Bob Fontana

The struggles continued on Friday for the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team. The Jaguars fell behind by 20 points at halftime and eventually dropped a 77-36 decision at third-ranked Waukee Northwest. It was their worst loss of the season. "We were down by nine with 4 minutes left in the second quarter, but then they outscored us by 11 the rest of … [Read more...] about ‘They beat us in every phase of the game’: No. 3 Wolves roll past Centennial boys

The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team is still seeking its first conference victory. A slow start on Friday doomed the Jaguars' hopes of pulling off an upset against visiting Johnston. The Dragons jumped out to a 20-3 lead in the first quarter, extended the margin to 33-11 at halftime and then held on for a 52-37 road victory. "We were not … [Read more...] about ‘Things just snowballed on us’: Slow start dooms Jaguars in 52-37 loss to Johnston

(Story by Stephen McDaniel) If there’s one point of emphasis the Centennial boys' basketball team wants to focus on heading into the holiday break, it’s working on closing out games. The Jaguars went out on the road Friday and stuck with two-time reigning Class 4A champion Valley through three quarters, but the wheels fell off for Centennial in the … [Read more...] about Centennial boys hang with two-time defending champs until 4th quarter

For the second time in four days, the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team faced an opponent that was equally desperate to earn its first victory of the season. After letting Friday's game at Urbandale slip away in a 58-57 loss, the Jaguars rebounded on Monday with a non-conference win, rallying in the second half for a 64-59 triumph at Iowa City … [Read more...] about ‘It was a good shot in the arm’: Jaguars rally past Iowa City Liberty for first victory

After opening the season with three straight double-digit losses, the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team was in position to earn its first victory on Friday. The visiting Jaguars built a 34-22 lead at halftime before Urbandale closed the gap to 49-41 after three quarters. The J-Hawks then outscored Centennial in the final period, 17-8, and scored the … [Read more...] about Urbandale boys erase 12-point deficit, score with 4 seconds left to beat Jaguars

The Dowling Catholic boys' basketball team led from start to finish in a 69-54 victory over visiting Ankeny Centennial on Tuesday. The Maroons jumped out to an early 8-2 advantage and eventually led by as many as 23 points. They improved to 2-0 in the CIML Conference and overall, while Centennial's records dropped to 0-3 and 0-3. Dowling had opened the … [Read more...] about ‘They set the tempo right away’: Maroons start fast, roll to win over Centennial boys

The Waukee Northwest boys' basketball team is as good as advertised. The Wolves, bolstered by the addition of multiple transfers in the offseason, jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first quarter and cruised to a 60-38 victory at CIML Conference rival Ankeny Centennial on Tuesday. It was the season opener for both squads. "They're a very talented team … [Read more...] about ‘They’re a very talented team’: Wolves cruise past Centennial boys in opener

This was already going to be one of coach Bob Fontana's most inexperienced boys' basketball teams at Ankeny Centennial. Now, the Jaguars are dealing with a rash of injuries too. "We had four players injured during the fall either in an open gym or our fall league," said Fontana, who is beginning his 34th season as a head coach. "Usually, you have a … [Read more...] about Centennial boys’ team looks to overcome inexperienced roster, rash of injuries

The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team picked a bad night to have its worst offensive performance of the season. The 10th-ranked Jaguars shot just 34.6 percent from the field (18-of-52) and dropped a 64-41 decision to No. 8 Ankeny in a Class 4A substate final on Tuesday at Southeast Polk. It was a season-low output for Centennial, which finished … [Read more...] about ‘We just couldn’t get stops’: Jaguars finish at 17-7 after falling to Ankeny boys, 64-41

The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team closed out the regular season Thursday on a high note. The 10th-ranked Jaguars jumped out to a 17-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and went on to post a 59-40 victory over visiting Johnston, allowing them to complete a sweep of the season series. "We got off to a great start," said Centennial coach Bob … [Read more...] about Winkel reaches milestone as Jags beat Johnston to close out regular season

After playing one of its best games of the season on Friday, the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team looked like a different squad less than 24 hours later. The eighth-ranked Jaguars dropped a 52-48 decision to visiting Dowling Catholic in a CIML Conference game on Saturday afternoon. The Maroons, who swept the season series, were coming off a 65-60 … [Read more...] about Jaguars fall short against Dowling, will await 4A substate pairings on Monday

(Story by Gabe Ploeger) The Waukee Northwest boys' basketball team had won six straight games and nine of their last 10, and the 10th-ranked Wolves intended to keep that hot streak going. But No. 8 Ankeny Centennial had their own plans. The Jaguars relied on a stingy defense to beat visiting Northwest, 49-35, in a CIML Conference game on … [Read more...] about ‘We defended the jungle’: Centennial boys shut down Wolves for 49-35 victory

Tuesday's game was far from perfect for the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team. But the eighth-ranked Jaguars were good enough to emerge with a victory. Centennial overcame a 36-27 rebounding disadvantage to beat visiting Southeast Polk, 64-53, for the second time this season. The final score was almost identical to last month's 64-55 outcome at … [Read more...] about Centennial boys defeat Rams again, will host Waukee Northwest, Dowling next