This March, the Hawks ended their 2026 boys basketball season with a record of 12-11 in a substate final loss to the Waukee Northwest Wolves. Despite a disappointing end, the Hawks came out with an inspiring, successful, and foundational season behind them.

The Hawks opened the season with a 3-0 start and their first opening game win in 5 years, setting the tone for a promising season. After that first stretch, the Hawks bounced between some high and some low stints. Notable wins include 2 wins over crosstown rivals Ankeny Centennial, a win against number 3 Dowling Catholic in the last game of the regular season, and a 36-point victory against Valley in the substate second round.

Throughout the season, the Hawks started to settle into their roles, grow in confidence, and find a rhythm rooted in a strong team culture.

In past years, a lack of belief in each other and the team has created rifts in communication and success on the court.

Senior center, Max Allison said that this season, “There really wasn’t that much, like, internal conflicts or anything. We had some issues at the start, but it didn’t last into the season or get into the start of the season.”

This connection was seen through the unified play style and confidence in each other displayed throughout the season.

Junior Guard Gus Johnson said, “It was really cool, since everyone on that team was just kind of in sync together.”

What truly defined the team’s culture was how it made its way outside of court.

Max Allison described the team meals and the connection with his teammates as one of his favorite parts of the season.

Another thing that set the Hawks apart and elevated their season was the passion displayed by the team.

After moving to the south side in 8th grade, senior guard and forward Rio Aguirre has made his mark on the courts at Ankeny High School (AHS), while the Hawk Nest has also left an impact on Aguirre. Aguirre is fond of his time at AHS and his time on the team, sharing that, “It’s really everything,” he continued on to explain that “especially with Ankeny basketball, all the work I know I’ve put in, and time in the gym that I’ve spent, and the memories I’ve made have just been really good.”

A good team culture is always supported by a good coaching staff. Since 2016, Brandt Carlson has been leading the Hawks to success, development, and growth, on and off the court.

He’s credited by many for, as Allison states, “helping me grow as a player, but also a man.”

Johnson added that, “his speeches, mainly, weren’t even about basketball a whole lot. They were about becoming a man and what you’re gonna have to do later on in life. 
He built us up as men instead of basketball players. And before a lot of games, he would tell us he’s proud of the people we are. Which I absolutely love, since he was just building us up and creating better humans.”

Carlson is known for his encouraging and developmental attitude, whether it be towards sports or personally. This attitude of growth and confidence is seen throughout the rest of the coaching staff.

Aguirre describes their impact and how, “They always tell us all the time that we should go out and just play fearlessly ’cause they have full confidence in us, whether we win, lose, do better, or do bad. How they love us is never gonna change, so that’s a good thing to have.”

A big part of leadership on the team was the senior presence this season.

Over 52 percent of this year’s team were seniors. Notable names include Rio Aguirre, Drew Sorenson, Max Allison, and Cayden Clark. This year’s seniors were a tight-knit group who knew how to handle each other’s criticisms and flaws and build each other up. This spilled over to the rest of the team dynamic.

“I think the special part about this senior year was that it’s not just a bunch of random people. It’s like a group of friends. Everybody enjoys being around each other,” Allison said. “It’s like a family.”

As Gus Johnson and next year’s seniors step into leadership roles and big shoes, they have a foundation of culture and strong examples of leadership. While the team next year will be younger, strong leaders through the seniors and juniors in Jordaan Danner and Keyon Ford could emerge. Gus Johnson describes next year’s team as two different groups compared to this year’s unified friend group feel, and is already preparing to help lead the team to work as a cohesive unit.

This season’s result might not have been the one the Hawks were hoping for, but it provided memories, growth, and set up a foundation for the future.