Intro:
The Road to the Dome and a 5A state title starts tonight at 7 pm at Ankeny Stadium as The Hawks host the defending 4x state champions, Southeast Polk Rams, at home for the first week of the playoffs. Ankeny enters the game 7-2 with a 3-game win streak after a loss to Johnston in week 5, while Southeast Polk is 5-4 and on a one-game win streak following a bounce-back win against DSM East following two straight losses to top 5 teams. The Hawks and Rams have met 18 times since 2008, with Ankeny leading the series, 13 – 5.

Things to Look for:
New year, new team
While the defending 4x state champ, Southeast Polk, is not the team it once was, losing 4 of its top 5 receivers, 3 of its top 5 rushers, with 18 of its 28 rushing touchdowns coming from those three. With lots of turnover offensively, Southeast Polk has struggled as the season has gone on. On the other hand, the Hawks, who also experienced some turnover, seemingly jumped in headfirst, setting their offensive tone from week one. A tone, they haven’t let slip, continuing to find ways to score despite challenges week to week.

Two distinct brands
The Hawks and Rams have two very distinct brands of football, a common occurrence in 5A football. While a similar game on the ground, the brands separate greatly from each other in the air. Ankeny has found some success from their receivers as of late, with 8 touchdown receptions in the last 3 games. For each team to be successful, they will need to play their own brand while exploiting weaknesses. Southeast Polk will allow short receptions and gains; the Hawks need to take advantage of that. On the other hand, the Hawks have struggled defending deep passes, giving up nearly double the amount of yards through the air that they have on the ground.

4 Quarters of Football
The Hawks have yet to play a clean 4 quarters, with numerous penalties across the field. This game may come down to less than a dozen plays, and a first-quarter penalty to kill a drive could prove costly in the fourth quarter. Throughout the game, the Rams will look to supplement offensive scoring with points from the Defense and Special Teams units. With the potential to be a close matchup, the team that plays its brand consistently through four quarters should come out on top.

Things to remember going into the game:

With two of the top 5 running backs in rushing yards, both will look to come up big for their teams. While Ankeny is statistically the superior, the Rams program has a postseason pedigree and knows how to win when it matters. Expect a defensive battle to shut down the opposing run game, and a special teams showdown, fighting for each yard on returns. Most importantly, remember this: the winner moves on.

Key Players:
QB :
Ankeny – Kael Roush, SR – 121/188, 1517 passing yards, 16 TDS, 4 INT
SEP – Boston Bailey, SO – 53/82 623 passing yards, 6 TDS, 1 INT

WR :
Ankeny- Andrew Brandhorst, SR – 41 REC, 566 YDS, 9 TDS
Owen Fischer, SR – 29 REC, 369 YDS, 3 TDS

SEP – Teague Cantrall, SR – 22 REC, 293 YDS, 5 TDS
Brennan Swanson, JR – 8 REC, 111 YDS, 2 TDS

Rushing :

Ankeny –
Daniel Larmie, SR – 207 carries for 1264 yards, 6.1 yards per carry, with 12 touchdowns
Kael Roush, SR – 40 carries for 212 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, with 3 touchdowns

SEP – Stanley Cooper, JR – 122 carries for 1111 yards, 9.1 yards per carry, with 14 touchdowns
Drew Thompson, SR – 129 carries for 695 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, with 9 touchdowns

Defense:

Ankeny –
La’Marious Clark, SR – 4 INT, 1 TD, 2 F REC, 24.5 Tackles, 16 Solo
Dawson Whitinger, JR – 1 INT, 1 TD, 3 FF, 1 F REC, 41 TOT Tackles, 22 Solo, 4 Sacks
Nathan Becker, SR – 43 TOT, 24 Solo, 15.5 TFL
Nathan Jenkins, SR – 31.5 TOT, 15 Solo
Joey Sandvig, SR – 39 TOT, 21 Solo

SEP –

Joel Thompson, SR – 48 TOT, 26 SOLO, 9 TFL, 3 Sacks
Dokken Biladeau, SR- 28.5 TOT, 19 SOLO
Owen Oberbroeckling, SO -28.5 TOT, 16 SOLO, 3 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 TDS
Reece Whinery, SR- 21 TOT, 13 SOLO, 2.5 TFL,
Jaidyn Perry, JR- 16.5 TOT, 12 SOLO, 3 INT, 1 TD