Ankeny Fanatic

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Carson Johnson

‘We played them pretty tough’: Hawks show progress in 66-55 loss at No. 3 NW

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For nearly three quarters on Friday night, the Ankeny boys' basketball team threatened to knock off the state's No. 3 squad for the second time in two weeks. The Hawks, who posted a 56-51 upset over Waukee on Jan. 13, battled host Waukee Northwest to a 41-41 tie about 5 minutes into the second half. But the Wolves then closed the third quarter with an 8-2 … [Read more...] about ‘We played them pretty tough’: Hawks show progress in 66-55 loss at No. 3 NW

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Carson Johnson, Ankeny boys’ basketball

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Junior guard Carson Johnson scored 15 points as the Ankeny boys' basketball team posted a 59-55 win at Southeast Polk on Friday for its third consecutive win. He made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 1 minute 19 seconds to help seal the triumph. Johnson, who recently scored his 500th career point, has helped the Hawks to records of 4-7 in the CIML … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Carson Johnson, Ankeny boys’ basketball

‘We all knew we could win’: Hawks pull off stunning upset over No. 3 Waukee

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Ankeny's Maddox Ward blew a kiss to the Waukee students as the final seconds ticked off the clock. The senior guard made a pair of late 3-point goals to lift the Hawks to a stunning 56-51 upset over third-ranked Waukee in a CIML Conference boys' basketball game on Friday at Ankeny. "It feels great," said Ward, who scored all 11 of his points in the … [Read more...] about ‘We all knew we could win’: Hawks pull off stunning upset over No. 3 Waukee

IN THE ZONE: Winkel scores career-high 30, leads No. 4 Jaguars past Ankeny boys

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It's been a dream season thus far for Luke Winkel and the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team. On Tuesday night, it only got better. Winkel poured in a career-high 30 points and the fourth-ranked Jaguars pulled away in the second half for a 65-46 victory at Ankeny. The win allowed Centennial to take a 10-9 lead in the all-time series and avenged … [Read more...] about IN THE ZONE: Winkel scores career-high 30, leads No. 4 Jaguars past Ankeny boys

Aguirre, Crandall, Johnson named to all-substate boys’ basketball team

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Ankeny players Lio Aguirre, Ryan Crandall and Carson Johnson have been named to the Class 4A Substate 1 boys' basketball team. The trio helped the Hawks to a 19-5 record and a trip to the state tournament this season. Crandall, a senior forward, averaged a team-high 11.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He was earlier selected to … [Read more...] about Aguirre, Crandall, Johnson named to all-substate boys’ basketball team

‘That won us the game’: Johnston’s free throws end Ankeny boys’ season at 19-5

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Ankeny's JJ Kohl grabbed the rebound in the lane and put the ball back in the hoop as time expired. It was a meaningless basket in the grand scheme of things, because it didn't prevent third-seeded Johnston from advancing to the Class 4A semifinals of the boys' state basketball tournament. But it showed what the sixth-seeded Hawks are all … [Read more...] about ‘That won us the game’: Johnston’s free throws end Ankeny boys’ season at 19-5

‘It was a great team win’: Hawks knock off Northwest, will host No. 1 Ames next

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This time, the Ankeny boys' basketball team didn't let a second-half lead slip away against Waukee Northwest. The eighth-ranked Hawks stayed alive in the race for the CIML Iowa Conference title with a 74-63 victory at No. 3 Northwest on Friday. The win was Ankeny's eighth in a row and avenged an earlier 57-50 loss to the Wolves. "It was a great team … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great team win’: Hawks knock off Northwest, will host No. 1 Ames next

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

‘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 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

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