Ankeny Fanatic

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Jase Bauer

Hawks hold off S.E. Polk in slugfest, will play Dowling Catholic in quarterfinals

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A year ago, the Ankeny football team nearly pulled off a road upset in the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs, dropping a 24-21 decision to then-unbeaten Valley. The Hawks weren't going to let a similar opportunity slip away on Friday. Ninth-seeded Ankeny drove 82 yards in 13 plays for the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Hawks … [Read more...] about Hawks hold off S.E. Polk in slugfest, will play Dowling Catholic in quarterfinals

‘We’re our own worst enemy’: Little things prove costly in Hawks’ 28-27 loss

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Rick Nelson knows his way around the UNI-Dome about as well as anyone. The Ankeny football coach returned to his old stomping grounds on Friday, but it was a bittersweet homecoming. Nelson's Hawks came up short in their bid to knock off defending Class 4A state runner-up Cedar Falls, dropping a 28-27 decision to the Tigers in a battle of top-10 … [Read more...] about ‘We’re our own worst enemy’: Little things prove costly in Hawks’ 28-27 loss

Ankeny’s best effort not enough to get past rival Centennial

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The ball was snapped back to the holder. Ankeny kicker Max Pelham was ready to put his team up by three points on the opening possession in overtime. But the snap was muffed, and the holder was forced out of bounds 10 yards away from the end zone. All Ankeny Centennial needed to do was protect the ball and kick a field goal, and the Jaguars would take … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s best effort not enough to get past rival Centennial

‘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

Hawks survive and advance, will play at No. 10 Mason City on Monday

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Survive and advance. That's what the postseason is all about for Chris Spear and the Ankeny baseball team. Spear got the final three outs after replacing Brody Brecht on the mound and the Hawks held on to defeat visiting Fort Dodge, 6-5, in a Class 4A substate quarterfinal on Friday. "It feels amazing," said Spear, who picked up his first save of … [Read more...] about Hawks survive and advance, will play at No. 10 Mason City on Monday

Hawks make QB change, then drop 14-9 decision at No. 2 Johnston

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The Ankeny football team made a change at quarterback prior to Friday's game at second-ranked Johnston. It produced some mixed results. Sophomore Jase Bauer connected with classmate Weston Fulk for the Hawks' first touchdown of the year, but he was also intercepted three times. One of those interceptions came on Ankeny's final drive, allowing the … [Read more...] about Hawks make QB change, then drop 14-9 decision at No. 2 Johnston

Who will emerge as the star in Friday’s Jag-Hawk showdown?

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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?

Hard-throwing Patzner shuts down Hawks in substate final

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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

Casel tosses 3-hitter, leads Hawks to split at Southeast Polk

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Ankeny lefthander Will Casel recorded only one strikeout during the first game of a CIML Central Conference baseball doubleheader on Monday at Southeast Polk. But the senior was still very effective. Casel tossed a three-hitter and retired 13 batters on fly balls as the Hawks extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-2 victory in the opener … [Read more...] about Casel tosses 3-hitter, leads Hawks to split at Southeast Polk

Talented trio of freshmen helps Hawks sweep doubleheader at East

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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

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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