Ankeny Fanatic

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Brandt Carlson

Hawks shut down former teammate Drea, Indianola for 72-60 road victory

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Indianola guard Brayden Drea was excited to play against his former teammates on Monday night. The Ankeny boys' basketball players relished that same opportunity. Lio Aguirre scored 20 points, Carson Johnson added 19, and the Hawks led from start to finish in a 72-60 victory at Indianola in a non-conference game. "It was fun," said Ankeny guard Ryan … [Read more...] about Hawks shut down former teammate Drea, Indianola for 72-60 road victory

Hawks jump out to big lead, then hold off Marshalltown’s rallies for 65-53 victory

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When the Ankeny boys' basketball team jumped out to a 17-1 lead against visiting Marshalltown on Friday, it appeared that the game would be a rout. But the Bobcats didn't go down without a fight. Marshalltown closed the gap to just three points on three different occasions before the Hawks pulled away for a 65-53 victory in the CIML Iowa Conference … [Read more...] about Hawks jump out to big lead, then hold off Marshalltown’s rallies for 65-53 victory

‘It was a hard-fought win’: Hawks overcome Valley, Raridon for first victory

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A few weeks ago, the Ankeny football team defeated Valley in the Class 5A semifinals to earn the right to play for a state championship. On Tuesday, the Hawks waged another epic battle against their CIML rival--this time on the basketball court. Ryan Crandall, who had a team-high 6.5 tackles in Ankeny's win over the Tigers at the UNI-Dome, scored 19 … [Read more...] about ‘It was a hard-fought win’: Hawks overcome Valley, Raridon for first victory

Ankeny boys battle Little Cyclones down to the wire before Lipsey takes over

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The Ankeny boys' basketball program doesn't play for moral victories. But if ever a game qualified as one, Friday's season-opening loss at Ames would probably be it. The Little Cyclones, one of the favorites to win the Class 4A state title, held off a furious Ankeny rally in the second half to post a 54-44 victory in a CIML Iowa Conference game. "It … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys battle Little Cyclones down to the wire before Lipsey takes over

Experienced Hawks looking to rebound from last season’s 10-10 campaign

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There won't be any break for Ankeny football standouts Ryan Crandall, JJ Kohl and Braden Simonsen. After helping the Hawks to a runner-up finish in the Class 5A playoffs on the gridiron earlier this month, the trio has made a quick transition to the basketball court. The Ankeny boys' squad will open its season on Friday with a difficult road test at Ames, … [Read more...] about Experienced Hawks looking to rebound from last season’s 10-10 campaign

‘Our guys didn’t back down’: Hawks put up a fight in loss to No. 2 Waukee

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When the Ankeny boys' basketball team suffered a 65-28 loss to Waukee on Dec. 21, the Hawks clearly had a long way to go to compete with one of the state's best squads. Ankeny showed some signs of progress a month later, when the Hawks trailed Waukee by just eight points at halftime before dropping a 65-37 decision. On Tuesday, the Hawks closed the gap … [Read more...] about ‘Our guys didn’t back down’: Hawks put up a fight in loss to No. 2 Waukee

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Karson Wehde, Ankeny boys’ basketball

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Sophomore forward Karson Wehde helped the Ankeny boys' basketball team to a 10-10 record. He scored six points as the Hawks ended their season with a 74-54 loss to second-ranked Waukee in a Class 4A substate final on Tuesday at Indianola. Wehde averaged 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. He placed third on the team with 15 3-point goals, shooting 35.7 … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Karson Wehde, Ankeny boys’ basketball

Ankeny boys hold off Norwalk, earn another shot against No. 2 Waukee

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team was ready for the start of postseason play. The defending state champion Hawks jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter and then held off visiting Norwalk's rally in the second half to post a 48-40 victory in a Class 4A substate semifinal on Friday. "It relieved some pressure to get that early lead," said Ankeny … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys hold off Norwalk, earn another shot against No. 2 Waukee

‘This was big for us’: Crandall, Hawks roll past North in their regular-season finale

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At times this season, the Ankeny boys' basketball team has struggled to find the basket. That wasn't an issue for the Hawks on Friday night. Ryan Crandall poured in 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting and Ankeny rolled to an 84-72 victory at Des Moines North in its final game of the regular season. The Hawks scored more points than they did in their … [Read more...] about ‘This was big for us’: Crandall, Hawks roll past North in their regular-season finale

‘It was kind of like we forgot how to play basketball’: Hawks drubbed by S.E. Polk

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team has posted some impressive victories this season. The Hawks have also suffered some disappointing losses. Tuesday's non-conference game at Southeast Polk would fall into the latter category. After jumping out to a 21-14 lead, Ankeny went cold midway through the second quarter and never recovered. The Rams went on a … [Read more...] about ‘It was kind of like we forgot how to play basketball’: Hawks drubbed by S.E. Polk

No. 6 Ames boys extend winning streak to 8 games with victory over Hawks

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The Ames boys' basketball team is one of the hottest squads in the state. The sixth-ranked Little Cyclones extended their winning streak to eight games on Friday with a 56-37 victory at Ankeny. They won the first matchup against the Hawks last month by a similar score, 55-34. "We just couldn't get any shots to fall," said Ankeny coach Brandt Carlson. … [Read more...] about No. 6 Ames boys extend winning streak to 8 games with victory over Hawks

THE HAMMER AND NEYAIL: Ankeny boys roll to 66-38 victory over Huskies

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If the Ankeny boys' basketball team hopes to make another deep postseason run, then the Hawks need to start building some momentum in the next two weeks. Tuesday's non-conference game against visiting Des Moines Hoover was a huge step in the right direction. Ankeny equaled its best defensive performance of the season in romping to a 66-38 victory over … [Read more...] about THE HAMMER AND NEYAIL: Ankeny boys roll to 66-38 victory over Huskies

Hawks pull away from Roosevelt in 4th quarter, move back to .500 mark

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With the Class 4A postseason pairings to be determined soon, the Ankeny boys' basketball team needs every victory it can get. Coming off a pair of losses to ranked opponents, the Hawks moved back to the .500 mark with a 53-42 win at Des Moines Roosevelt in a non-conference game on Tuesday. They evened their overall mark at 7-7. "We were solid … [Read more...] about Hawks pull away from Roosevelt in 4th quarter, move back to .500 mark

‘We didn’t finish very well’: Hawks falter down stretch in loss at No. 5 Valley

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team went on some mini-runs during Monday's game at Valley. It wasn't enough to offset the fifth-ranked Tigers' longer runs. Valley used an 11-0 spurt in the first half to take a 17-7 lead, then later went on a 17-2 run in the second half to pull away for a 66-44 victory in a CIML non-conference game. "We didn't finish … [Read more...] about ‘We didn’t finish very well’: Hawks falter down stretch in loss at No. 5 Valley

Centennial boys outlast Hawks in seesaw battle, clinch share of league crown

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It's a good bet that the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team will be practicing its free throws before Tuesday's game against second-ranked Waukee. The No. 4 Jaguars nearly let Friday's game at Ankeny slip away due to some poor free-throw shooting. They missed all seven of their attempts in the third quarter, which allowed the Hawks to rally from a … [Read more...] about Centennial boys outlast Hawks in seesaw battle, clinch share of league crown

Hawks’ confidence grows with impressive road victory over Dowling Catholic

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team won't be lacking confidence heading into Friday's showdown against fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial. The Hawks are coming off an impressive 61-46 victory at Dowling Catholic in a non-conference game on Thursday. They raised their record to 6-5 on the season, while the Maroons dropped to 5-6. "When a young team gets … [Read more...] about Hawks’ confidence grows with impressive road victory over Dowling Catholic

Lipsey leads Little Cyclones past Ankeny boys, into tie for 2nd place

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Ames guard Tamin Lipsey showed on Saturday why he's considered one of the nation's top boys' basketball players in the Class of 2022. The junior poured in a game-high 23 points to lead the host Little Cyclones past Ankeny, 55-34, in a CIML Iowa Conference game. He also had four rebounds, four assists and two steals. "He's never (out of control), and … [Read more...] about Lipsey leads Little Cyclones past Ankeny boys, into tie for 2nd place

‘Our post players played great’: Kohl, Simonsen lead Hawks to road victory

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Ankeny's JJ Kohl and Braden Simonsen bring a football mentality to the basketball court. The two post players combined for 24 points and helped the Hawks to dominate the boards in a 69-38 victory on Friday at Fort Dodge. "We had 22 offensive rebounds," said Ankeny coach Brandt Carlson. "That was definitely the key to the game, and our post players … [Read more...] about ‘Our post players played great’: Kohl, Simonsen lead Hawks to road victory