Friday night, Sept. 15, Ankeny stadium was alive with cheers from the student section and the buzz of excitement surrounding the long- awaited Homecoming football game. Ankeny fans as well as Johnston supporters flocked to the stadium to show their school spirit and support their teams. 

Although they would face the highly ranked Johnston Dragons, Ankeny players as well as coaching staff were optimistic. 

“We did a lot of work on some of our weaknesses,” Hawk coach and offensive coordinator, Brady Walz said. “So hopefully now we will see lots of improvement in those areas.”

Throughout the game, both teams had a number of turnovers and interceptions. At the end of the first quarter, Ankeny intercepted a pass and had the ball on the Johnston 38 yard line. This triumphant moment at the beginning of the game not only boosted the player’s morale, but also energized the student section in Ankeny’s bleachers. 

To begin the second quarter, Ankeny intercepted the ball again from Johnston with the ball on the Johnston 6 yard line. In a high-stakes play, junior Luke Anderson, Ankeny’s quarterback, rushed and scored a touchdown, marking the first score of the night. 

At the half, Ankeny was in the lead in a 6-0 game. 

With four minutes to go in the third quarter, Ankeny made a 35-yard field goal, bumping the score to 9-0. 

Following the field goal, Johnston returned with a touchdown, making the score 7-9 to end the third quarter. 

With the score closer than ever, Ankeny hoped to gain another touchdown. Their success came in the form of another rushing touchdown by sophomore Daniel Larmie. 

With under a minute in the fourth quarter, Johnston scored a 32-yard field goal, putting the final score at 16-10.