Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Brandt Carlson

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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

(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

by

(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

by

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

by

(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

by

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

by

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

by

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

by

(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

Hawks use late run to defeat Johnston, stay 1 of 4 unbeaten teams in conference

by

Ankeny boys' basketball coach Brandt Carlson knows that every game on the road in the CIML Conference is going to be a grind. Fortunately, he appears to have a team capable of winning in tough environments. The Hawks used a late 13-5 run to post a 63-58 victory at Johnston on Tuesday. There were 15 lead changes and six ties in the seesaw … [Read more...] about Hawks use late run to defeat Johnston, stay 1 of 4 unbeaten teams in conference

‘We prepared for it all week’: Ankeny boys defeat Jaguars for 5th consecutive time

by

The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team took a huge step forward on Friday night. It still wasn't enough, though, to end the Jaguars' recent losing streak to crosstown rival Ankeny. The Hawks opened the second half with an 11-0 run to take the lead for good and went on to post a 58-46 win at Centennial. It was their fifth straight triumph in the … [Read more...] about ‘We prepared for it all week’: Ankeny boys defeat Jaguars for 5th consecutive time

Newcomers Allison, Ford, Clark help Ankeny boys to 58-52 victory over Valley

by

The new pieces on the Ankeny boys' basketball team made their presence felt during Tuesday's season opener against visiting Valley. Max Allison, a 7-foot-1 center, had six points, eight rebounds and four blocks in his first varsity start as the Hawks posted a 58-52 victory. Keyon Ford, a sophomore forward, added four points and four steals off the … [Read more...] about Newcomers Allison, Ford, Clark help Ankeny boys to 58-52 victory over Valley

‘We can make a run at a trophy’: Talented Hawks return Aguirre, 3 other starters

by

Ankeny boys' basketball standout Rio Aguirre proved a year ago that he can carry a team. Now, the senior guard will have to do it all over again--perhaps with even more attention from opposing defenses. Aguirre is one of four returning starters from a team that posted a 10-12 record last season. The others are senior forward Kael Roush, senior guard … [Read more...] about ‘We can make a run at a trophy’: Talented Hawks return Aguirre, 3 other starters

‘What we tried didn’t work’: Cason scores school-record 46, leads DC-G past Hawks

by

The Ankeny boys' basketball team was hoping to get another shot at CIML Conference rival Valley, the two-time defending Class 4A state champion. But Dallas Center-Grimes senior guard Kyle Cason had plenty of motivation to play the Tigers, too. The Valley transfer scored a school-record 46 points on 13-of-19 shooting to lead the Mustangs to a 76-69 … [Read more...] about ‘What we tried didn’t work’: Cason scores school-record 46, leads DC-G past Hawks

‘It’s frustrating’: Urbandale boys use late 12-3 run to rally past Hawks for 62-61 win

by

The Ankeny boys' basketball team led almost the entire way during Tuesday's game at Urbandale. The J-Hawks led, though, when it mattered the most. Jaxson Cathcart made two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to cap off a 12-3 run, and Urbandale escaped with a 62-61 victory over the Hawks in a CIML Conference game. "I like how hard our team plays," … [Read more...] about ‘It’s frustrating’: Urbandale boys use late 12-3 run to rally past Hawks for 62-61 win