in loss at Northwest

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For the third time in the last four games, the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team let a halftime lead slip away. The fourth-ranked Jaguars were able to recover in those previous games to defeat Cedar Rapids Prairie and Ankeny, but they weren't as fortunate on Friday at No. 3 Waukee Northwest. The Wolves used a 15-1 run in the third quarter to … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve got to make better adjustments’: Jags’ lead slips away in loss at Northwest

‘Johnston is a great team’: Dragons build huge lead, then hold off Centennial girls

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This year's version of the Johnston girls' basketball team might be even better than last year's state championship squad. That was the assessment by Ankeny Centennial coach Scott DeJong prior to the holiday break, and the top-ranked Dragons showed on Friday that the gap between them and the rest of the teams in Class 5A is still significant. Johnston … [Read more...] about ‘Johnston is a great team’: Dragons build huge lead, then hold off Centennial girls

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Tillie Smith, Ankeny Centennial girls’ basketball

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Senior guard Tillie Smith has helped the fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to a 6-2 record and a four-game winning streak heading into 2025. Smith is averaging 4.0 points per game. She leads the Jaguars with 10 3-point goals and is shooting 28.6 percent from behind the arc. Here is some inside info on Smith: Congratulations on a … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Tillie Smith, Ankeny Centennial girls’ basketball

‘It was a great win’: Surging Centennial girls win top-5 showdown vs. C.R. Prairie

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Last December, the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team suffered through a five-game losing streak and limped into the holiday break with a pedestrian 5-5 record. With everyone back from that squad, the Jaguars are in a much better position 12 months later. Fourth-ranked Centennial raised its overall mark to 6-2 by defeating No. 5 Cedar Rapids … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great win’: Surging Centennial girls win top-5 showdown vs. C.R. Prairie

‘I was kind of shocked by it’: Pratt scores career-high 30 in Jaguars’ rout at Valley

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Jaeden Pratt is playing with a lot of confidence, and it helps when she’s got the perfect team around her. It was just a pair of free throws to begin Friday night’s contest that broke open the floodgates to a career-high 30-point outing for the Illinois State commit and a dominant 73-42 road win for the Ankeny Centennial … [Read more...] about ‘I was kind of shocked by it’: Pratt scores career-high 30 in Jaguars’ rout at Valley

Jaguars roll to back-to-back wins over Urbandale, Roosevelt in span of 24 hours

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A couple of fast starts helped the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to back-to-back victories over Urbandale and Des Moines Roosevelt in a span of 24 hours. The fourth-ranked Jaguars jumped out to a 25-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and rolled to a 66-32 win at Urbandale on Friday. They then raced out to an early 22-6 advantage in … [Read more...] about Jaguars roll to back-to-back wins over Urbandale, Roosevelt in span of 24 hours

‘We left it out there’: Jaguars’ rally falls short in 56-52 loss at No. 2 Dowling

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Don't be surprised if the two CIML Conference rivals who met on Tuesday at Dowling Catholic collide again in March at the girls' state basketball tournament. The second-ranked Maroons and No. 5 Ankeny Centennial both look primed to make deep postseason runs. "They're No. 2 for a reason, that's for sure," Centennial coach Scott DeJong said following his … [Read more...] about ‘We left it out there’: Jaguars’ rally falls short in 56-52 loss at No. 2 Dowling

‘It was definitely a little bit weird’: Baldwin, Hawkettes defeat Valley for 4-0 start

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) For junior forward Reagan Baldwin, it felt a little weird being the opposition rather than the home team inside the Valley High School gym. Baldwin, who transferred to Ankeny from Valley after her sophomore season, stepped foot back in her old stomping grounds on Tuesday and played a key role in helping the eighth-ranked … [Read more...] about ‘It was definitely a little bit weird’: Baldwin, Hawkettes defeat Valley for 4-0 start

‘I think it was very humbling’: Jags open CIML play with OT loss to Waukee NW

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Mya Crawford sat in the bleachers with an icepack on her foot following Tuesday's game against visiting Waukee Northwest. It was that kind of night for the senior guard and the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. Crawford scored 18 points, but her desperation heave at the buzzer bounced off the backboard and the third-ranked Jaguars dropped a … [Read more...] about ‘I think it was very humbling’: Jags open CIML play with OT loss to Waukee NW

Jaguars shut down Pleasant Valley in opener, give DeJong his 700th career win

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The 700th career victory for Ankeny Centennial's Scott DeJong followed a familiar script. The legendary girls' basketball coach reached the milestone on Saturday when the third-ranked Jaguars opened their season by winning a defensive battle against No. 5 Pleasant Valley, 39-26, at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. "It was two good teams … [Read more...] about Jaguars shut down Pleasant Valley in opener, give DeJong his 700th career win

‘We are starting at a different level’: Jags return their entire roster from 14-9 squad

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There may not be a more experienced girls' basketball team in the state than Ankeny Centennial. The Jaguars return every player from last year's squad that posted a 14-9 record and qualified for the Class 5A state tournament. "We have been able to progress faster with our whole team back. We are starting at a different level than last year," said … [Read more...] about ‘We are starting at a different level’: Jags return their entire roster from 14-9 squad