Schools
Ankeny Hawks Ranked No. 4 in the State, Prepare for Urbandale
The Ankeny Hawks are 5-0 going into the final stretch of their regular season. They face 3-1 Urbandale for Homecoming this week, followed by state champs Dowling Catholic.
While the Ankeny Hawks have outscored their opponents 185-47 this season and compiled a 5-0 record, football coach Jerry Pezzetti says it’s been a season of ups and downs.
“Every game has been a little different,” Pezzetti said. “We’ll go out one week and play almost mistake free, and then the next week we have three or four turnovers and don’t look as good. I guess that’s just the way the game goes, it’s week to week.”
According to the Des Moines Sunday Register's most recent rankings, the Hawks are at No. 4 in Class 4A.
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The quarterback position has been an integral reason why the Hawks are undefeated. Junior Joel Lanning has been the starter since midway through his freshman season.
Lanning has passed for 660 yards to go along with six touchdowns and no interceptions. The dual-threat quarterback has also run for 339 yards and a touchdown this season. His 999 total yards is fourth-best in the state among class 4A competitors.
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“He’s just a very good athlete,” said Pezzetti, who won his 351st game last week at Indianola. “He’s big, he’s strong, he can run, he can pass. He’s just a very good football player.”
Lanning and the rest of the Hawks will test their talents in a homecoming match against a 3-1 Urbandale team that Pezzetti says is the fastest his squad has faced so far this season.
After a surprising homecoming loss last year, the Ankeny players are determined to win this Friday.
“Homecoming week we always want to win,” said senior safety Cole Myers. “Last year, we lost to Indianola on homecoming. That wasn’t very fun at all. So we’re going to try and have a great week at practice and get that win Friday night.”
Although the players are trained to focus on one opponent at a time, it’s tough to overlook what looms ahead for the Hawks.
After Urbandale, the Hawks will play fifth-ranked Dowling Catholic at Drake Stadium. The Maroons defeated Ankeny last season in the state semifinals en route to a state championship. Both teams are undefeated this season.
“Dowling is always a huge game, and they’re a big rivalry for Ankeny,” said Myers. “But we got to take it one step at a time and worry about Urbandale this week, and we’ll get after Dowling next.”
The Hawks will play at 7:30 Friday night against the J-Hawks at Ankeny Stadium.