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Nate Tobey

Ankeny girls’ coach Tobey departs after leading Hawkettes to Class 5A semifinals

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Ankeny girls' basketball coach Nate Tobey has resigned from his position after leading the Hawkettes to their most successful season since the split into two high schools. Tobey guided Ankeny to the semifinals of last week's Class 5A state tournament in his third season with the team. The Hawkettes finished with a 16-9 record, which equaled the most wins … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls’ coach Tobey departs after leading Hawkettes to Class 5A semifinals

‘We gave it our all’: Hawkettes put scare into Johnston before falling in semifinals

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There was no reason for Ankeny seniors Ainsley Kiene and Jayla Williams to shed any tears while they answered questions from reporters in the media interview room on Thursday at the girls' state basketball tournament. The sixth-ranked Hawkettes had left it all out on the court at the Casey's Center, where they dropped a 49-39 decision to No. 1 Johnston in … [Read more...] about ‘We gave it our all’: Hawkettes put scare into Johnston before falling in semifinals

Ankeny girls surge past Warriors behind barrage of 3s from Baldwin, Schaapveld

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team relied heavily on all-state guard Jayla Williams to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2013. But on a day when Williams became the program's all-time leading scorer, it was the squad's supporting cast who led a second-half charge that lifted the sixth-ranked Hawkettes into the Class 5A semifinals at the … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls surge past Warriors behind barrage of 3s from Baldwin, Schaapveld

‘It’s so incredible!’: Ankeny routs S.C. East, advances to state for first time since 2013

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) After 13 years, the wait is officially over. The Ankeny girls' basketball team is headed to the state tournament. The sixth-ranked Hawkettes ended their drought by defeating No. 11 Sioux City East, 60-30, in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Ankeny. “It’s so incredible!” senior guard Ainsley Kiene said with a … [Read more...] about ‘It’s so incredible!’: Ankeny routs S.C. East, advances to state for first time since 2013

Hawkettes rout S.C. North, advance to regional final for 6th consecutive year

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team moved one step closer toward ending its state tournament drought. The sixth-ranked Hawkettes rolled to a 57-21 victory over visiting Sioux City North in a Class 5A regional semifinal on Saturday. They are now one win away from advancing to the state tournament for the first time since 2013--before the community of Ankeny … [Read more...] about Hawkettes rout S.C. North, advance to regional final for 6th consecutive year

Hawkettes slow pace, but No. 1 Johnston prevails to earn 73rd consecutive victory

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team held top-ranked Johnston to just 50 points in the regular-season finale on Friday at Ankeny, one of the Dragons' worst offensive performances of the year. But the two-time defending Class 5A state champions still managed to extend their winning streak to 73 games. The Dragons limited No. 5 Ankeny to its lowest scoring … [Read more...] about Hawkettes slow pace, but No. 1 Johnston prevails to earn 73rd consecutive victory

‘We just kind of let go of the rope’: Ankeny girls fade in 2nd half of loss to Wolves

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) For almost the entire first half, Tuesday night in Waukee looked like it was going to be a traditional back-and-forth battle between two of the top five girls' basketball teams in Class 5A. But a 10-2 run in the final 2 minutes 44 seconds of the half by second-ranked Waukee Northwest completely changed things. No. 4 … [Read more...] about ‘We just kind of let go of the rope’: Ankeny girls fade in 2nd half of loss to Wolves

Hawkettes build big lead, cruise to 50-40 victory over Urbandale at Casey’s Center

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The Ankeny girls' basketball players are hoping that Saturday's game against Urbandale won't be their only opportunity this season to play at the Casey's Center in Des Moines. The fourth-ranked Hawkettes built a 42-23 lead after three quarters and went on to post a 50-40 victory on the same court that will host the Class 5A state tournament in a few … [Read more...] about Hawkettes build big lead, cruise to 50-40 victory over Urbandale at Casey’s Center

‘It’s just tough to make shots against an elite team’: Ankeny falls to No. 3 Maroons

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team got another big game from senior guard Jayla Williams, but it wasn't enough to knock off one of the state's top three squads. The fourth-ranked Hawkettes traveled to No. 3 Dowling Catholic on Friday for a showdown against the Maroons and dropped a 63-45 decision in the CIML Conference contest. Williams scored 22 points … [Read more...] about ‘It’s just tough to make shots against an elite team’: Ankeny falls to No. 3 Maroons

‘She’s amazing!’: Williams leads Hawkettes to rout at S.E. Polk with career-high 34

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There's something about the Southeast Polk gym that brings out the best in Ankeny senior Jayla Williams. Perhaps...it's the smell. Williams poured in a career-high 34 points on 12-of-16 shooting to lead the fifth-ranked Hawkettes to a 72-40 victory at Southeast Polk in a CIML Conference girls' basketball game on Monday. "I really do like this gym," … [Read more...] about ‘She’s amazing!’: Williams leads Hawkettes to rout at S.E. Polk with career-high 34

‘We have work to do’: Hawkettes look to regroup after falling to No. 4 DC-Grimes

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With only five games left in the regular season, the Ankeny girls' basketball team discovered that it might not be ready for postseason play. The fourth-ranked Hawkettes never led in Monday's non-conference game and dropped a 65-57 decision to visiting Dallas Center-Grimes, the No. 4 team in Class 4A. "They're good, and we made them look pretty good at … [Read more...] about ‘We have work to do’: Hawkettes look to regroup after falling to No. 4 DC-Grimes

Hawkettes make 11-of-25 3-point shots, cruise to 69-46 victory at Clear Lake

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After having Friday's game against top-ranked Johnston postponed due to the weather, the Ankeny girls' basketball team turned its attention toward another opponent. The fourth-ranked Hawkettes traveled to Clear Lake on Saturday for a non-conference game and rolled to a 69-46 victory over the Lions. "They're a pretty good team and will contend for a … [Read more...] about Hawkettes make 11-of-25 3-point shots, cruise to 69-46 victory at Clear Lake

‘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

‘It was a really big win’: Hawkettes bounce back to beat Valley in top-five matchup

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny girls' basketball team needed a big bounce-back victory coming off its rivalry loss against Ankeny Centennial. The fifth-ranked Hawkettes went back to the drawing board, corrected some of the mistakes from Tuesday's loss, and it resulted in a 50-40 road win in a top-five matchup against No. 4 Valley on … [Read more...] about ‘It was a really big win’: Hawkettes bounce back to beat Valley in top-five matchup

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

‘They have so much talent’: Hot-shooting Waukee NW rolls past Hawkettes, 63-39

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Two months ago, Waukee Northwest captured the Class 5A state volleyball title in dominating fashion. Now, the Wolves could be a contender for the girls' state basketball crown as well. Fifth-ranked Northwest extended its winning streak to four games with a 63-39 victory on Friday at No. 3 Ankeny. The Wolves moved into sole possession of third place in … [Read more...] about ‘They have so much talent’: Hot-shooting Waukee NW rolls past Hawkettes, 63-39

Hawkettes romp past Urbandale, move into sole possession of 3rd place in CIML

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team moved into sole possession of third place in the CIML Conference with a 59-45 victory at Urbandale on Tuesday. Bouncing back from Friday's loss to second-ranked Dowling Catholic, the No. 3 Hawkettes built a huge advantage and then coasted to the win. "We extended the lead to 26 (points) in the third quarter, but then … [Read more...] about Hawkettes romp past Urbandale, move into sole possession of 3rd place in CIML

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

‘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