The high school football season in Iowa came to a close over the
weekend with championship games in six classifications held at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Ankeny was among the winners, beating Southeast Polk 42-14 for the Class 4A title and finishing with the No. 1 ranking
in the final state MaxPreps Top 25.
That victory, coupled with its 12-1 record and tremendous play this season, makes Ankeny the 2020 MaxPreps Champion for the state of Iowa.
Ankeny hoisted the trophy for the first time in eight seasons after its win over Southeast Polk as
Jase Bauer threw for 101 yards and a touchdown while adding 158 yards rushing and two more scores.
Arland Bruce IV, whose mid-season eligibility ruling boosted the Hawks, ran for 149 yards and three scores in the title game.
The Hawks' path to their first title since 2012 was a gauntlet that included Cedar Falls, Waukee and Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines), which had won seven consecutive state crowns. Ankeny needed two overtimes to down the Maroons 31-24.
"Coach (Brady) Walz came in and said, ‘I’m tired of being the little
brother. We’ve been their little brother, everyone’s been their little
brother the past seven years. It’s time to be the big brother,'"
Bauer told the Des Moines Register. "We were pretty pumped coming out of the locker room."
St. Mary's (Remsen), the 8-man champion, isn't included in the final Iowa MaxPreps Top 25, but it should be pointed out the unbeaten Hawks dominated en route to their title. St. Mary's was involved in a game for the ages as the Hawks won a
108-94 semifinal thriller over Montezuma. The 202 points were the second-most in 8-man history and broke the Iowa state mark by 24 points.
2020 IHSAA state championsFinal Iowa MaxPreps Top 25
