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Ryan Pezzetti

Dowling uses two late defensive stands to hold on for 14-10 victory over Jaguars

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Friday's rematch between the Ankeny Centennial and Dowling Catholic football teams didn't feature as many points as last month's meeting at Valley Stadium. But there was still plenty of drama. The second-ranked Maroons made two late defensive stops in the fourth quarter and held on for a 14-10 victory over No. 7 Centennial in the Class 5A quarterfinals … [Read more...] about Dowling uses two late defensive stands to hold on for 14-10 victory over Jaguars

Jackson erupts for 372 all-purpose yards, 6 TDs in Jaguars’ win over Iowa City High

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Braeden Jackson felt pretty good when he woke up on Friday, and that turned out to be the worst possible news for the Iowa City Little Hawks. Ankeny Centennial’s standout running back delivered an historic performance as he amassed 372 all-purpose yards and six total touchdowns to lead the seventh-seeded Jaguars to a 52-28 … [Read more...] about Jackson erupts for 372 all-purpose yards, 6 TDs in Jaguars’ win over Iowa City High

Jaguars rout Urbandale on Senior Night, earn No. 7 seed for Class 5A playoffs

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) All season long, the Ankeny Centennial football team has made a living running the ball. But on Friday, the Urbandale J-Hawks caught a glimpse of just how dangerous the Jaguars' passing game can be. Centennial closed out its regular season and gave its seniors plenty to smile about after recording dominant offensive and … [Read more...] about Jaguars rout Urbandale on Senior Night, earn No. 7 seed for Class 5A playoffs

Jaguars likely clinch playoff berth with dominant 2nd half at Waukee Northwest

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Two big plays, back-to-back, was all it took for the door to get knocked off its hinges. With some playoff implications on the line, the 12th-ranked Ankeny Centennial football team went on the road and dominated the second half for a 28-10 win over a Waukee Northwest squad fighting to keep its postseason hopes … [Read more...] about Jaguars likely clinch playoff berth with dominant 2nd half at Waukee Northwest

‘One game at a time’: Jaguars rebound to beat Roosevelt, face Waukee NW next

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) There’s no doubt that the Jaguars wanted to knock off Dowling Catholic at Valley Stadium last Friday, but there was just simply no time to dwell on their triple-overtime loss. Instead, Ankeny Centennial kept its sights set on reaching the postseason and it resulted in a 45-3 bounce-back victory over visiting Des Moines … [Read more...] about ‘One game at a time’: Jaguars rebound to beat Roosevelt, face Waukee NW next

‘It came down to the last play’: Centennial falls to No. 1 Dowling in triple-OT thriller

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As the pass from Ankeny Centennial's Chase Kluver sailed toward the right corner of the end zone, Sam Heither dove for the ball in an effort to make a spectacular catch. Heither somehow made the grab, which would have provided the tying points for the sixth-ranked Jaguars in the third overtime of Friday's game against No. 1 Dowling Catholic. Centennial … [Read more...] about ‘It came down to the last play’: Centennial falls to No. 1 Dowling in triple-OT thriller

Jackson scores on opening kickoff to spark Jaguars to 44-7 victory at East

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A trip to Williams Stadium on Friday night provided an opportunity for the Ankeny Centennial football team to bounce back from its first loss of the season. The Jaguars took advantage of it. Braeden Jackson returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and Centennial went on to beat host Des Moines East, 44-7, in its district opener. "My … [Read more...] about Jackson scores on opening kickoff to spark Jaguars to 44-7 victory at East

‘We didn’t play well enough to win’: Jaguars’ rally falls short against S.E. Polk

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The Southeast Polk football team isn't ready to give up its throne. The three-time defending Class 5A state champions scored two touchdowns in a span of 2 minutes in the third quarter and went on to beat top-ranked Ankeny Centennial, 21-13, on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. The Jaguars (3-1) suffered their first loss of the season, while Southeast Polk (2-2) … [Read more...] about ‘We didn’t play well enough to win’: Jaguars’ rally falls short against S.E. Polk

‘We just played great’: Pezzetti earns his 450th career win as Jags top Cedar Falls

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) Iowa high school football’s all-time winningest coach has checked off a milestone no other coach has reached. Ankeny Centennial co-head coach Jerry Pezzetti is just one of three coaches to pass the 400-win threshold, but thanks to the Jaguars’ 31-14 road win over Cedar Falls on Friday, the Ankeny legend became the first … [Read more...] about ‘We just played great’: Pezzetti earns his 450th career win as Jags top Cedar Falls

Jaguars take advantage of short fields, romp to 55-14 victory over Ames

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It's usually important for a football team to win the battle of field position. It certainly was for Ankeny Centennial on Friday night. The Jaguars played almost the entire first half against visiting Ames in the Little Cyclones' territory, allowing them to build a 35-7 lead en route to a 55-14 victory. "Field position is a key, no question about … [Read more...] about Jaguars take advantage of short fields, romp to 55-14 victory over Ames

Jackson, Jaguars dominate 2nd half, pull away for 31-10 victory over Ankeny

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It was tough for Braeden Jackson to pick out his favorite touchdown run. The Ankeny Centennial senior running back scored three times in the second half and rushed for 236 yards to fuel the third-ranked Jaguars to a 31-10 victory over No. 2 Ankeny in the season opener for both teams on Friday. “It feels great,” said … [Read more...] about Jackson, Jaguars dominate 2nd half, pull away for 31-10 victory over Ankeny

‘We just have to make some adjustments’: Hawks look to bounce back from loss

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Earlier this week, Ankeny Centennial co-head football coach Ryan Pezzetti lauded the experience of his team's offensive line. "We have five or six (players) on the line who have played before and that's huge," Pezzetti said. "That's where the games are won or lost--in the trenches." He turned out to be prophetic. Centennial's Braeden Jackson rushed … [Read more...] about ‘We just have to make some adjustments’: Hawks look to bounce back from loss

No. 3 Centennial looks to build off last year’s postseason run to UNI-Dome

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The Ankeny Centennial football team got hot at the right time last season, advancing to the Class 5A semifinals as a No. 13 seed. The Jaguars are hoping to reach the UNI-Dome again this year--perhaps as a higher seed. Centennial returns 10 all-district players from a team that finished with a 7-5 record under co-head coaches Jerry and Ryan … [Read more...] about No. 3 Centennial looks to build off last year’s postseason run to UNI-Dome

‘THAT WAS A BATTLE’: Ankeny edges Jaguars again, earns shot to play for title

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Ankeny's Jacob Mohrfeld couldn't believe what had just happened at the UNI-Dome. "It doesn't feel real," Mohrfeld said. "I can't believe it, man. It's crazy." The senior defensive back blocked a field goal and had one of his team's three interceptions as the Hawks knocked off crosstown rival Ankeny Centennial, 10-7, in the Class 5A semifinals on Friday … [Read more...] about ‘THAT WAS A BATTLE’: Ankeny edges Jaguars again, earns shot to play for title

‘We’re peaking at the right time’: Jaguars rally past Bettendorf, will meet Ankeny

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The Ankeny Centennial football team brought the energy in the second half. The Bettendorf players didn't know what hit them. Thirteenth-ranked Centennial scored 41 unanswered points in the final two quarters and rolled to a 41-14 victory at No. 5 Bettendorf in the Class 5A quarterfinals on Friday. Elijah Porter ran for three touchdowns and also caught … [Read more...] about ‘We’re peaking at the right time’: Jaguars rally past Bettendorf, will meet Ankeny

‘Our kids rose to the occasion’: Jaguars dominate Waukee NW in playoff rematch

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(Story by Rob Gray) From the first snap, Ankeny Centennial just looked different. The underdog Jaguars strode into Friday’s Class 5A playoff matchup at No. 4 Waukee Northwest with a spring in their step and a thirst for revenge in their roster-wide heart. “We’ve had the juice since Monday,” said Centennial running back Elijah Porter, who rushed for … [Read more...] about ‘Our kids rose to the occasion’: Jaguars dominate Waukee NW in playoff rematch

Jaguars rough up Roosevelt, move closer to playoff berth with 43-7 triumph

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All of the goals for the Ankeny Centennial football team are still in play. Elijah Porter ran for three touchdowns and the Jaguars raised their record to 4-3 with a 43-7 victory over Des Moines Roosevelt on Friday at Drake Stadium. The Roughriders dropped to 3-4. "We started off awful slow, and then we got some steam there in the second quarter and … [Read more...] about Jaguars rough up Roosevelt, move closer to playoff berth with 43-7 triumph

Pick-6 on game’s final play seals Dowling Catholic’s 30-17 win over Centennial

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The Ankeny Centennial football team twice converted on fourth down to keep its final drive alive during Friday's game against visiting Dowling Catholic. The Jaguars couldn't do it a third time. Dowling's Kenyi James picked off a pass on the game's final play and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown to seal the second-ranked Maroons' 30-17 victory over … [Read more...] about Pick-6 on game’s final play seals Dowling Catholic’s 30-17 win over Centennial

Jaguars rout Des Moines East for most lopsided victory in school history

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There have been some lopsided wins in the history of Ankeny Centennial football. No game, however, has been as big of a mismatch as Friday's homecoming contest against Des Moines East. The Jaguars jumped out to a 37-0 lead in the first quarter and went on to post a 72-0 victory at Ankeny Stadium. The biggest previous win was a 63-0  rout over … [Read more...] about Jaguars rout Des Moines East for most lopsided victory in school history