Ankeny Fanatic

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Brandt Carlson

Hawks top No. 3 Dowling in season finale, spoil Maroons’ bid for share of CIML crown

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) In less than two weeks, there’s a chance that the Ankeny boys' basketball team’s path to a state tournament appearance will run through Waukee Northwest. But the Hawks tossed fourth-ranked Northwest and No. 2 Waukee an assist to close out the regular season. Ankeny used a pair of big runs in the second and third quarters … [Read more...] about Hawks top No. 3 Dowling in season finale, spoil Maroons’ bid for share of CIML crown

‘I’m back feeling really confident’: Hawks end slide behind Campbell’s career night

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(Story by Jordan Wood) Not to be overshadowed by the earlier news of a substate No. 2 seed, the Ankeny boys' basketball team bounced back from a humbling 0-3 week to dominate visiting Dallas Center-Grimes, 78-51, in a non-conference game on Monday. The result won’t do much for their standing as they approach the postseason, but it is likely to give the … [Read more...] about ‘I’m back feeling really confident’: Hawks end slide behind Campbell’s career night

‘It’s maybe the story of our season’: Hawks’ late lead slips away against Johnston

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A late scoring drought resulted in a third consecutive loss for the Ankeny boys' basketball team. The seventh-ranked Hawks were held to just one basket in the final 4 minutes and dropped a 54-52 decision to visiting Johnston on Friday. It was the fourth straight win for the Dragons, who avenged an earlier five-point loss while wrapping up a fifth-place … [Read more...] about ‘It’s maybe the story of our season’: Hawks’ late lead slips away against Johnston

Campbell returns to lineup, but Hawks get off to slow start in loss at Urbandale

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When the week began, the Ankeny boys' basketball team was No. 7 in the latest Class 4A rankings and appeared to be in good position to earn a top seed for an upcoming substate tournament. Tuesday's 58-49 loss at No. 3 Waukee Northwest probably didn't hurt the Hawks' resume too much, but Thursday's 63-54 setback at Urbandale could prove to be more … [Read more...] about Campbell returns to lineup, but Hawks get off to slow start in loss at Urbandale

‘A lot of guys stepped up’: Ankeny boys put scare into Wolves before falling short

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Going into the fourth quarter down just two points, the Ankeny boys' basketball team had a chance at pulling off a major road upset on Tuesday night. Third-ranked Waukee Northwest kept the door cracked open wide enough that the No. 7 Hawks were within striking distance at handing the Wolves their third loss in the last four … [Read more...] about ‘A lot of guys stepped up’: Ankeny boys put scare into Wolves before falling short

‘It was a lot of fun’: Hawks surge past C.R. Kennedy in 2nd half without Campbell

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It won't be easy for the Ankeny boys' basketball team to replace injured guard Jasani Campbell. But the 10th-ranked Hawks showed on Saturday, though, that they have some other players capable of filling the void. Seniors Cayden Clark, Carson Bright, Sammy Cowart and Kael Roush all played key roles as Ankeny defeated Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 74-60, in the … [Read more...] about ‘It was a lot of fun’: Hawks surge past C.R. Kennedy in 2nd half without Campbell

Hawks take positives away from loss at Dowling, but injury to Campbell lingers

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team took a lot of positives away from Friday's loss at Dowling Catholic. An injury to the Hawks' second-leading scorer certainly wasn't one of them. Junior guard Jasani Campbell was helped to the locker room after injuring his right knee with about 5 minutes left in the game. He had just scored a basket to pull the … [Read more...] about Hawks take positives away from loss at Dowling, but injury to Campbell lingers

Ankeny boys avenge loss to Rams as Roush, Bright ignite 4th-quarter rally

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team entered Monday's game at Southeast Polk with something to prove. It wasn't pretty, but the 10th-ranked Hawks avenged a pair of double-digit losses in the last year with a 54-53 victory. They deflected an inbounds pass as the final 1.9 seconds ticked off the clock to preserve the win. "We'll take it," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys avenge loss to Rams as Roush, Bright ignite 4th-quarter rally

‘It’s a huge accomplishment’: Aguirre reaches milestone in Hawks’ big victory

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After a nine-day layoff, the Ankeny boys' basketball team was eager to get back onto the court. Nobody was more anxious than senior guard Rio Aguirre, who scored 23 points on Friday to lead the host Hawks to a 72-51 victory over eighth-ranked Linn-Mar (Marion) in a non-conference game. Aguirre surpassed the 1,000-point career mark during the win. He … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a huge accomplishment’: Aguirre reaches milestone in Hawks’ big victory

‘We were kind of hesitant’: Hawks struggle with turnovers in loss at No. 4 Waukee

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team took a two-game winning streak into Tuesday's contest at fourth-ranked Waukee. A matchup against one of the state's hottest squads brought the Hawks' midseason momentum to a sudden halt. The Warriors completed a sweep of the season series by rolling to a 76-53 victory in a CIML Conference game. It was their seventh … [Read more...] about ‘We were kind of hesitant’: Hawks struggle with turnovers in loss at No. 4 Waukee

‘This was a big week’: Hawks follow up rivalry win with road victory against Valley

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny boys' basketball team didn’t waste much time putting Friday’s game to bed early. Riding the wave of momentum from their rivalry win over Ankeny Centennial, the Hawks exploded out of the gate in West Des Moines and used a 26-7 first-quarter run to pave the way for their 72-54 road victory over Valley. “This was … [Read more...] about ‘This was a big week’: Hawks follow up rivalry win with road victory against Valley

‘We just knew we were better’: Ankeny boys hold off Jags to sweep season series

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) There’s no doubt that a crosstown rivalry win was going to be important for either of the Ankeny or Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball teams. For the Hawks, Tuesday's game was a chance to bounce back from back-to-back losses, even out their record and generate some momentum for their upcoming slate. For the visiting … [Read more...] about ‘We just knew we were better’: Ankeny boys hold off Jags to sweep season series

‘They can really defend’: No. 2 Wolves shut down Ankeny boys in 64-45 victory

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A scoring drought of about 4 minutes at the beginning of each half proved costly for the Ankeny boys' basketball team. Second-ranked Waukee Northwest cranked up the defensive pressure and rolled to a 64-45 victory on Friday, handing the Hawks their fourth consecutive CIML Conference loss at home. "I think they had a lot to do with that," Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘They can really defend’: No. 2 Wolves shut down Ankeny boys in 64-45 victory

‘It was just a fun game to watch’: Pargeon, J-Hawks outlast Aguirre, Ankeny boys

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny boys' basketball team just couldn’t get a shot to fall when they needed it the most on a night where the ball didn’t have many issues finding the hoop. The Hawks were on their way to pulling off a fourth-quarter comeback on Tuesday when a scoring drought in the final 5 minutes aided visiting Urbandale in claiming … [Read more...] about ‘It was just a fun game to watch’: Pargeon, J-Hawks outlast Aguirre, Ankeny boys

‘The guys just responded really well’: Hawks end skid with win over C.R. Prairie

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A trip to Cedar Rapids may have been just what the Ankeny boys' basketball team needed. The Hawks returned from the holiday break and ended a three-game losing skid with a 67-50 victory over Cedar Rapids Prairie in the the CIML/MVC Crossover event on Saturday at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse. Ankeny (4-3) won in the event for the third straight … [Read more...] about ‘The guys just responded really well’: Hawks end skid with win over C.R. Prairie

‘We just didn’t shoot very well’: Hawks drop to 3-3 with 53-38 loss at Cedar Falls

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The offensive struggles continued on Friday for the Ankeny boys' basketball team. After being held to 46 points in a loss to Southeast Polk on Tuesday, the Hawks traveled to Cedar Falls for their final game before the holiday break and dropped a 53-38 decision in a non-conference matchup. "We're 3-3 now, and that's the reality of it," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘We just didn’t shoot very well’: Hawks drop to 3-3 with 53-38 loss at Cedar Falls

‘It was not fun to go through’: Ankeny boys struggle offensively in 61-46 loss to Rams

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After getting off to an impressive 3-0 start, the Ankeny boys' basketball team has suffered back-to-back losses on its home court. Friday's 66-59 loss to an unbeaten Waukee squad was disappointing, but hardly a cause for concern. Tuesday's 61-46 defeat at the hands of Southeast Polk was more puzzling. "It was one of those situations," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘It was not fun to go through’: Ankeny boys struggle offensively in 61-46 loss to Rams

‘Tonight we learned a lot’: Hawks suffer first loss as Waukee boys control 2nd half

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) By the end of the night, it was guaranteed that the CIML Conference was going to have one fewer undefeated boys' basketball team at the top of the league standings. A second-half cold streak for Ankeny opened the door for visiting Waukee to come away with a 66-59 win on Friday as the Hawks suffered their first loss of the … [Read more...] about ‘Tonight we learned a lot’: Hawks suffer first loss as Waukee boys control 2nd half