Urbandale J-Hawks Flying High Going Into Week 3

Last year's Urbandale football team caught fire late in the season.

The 2010 J-Hawks got off to a disappointing 1-6 start. They bounced back, though, and won two of their final three games. And then went on to record two upsets in the post-season. The first was against undefeated Council Bluffs Lincoln, and the second against conference rival Southeast Polk, which had beaten the J-Hawks earlier in the season.

After this year's team thrashed Hoover, 54-8, in the season opener and downed Fort Dodge on Friday, 25-14, it seems the J-Hawks are showing no signs of letting the momentum slow as they approach this week's home game against Dowling. 

According to eighth-year head coach Sam Anderson, that little taste of post-season success has his team yearning for more.

"Last year we got healthy and we got hot," Anderson said. "And these seniors have been around that, they've seen it and know what it's about. So I think they have that burning desire to get back to the playoffs and get that playoff win."

Senior outside linebacker and defensive lineman Nick Jepsen has been starting on the varsity team for three seasons. He says the weight room has been key for this 2011 squad.

"We lost some really good players from last year, but we've also got a lot of kids who have been stepping up," Jepsen said. "And this year, it's definitely showing in the weight room, we probably have our strongest team ever."

It's not just the weight room where the J-Hawks spent their summer days and nights. Player-organized get-togethers were a common occurrence.

"Our QB Ben Hurley would put together nights, probably about twice a week, where the receivers and running backs and pretty much anyone who gets the ball on offense would come out and just work on plays and work on our routes," Jepsen said.

The J-Hawks will run a flexbone formation on offense. Spectators can expect plenty of option plays, run by Hurley.

"We hope to be a team that maintains some balance," Anderson said. "But we're a flexbone team, so we're going to run the option and there are things that will open up within that for the passing game. And, hopefully, we'll be able to take what the opponent gives us."

The defense has already stood out. Sophomore Allen Lazard tied a national record during the Hoover game when he returned two interceptions for touchdowns within a minute of each other in the first quarter. Lazard would return another interception for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Jepsen said the Friday night to highlight on the schedule isn't the team you may think. Rivalries may be realigning themselves in the Central Iowa Metro League.

"Johnston always used to be our biggest rival," Jepsen said. The J-Hawks host the neighboring Dragons Sept. 16.

"But I think it's kind of shifted a little to Ankeny," Jepsen said. "Mostly just because we want to beat them so bad, and we haven't in such a long time."

The J-Hawks will play Ankeny on Sept. 23 in Ankeny. They will play at home against Dowling Catholic this Friday. That's a 7:30 kickoff.