Ankeny Fanatic

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Nate Tobey

‘I didn’t mean to bank it!’: Kiene’s 3-pointer at buzzer lifts Hawkettes past Cedar Falls

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Ainsley Kiene wasn't supposed to take the final shot for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. But with time running out and the ball in her hands from well beyond the arc, Kiene knew that she had no other choice. The senior guard banked in a 3-point goal from the top of the key as time expired to give the third-ranked Hawkettes a 50-47 victory at No. 8 … [Read more...] about ‘I didn’t mean to bank it!’: Kiene’s 3-pointer at buzzer lifts Hawkettes past Cedar Falls

‘We’re hungry this year’: Hawkettes move up to No. 3 in 5A after defeating S.E. Polk

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The target on their backs is only going to get bigger for the Ankeny girls' basketball players. The Hawkettes moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest Class 5A rankings after posting a 52-38 victory over visiting Southeast Polk on Tuesday. It is the program's highest ranking since the community of Ankeny split into two high schools in 2013. "Every game … [Read more...] about ‘We’re hungry this year’: Hawkettes move up to No. 3 in 5A after defeating S.E. Polk

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

Baldwin, Schaapveld ignite Hawkettes’ fast start in win over Des Moines Christian

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A fast start lifted the eighth-ranked Ankeny girls' basketball team to a 59-41 victory over visiting Des Moines Christian in a non-conference game on Monday. The Hawkettes (2-0) made five 3-point goals in the first quarter, three of them by Reagan Baldwin in the first 2 minutes 30 seconds, and jumped out to a 22-12 lead. Des Moines Christian (2-1), the … [Read more...] about Baldwin, Schaapveld ignite Hawkettes’ fast start in win over Des Moines Christian

‘It wasn’t always pretty’: Hawkettes top Ames in turnover-plagued season opener

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Jayla Williams scored 20 points and had eight of her team's 20 steals as the eighth-ranked Ankeny girls' basketball squad opened its season on Saturday with a 51-32 victory at Ames. Both teams used a full-court press to turn the non-conference game into a ragged affair. There were 54 combined turnovers and 50 deflections, according to Ankeny coach Nate … [Read more...] about ‘It wasn’t always pretty’: Hawkettes top Ames in turnover-plagued season opener

‘We have more depth than ever before’: Hawkettes enter season with high hopes

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team may not have to rely quite as heavily this winter on all-state guard Jayla Williams. Saturday's season opener at Ames could be an opportunity for Ankeny coach Nate Tobey to show off his deeper bench. The Hawkettes rolled past Ames, 66-28, in last year's opener. Tip-off for the matinee is at 2:30 p.m. "We have more … [Read more...] about ‘We have more depth than ever before’: Hawkettes enter season with high hopes

‘That’s really been the story of our season’: Ankeny’s late rally falls short at No. 3 NW

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team is still looking to get over the hump. The 14th-ranked Hawkettes ended their season on Tuesday with a 43-37 loss at No. 3 Waukee Northwest, which closed out the game with a 9-3 run. Ankeny lost in a Class 5A regional final for the fifth straight year. The last four losses have come by a total of 15 points. "We just … [Read more...] about ‘That’s really been the story of our season’: Ankeny’s late rally falls short at No. 3 NW

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

‘Dowling makes it really hard’: Maroons pull away from Ankeny girls in 4th quarter

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) When the buzzer sounded at the end of the third quarter, the Ankeny girls' basketball team was still within striking distance of second-ranked Dowling Catholic. But sometimes when it rains, it pours. The Maroons proceeded to go on a 17-2 in the fourth quarter to turn Ankeny’s eight-point deficit into a 50-27 home loss to … [Read more...] about ‘Dowling makes it really hard’: Maroons pull away from Ankeny girls in 4th quarter

Hot-shooting Hawkettes celebrate their Senior Night with rout over Urbandale

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For the second time this season, the Ankeny girls' basketball team used a fast start to ignite a rout over Urbandale. The 15th-ranked Hawkettes raced out to a 23-5 lead at the end of the first quarter and went on to post a 79-36 victory Friday on their Senior Night. The win snapped … [Read more...] about Hot-shooting Hawkettes celebrate their Senior Night with rout over Urbandale

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

Hawkettes contain Zediker, but Dowling finds other ways to score in 60-40 victory

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Dowling Catholic star Ava Zediker was held scoreless for nearly 11 minutes in Friday's girls' basketball game against visiting Ankeny. The Creighton recruit went on to score just six points on 2-of-9 shooting--nearly 13 below her average. "That was part of our plan to try to take away Ava," said Ankeny coach Nate Tobey. "It's easier … [Read more...] about Hawkettes contain Zediker, but Dowling finds other ways to score in 60-40 victory

Hawkettes connect on 11 3-point goals in win over Indianola, will face Dowling next

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team struggled from the 3-point line during Friday's one-point loss to Southeast Polk, making just 7-of-29 attempts from behind the arc (24.1 percent). The 15th-ranked Hawkettes found their shooting stroke on Monday. Ankeny connected on 11-of-28 3-pointers (39.3 percent) and rolled to a 65-33 victory over visiting Indianola … [Read more...] about Hawkettes connect on 11 3-point goals in win over Indianola, will face Dowling next

Just like last month, Hawkettes’ late rally falls short in loss to S.E. Polk girls

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Nobody could blame Ankeny girls' basketball coach Nate Tobey for thinking that Friday was Groundhog Day. The 15th-ranked Hawkettes dropped a 49-48 decision to visiting Southeast Polk in a CIML Conference game that was eerily similar to last month's meeting in Pleasant Hill, where the No. 14 Rams nearly blew an 18-point lead before holding on for a 61-55 … [Read more...] about Just like last month, Hawkettes’ late rally falls short in loss to S.E. Polk girls

‘It was a team effort on both ends’: Ankeny girls roll past Class 4A No. 5 DC-Grimes

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Playing in the rugged CIML Conference prepared the Ankeny girls' basketball team for Tuesday's non-conference road trip to Dallas Center-Grimes. One of the top teams in Class 4A was no match for the 15th-ranked Hawkettes. Ankeny jumped out to an early lead, built a double-digit halftime advantage and cruised to a 54-33 victory over the No. 5 … [Read more...] about ‘It was a team effort on both ends’: Ankeny girls roll past Class 4A No. 5 DC-Grimes

No. 1 Johnston girls win rematch against Hawkettes, extend winning streak to 39

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) When it comes to a foot race, there’s just not a lot of girls' basketball teams in the state of Iowa that can keep up with the top-ranked Johnston Dragons. The No. 15 Ankeny squad felt like they played a much better game in their second matchup against the defending Class 5A state champions, but the Hawkettes' firepower just … [Read more...] about No. 1 Johnston girls win rematch against Hawkettes, extend winning streak to 39