Here are five potential storylines for Friday's Jag-Hawk football game at Ankeny Stadium: 1. Will Centennial's dominance of the crosstown rivalry continue? The Jaguars have won five of the six meetings against Ankeny since the split into two high schools in 2013. The last three games have been decided by an average of 14.7 points, including … [Read more...] about Who will emerge as the star in Friday’s Jag-Hawk showdown?
Brody Brecht
Ankeny’s Crawford hopes to be impact player on defense, too
A year ago, Ankeny's Ray J Crawford was one of the top running backs in the CIML, rushing for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns on 202 carries. This season, he might not be able to match those numbers. That's because Ankeny coach Rick Nelson has elected to shore up his defense by moving Crawford to linebacker. The 6-foot, 196-pound senior will still get … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Crawford hopes to be impact player on defense, too
Ankeny’s Maifeld, Centennial’s Vermeer named to Central Conference first team
Heading into the 2018 baseball season, Ankeny senior Jayden Maifeld was already established as one of the state's top pitchers. Sophomore Ryan Vermeer of Ankeny Centennial didn't have a reputation to match Maifeld's, but he quickly developed into one of the CIML's top catchers. Both Maifeld and Vermeer have been named to the CIML Central Conference … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Maifeld, Centennial’s Vermeer named to Central Conference first team
Hard-throwing Patzner shuts down Hawks in substate final
Wednesday's substate baseball final between unranked Ankeny and No. 2 Urbandale was a classic David vs. Goliath matchup. This time, Goliath prevailed. Luke Patzner tossed a two-hitter and had 10 strikeouts to lead the host J-Hawks to a 6-0 victory in a Class 4A Substate 7 final. The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for Ankeny, which finished the … [Read more...] about Hard-throwing Patzner shuts down Hawks in substate final
Hawks, Jaguars look to continue postseason run on Monday
Both Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial will face familiar foes in the Class 4A substate baseball semifinals on Monday night. The Hawks (20-16) will host Des Moines East (17-22) in Substate 7, while the Jaguars (21-18) will play at 10th-ranked Valley (26-15) in a Substate 2 matchup. Both games begin at 7 p.m. Ankeny, which is riding a six-game winning … [Read more...] about Hawks, Jaguars look to continue postseason run on Monday
Maifeld hurls Hawks past Newton in substate quarterfinal
When the Newton baseball team scored an unearned run in the first inning of Friday's Class 4A substate quarterfinal at Ankeny, it gave the Cardinals some early momentum against one of the state's best pitchers. "I was a little worried before the game--I don't know why," said Ankeny senior righthander Jayden Maifeld. "And then when that happened, I … [Read more...] about Maifeld hurls Hawks past Newton in substate quarterfinal
Hawks rally past Valley in nightcap, salvage split of twinbill
The Valley baseball team had a chance to take a commanding lead in the CIML Central Conference race on Wednesday. The Tigers posted a 6-3 victory in the first game of a doubleheader at Ankeny, then jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap. But the Hawks refused to go away. Ankeny rallied for a 9-8 walk-off win and a split of the … [Read more...] about Hawks rally past Valley in nightcap, salvage split of twinbill
Maifeld, Rinker lead Hawks to first-ever sweep over Centennial
The Ankeny baseball team had to wait 48 hours to complete a doubleheader against visiting Ankeny Centennial on Friday. It was well worth the wait. The Hawks posted a 6-2 victory in the opener, then used a nine-run outburst in the third inning to win the nightcap, 12-0, in five innings. They swept their crosstown rival for the first time since the split … [Read more...] about Maifeld, Rinker lead Hawks to first-ever sweep over Centennial
Hawks, Jaguars each win twice at Tim Heggen Invitational
Saturday was a good day for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial baseball teams as both squads won a pair of games in the Tim Heggen Invitational at Ankeny. The Hawks rolled to a 9-1 victory over North Polk, the No. 10 team in Class 3A. They later defeated Davenport North, 5-4, in nine innings to extend their winning streak to six games. The Jaguars also … [Read more...] about Hawks, Jaguars each win twice at Tim Heggen Invitational
Maifeld, Rinker hurl back-to-back gems in Hawks’ sweep over Ames
Ankeny pitcher Jayden Maifeld tossed a gem in the first game of a doubleheader against visiting Ames on Thursday. Then teammate Cameron Rinker threw another one in the nightcap, allowing the Hawks to sweep the CIML Central Conference opener. "It's fun to watch those two guys talk to each other. They kind of feed off each other," said Ankeny coach Joe … [Read more...] about Maifeld, Rinker hurl back-to-back gems in Hawks’ sweep over Ames
Talented trio of freshmen helps Hawks sweep doubleheader at East
The Ankeny baseball team returned to Des Moines East on Wednesday and avenged last year's substate loss to the Scarlets by sweeping a doubleheader, 10-0 and 8-3. The Hawks won the opener in six innings for their first victory of the season. They then completed the sweep to improve their record to 2-3, while East dropped to 1-7. "We played much better … [Read more...] about Talented trio of freshmen helps Hawks sweep doubleheader at East
Hawks boast strong foundation with return of standouts Hill, Maifeld
Ankeny baseball coach Joe Balvanz still has a lot of faith in his team despite the Hawks' 0-3 start. Ankeny posted an 18-22 record a year ago, including a 6-14 mark in the CIML Central Conference. Several key players are back from that team, led by first-team all-conference selections Drew Hill and Jayden Maifeld. "We bring back a lot of experience," … [Read more...] about Hawks boast strong foundation with return of standouts Hill, Maifeld
Smith sprints to victory at Johnston Early Bird Invitational
Ankeny Centennial's Ryan VanBaale isn't the only talented sprinter from Ankeny. Crosstown rival Ankeny High School also has a speedster in the form of junior Max Smith, who won the 100-meter dash at the Johnston Early Bird Invitational on Thursday. Smith crossed the finish line in 11.54 seconds to provide the Hawks' lone victory of the night in their … [Read more...] about Smith sprints to victory at Johnston Early Bird Invitational