Ankeny Fanatic

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Jayla Williams

‘She was all over the court’: Williams scores 27, leads Hawkettes past Waukee

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As the sixth-leading scorer in Class 5A, Ankeny senior Jayla Williams is among the most productive offensive players in Iowa girls' basketball. But it's everything else that the Creighton recruit does on the court that makes her one of the state's best all-around players in the Class of 2026. Williams showed off all of her skills on Tuesday while … [Read more...] about ‘She was all over the court’: Williams scores 27, leads Hawkettes past Waukee

Balanced Jaguars overcome Williams’ career-high 33 points to knock off Ankeny

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team has dominated the all-time series against its crosstown rival. The Jaguars entered Tuesday's game at Ankeny with a 22-3 advantage in the history of the rivalry, but the third-ranked Hawkettes were clearly the favorite after posting a 55-39 win at Centennial on Dec. 5. After getting off to a slow start, … [Read more...] about Balanced Jaguars overcome Williams’ career-high 33 points to knock off Ankeny

No. 2 Maroons outlast No. 3 Ankeny girls in showdown for 2nd place in CIML race

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Friday's showdown between two of the top three girls' basketball teams in Class 5A turned out to be a game of runs. In the end, second-ranked Dowling Catholic held off No. 3 Ankeny's final rally to post a 64-57 victory on the road. The Hawkettes lost despite shooting 61.1 percent from 3-point range (11-of-18). "We just got down by a little too much to … [Read more...] about No. 2 Maroons outlast No. 3 Ankeny girls in showdown for 2nd place in CIML race

Williams reaches 1,000-point mark, leads Hawkettes to victory over No. 13 Waukee

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Over the past couple of years, Jayla Williams has been the engine that’s kept the Ankeny girls' basketball team moving. The senior guard and future Creighton Bluejay checked off a major milestone while guiding the fourth-ranked Hawkettes to a 56-48 home win over No. 13 Waukee on Friday night. Williams scored a game-high … [Read more...] about Williams reaches 1,000-point mark, leads Hawkettes to victory over No. 13 Waukee

‘Johnston keeps coming at you’: No. 1 Dragons surge past Ankeny girls, 74-51

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It's not often that a high school basketball team can take some positives away from a 23-point loss. But that was the case on Tuesday for the sixth-ranked Ankeny girls' squad, which held a lead midway through the second quarter at No. 1 Johnston before the Dragons rallied for a 74-51 victory. "That was where we expected to be," said Ankeny coach Nate … [Read more...] about ‘Johnston keeps coming at you’: No. 1 Dragons surge past Ankeny girls, 74-51

‘I’m just happy for our girls’: Hawkettes end four-game skid against Centennial

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) For just the third time since Ankeny split into two high schools, the Ankeny Hawkettes defeated their crosstown rival in girls' basketball. Sixth-ranked Ankeny stayed a few steps ahead of a young, scrappy Ankeny Centennial team for a 55-39 road victory on Friday night. It snapped a four-game losing streak in the series and … [Read more...] about ‘I’m just happy for our girls’: Hawkettes end four-game skid against Centennial

‘Our girls just executed so well’: Williams, Hawkettes pull away from No. 11 Valley

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At 5-foot-9, Ankeny senior Jayla Williams doesn't look like a typical post player on the basketball court. But with her outstanding athleticism, the Creighton recruit can occasionally take advantage of a smaller defender in the paint. That's exactly what Williams did on Tuesday night, when she scored 16 of her 21 points in the second half to lead the … [Read more...] about ‘Our girls just executed so well’: Williams, Hawkettes pull away from No. 11 Valley

‘I hope I can make an impact there’: Williams picks Bluejays over Buffaloes

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After narrowing down her list of schools to a top five, Ankeny basketball standout Jayla Williams picked the one that was closest to home. Even though the location wasn't much of a factor. "I actually didn't really want to go that close to home," Williams said on Tuesday after committing to play for Creighton. The senior-to-be is considered Iowa's … [Read more...] about ‘I hope I can make an impact there’: Williams picks Bluejays over Buffaloes

Ankeny basketball standout Williams verbally commits to play for Creighton

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One of Iowa's top girls' basketball players in the Class of 2026 has made her college decision. Ankeny wing Jayla Williams announced on Tuesday she has verbally committed to Creighton. The senior-to-be held more than a dozen offers from Division I schools and had previously narrowed her list down to five schools, which also included Colorado, Columbia, … [Read more...] about Ankeny basketball standout Williams verbally commits to play for Creighton

Crawford, Pratt, Williams earn all-state honors from Iowa Print Sports Writers

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Girls' basketball standouts Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt of Ankeny Centennial have earned some more all-state honors along with Ankeny star Jayla Williams. Crawford was a repeat selection to the Class 5A first team by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. Pratt was named to the Class 5A second team for the third consecutive year, while Williams was … [Read more...] about Crawford, Pratt, Williams earn all-state honors from Iowa Print Sports Writers

Crawford again named to 5A 1st team; Two others earn repeat 2nd-team honors

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There were a lot of familiar names on the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association's all-state girls' basketball teams that were announced on Monday. Some of the players were named to the same squads for the second year in a row, including senior stars Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt of Ankeny Centennial and versatile junior Jayla Williams of Ankeny. Crawford was … [Read more...] about Crawford again named to 5A 1st team; Two others earn repeat 2nd-team honors

Crawford, Pratt, Williams earn all-CIML Conference first-team honors for 2nd time

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Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball stars Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt have been named to the CIML Conference first team along with Ankeny standout Jayla Williams. Crawford was a unanimous pick for the second straight year, while Williams was again a repeat selection. Pratt also earned first-team honors for the second time; she was previously honored as … [Read more...] about Crawford, Pratt, Williams earn all-CIML Conference first-team honors for 2nd time

Hawkettes earn another shot at Waukee Northwest by rolling past Sioux City East

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) As soon as the light turned green, the Ankeny girls' basketball team slammed its foot down on the gas and the Hawkettes never bothered to look back. Ankeny turned in one of its best games of the season to open up postseason play as the 14th-ranked Hawkettes posted a 66-14 victory over visiting Sioux City East in a Class 5A … [Read more...] about Hawkettes earn another shot at Waukee Northwest by rolling past Sioux City East

Crawford, Pratt, Gage, Williams, Quick earn all-district girls’ basketball honors

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Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball stars Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt have been named to the Class 5A West all-district team along with Ankeny standouts Savannah Gage and Jayla Williams. The teams were selected by the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association, which also named Ankeny Christian Academy standout Katie Quick to the South all-district team in Class … [Read more...] about Crawford, Pratt, Gage, Williams, Quick earn all-district girls’ basketball honors

Williams, Hawkettes battle No. 3 Waukee NW to the wire, but upset bid falls short

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In its previous six games against the top four teams in the CIML Conference and Class 5A, the Ankeny girls' basketball squad had lost by an average of 21.7 points. On Monday night, the 15th-ranked Hawkettes nearly knocked off one of the league's heavyweights. Ankeny led for much of the second half before No. 3 Waukee … [Read more...] about Williams, Hawkettes battle No. 3 Waukee NW to the wire, but upset bid falls short

‘They were having fun out there’: Ankeny girls avenge earlier loss to No. 8 Waukee

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This was the Ankeny girls' basketball team that was eighth in Class 5A in the preseason rankings and moved up to sixth after a 4-0 start. The now-No. 15 Hawkettes overcame an early nine-point deficit to beat No. 8 Waukee, 57-45, in a CIML Conference game on Tuesday at Ankeny. It was the second straight win for coach Nate Tobey's squad following a … [Read more...] about ‘They were having fun out there’: Ankeny girls avenge earlier loss to No. 8 Waukee

‘It felt so relieving’: Smith’s late 3-pointers seal Jaguars’ victory over Ankeny girls

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The shots weren't falling on Tuesday night for Tillie Smith. But her teammates on the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball squad told her to keep shooting, and the advice paid off. The senior guard made just 2-of-9 shots from the field and went 2-of-8 from behind the arc, but she connected on a pair of 3-point goals in the final 3 minutes as the … [Read more...] about ‘It felt so relieving’: Smith’s late 3-pointers seal Jaguars’ victory over Ankeny girls

After trailing by 18 points, Hawkettes’ furious rally falls just short at S.E. Polk

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A dramatic rally by the Ankeny girls' basketball team came up just short on Tuesday at Southeast Polk. The sixth-ranked Hawkettes nearly overcame an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter before No. 14 Southeast Polk held on for a 61-55 victory in a CIML Conference matchup. The Rams improved to 2-2 in the league and 3-3 overall, while Ankeny's records … [Read more...] about After trailing by 18 points, Hawkettes’ furious rally falls just short at S.E. Polk