Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Brecken Manus

Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny football team (3rd team)

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For the last 54 years, a lot of young boys have grown up in Ankeny wanting to play football for coach Jerry Pezzetti. Some of those players wanted to follow in the footsteps of their fathers who played for Pezzetti. That was the case for Drew Carlson, a standout linebacker on Ankeny's 2012 state championship team. His father, Luke, starred for Pezzetti … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny football team (3rd team)

‘It was a no-brainer’: Ankeny linebacker Manus to play for Missouri Western

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Ankeny football standout Brecken Manus is headed to the Show-Me state. The senior linebacker announced on Monday that he has verbally committed to play for Missouri Western. "It was not a hard decision at all," said Manus. "The first time I got to the campus, I knew I could see myself at Missouri Western." Manus also had offers from Wayne State and … [Read more...] about ‘It was a no-brainer’: Ankeny linebacker Manus to play for Missouri Western

KINGS OF THE DOME: Ankeny soars to Class 4A crown with rout over Rams

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When Arland Bruce IV transferred to Ankeny earlier this fall, the Iowa recruit didn't know he was joining a state championship football squad. "I knew the talent we had was pretty scary," Bruce said. "But I really didn't look too far into it. I was just worried about trying to get onto the field with the guys." Bruce sat out the first five games of the … [Read more...] about KINGS OF THE DOME: Ankeny soars to Class 4A crown with rout over Rams

HAIL TO THE VICTORS!

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The trophy case at Ankeny High School might be getting a little crowded. For the third time since March, Ankeny came away with a state championship trophy on Friday night--this time courtesy of the football team. The second-ranked Hawks rolled to a 42-14 victory over No. 1 Southeast Polk in the Class 4A title game at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. It's … [Read more...] about HAIL TO THE VICTORS!

Bruce explodes for IV touchdowns, leads No. 2 Ankeny to the UNI-Dome

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Ankeny quarterback Jase Bauer has played with and against a lot of great athletes during his high school football career. He isn't sure if he's seen anyone like Arland Bruce IV. "He's just a dude," Bauer said of the Iowa recruit. "I mean, he's one of the best players I've ever seen. The dude can just flat-out play. When the play is not there, he's … [Read more...] about Bruce explodes for IV touchdowns, leads No. 2 Ankeny to the UNI-Dome

Explosive plays help No. 2 Hawks to huge victory over Indianola in finale

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Big plays were the name of the game on Friday in Ankeny as the second-ranked Hawks squared off with the Indianola Indians (3-4). Even in a blowout 45-14 win for Ankeny, both teams saw big plays throughout the night, especially early on. “We have really good players,” Ankeny coach Rick Nelson said. “Who’s fooling themselves? You’re not going to win if … [Read more...] about Explosive plays help No. 2 Hawks to huge victory over Indianola in finale

With a ‘chip on our shoulder’, Hawks shut down Fort Dodge in the rain

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On a rainy night at Dodger Stadium, the Ankeny football team rediscovered its mojo. One week after suffering a heartbreaking loss at Waukee, the sixth-ranked Hawks overcame the wet conditions on Friday to post a 52-18 victory over No. 10 Fort Dodge, dominating the game on both sides of the ball. "We definitely came out with a little bit of a chip on … [Read more...] about With a ‘chip on our shoulder’, Hawks shut down Fort Dodge in the rain

‘They overwhelmed us’: High-powered Hawks dominate Centennial in 48-6 win

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You can believe the hype. The Ankeny football team is for real. Jase Bauer passed for four touchdowns and Colin Kadolph ran for three more as the second-ranked Hawks romped to a 48-6 victory over No. 7 Ankeny Centennial on Friday at Ankeny Stadium, defeating the Jaguars for the first time since 2015. "We all thought it was going to happen," Kadolph … [Read more...] about ‘They overwhelmed us’: High-powered Hawks dominate Centennial in 48-6 win

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Brecken Manus, Ankeny football

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Senior linebacker Brecken Manus helped the Ankeny football team to a 7-4 record and a Class 4A quarterfinal appearance last season. He led the Hawks with 59 tackles. Manus was named to the Class 4A all-state third team by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. He was a repeat selection to the District 1 first team. Here is some inside info on … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Brecken Manus, Ankeny football

‘He played a hell of a game’: Bayless overcomes Iowa City West’s early lead

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Iowa City West's Marcus Morgan thought his team had a solid defensive strategy to slow down Ankeny's Braxton Bayless. He quickly discovered that the plan was fruitless. Bayless poured in a career-high 41 points, including 17-of-19 free throws, to lead the sixth-seeded Hawks to a 68-54 victory over No. 3 Iowa City West in the Class 4A quarterfinals of … [Read more...] about ‘He played a hell of a game’: Bayless overcomes Iowa City West’s early lead

‘It was a great battle’: Hawks build big lead, then hold on to beat Dowling

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Despite its 7-1 start, the Ankeny boys' basketball team had yet to defeat a top-10 opponent. Now, the Hawks have done just that. Ankeny made 13-of-22 attempts from 3-point range (59.1 percent) and posted a 77-73 victory at seventh-ranked Dowling Catholic on Tuesday. The Hawks avenged last month's 64-54 loss to Dowling while snapping the Maroons' … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great battle’: Hawks build big lead, then hold on to beat Dowling

‘We feel so much more confident’: Hawks enter season with big goals

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The mid-August temperature is getting a little warmer. Team practices are ramping up. And, mainly, a young team is getting older. This football season has the potential to be one of historic proportions for the Ankeny Hawks, because of what kind of a roster they are putting on the field. Last season, the team started eight sophomores--all of … [Read more...] about ‘We feel so much more confident’: Hawks enter season with big goals