The Ankeny Brief
Two high schools, one town, and a rivalry that fills the stands. Here is how to follow Ankeny High (the Hawks) and Ankeny Centennial (the Jaguars): the 2026 football schedules, the crosstown game, recent results, and exactly where to find scores and tickets all year.
Ankeny High are the Hawks; Ankeny Centennial are the Jaguars. Both play Class 5A in the CIML. Football opens Friday, August 28, and the two rivals meet Friday, September 18 at Ankeny. Day-to-day scores live at Ankeny Fanatic; we run a weekly scoreboard below.
What's next: Wed Oct 21, cross country state qualifiers (Ankeny at Iowa City, Centennial at Southeast Polk). Thu Oct 22, both volleyball teams host regional semifinals at 7pm. Fri Oct 23, regular-season finale: the Hawks host Council Bluffs Lincoln at 7pm and the Jaguars travel to Sioux City North. 5A playoffs start Oct 30; pairings are not out yet.
Live, day-to-day coverage: Ankeny Fanatic.
Both teams open Friday, Aug 28, then play a nine-week regular season before the Class 5A playoffs open Friday, Oct 30. Home games in bold, the rivalry game highlighted. Times are 7pm unless a school posts otherwise.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Fri Aug 28 | at Waukee Northwest |
| Fri Sep 4 | Waukee |
| Fri Sep 11 | Des Moines Roosevelt at Mediacom Stadium |
| Fri Sep 18 | Ankeny Centennial rivalry |
| Fri Sep 25 | at Sioux City East |
| Fri Oct 2 | at Johnston |
| Fri Oct 9 | Ames |
| Fri Oct 16 | at Valley |
| Fri Oct 23 | Council Bluffs Lincoln |
| Fri Oct 30 | Class 5A playoffs, first round |
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Fri Aug 28 | Southeast Polk |
| Fri Sep 4 | at Linn-Mar |
| Fri Sep 11 | Des Moines Lincoln |
| Fri Sep 18 | at Ankeny rivalry |
| Fri Sep 25 | Urbandale homecoming |
| Fri Oct 2 | Valley |
| Fri Oct 9 | at Indianola |
| Fri Oct 16 | Dowling Catholic |
| Fri Oct 23 | at Sioux City North |
| Fri Oct 30 | Class 5A playoffs, first round |
Schedules from the schools and Ankeny Fanatic; confirm dates and times on the official athletics sites before you go, since games can move for weather or scheduling.
When Ankeny outgrew one high school and opened Centennial in 2013, it created one of the metro's best crosstown rivalries. The football meeting on Sept 18 at Ankeny is the marquee night, but the two split the town across every sport, from soccer to Quiz Bowl. Get there early: rivalry games draw the biggest crowds of the year. Full football detail is in our Ankeny football guide.
Tickets for most Iowa high school events are digital and linked from each school's athletics site. Rivalry and playoff games can sell out, so buy ahead, arrive early, and check the current clear-bag policy first.
The Ankeny Brief runs a weekly Hawks and Jaguars scoreboard plus everything else happening in town, in one short email.
Ankeny High are the Hawks (navy and orange); Ankeny Centennial are the Jaguars (columbia blue and black). Both play Class 5A in the CIML.
Friday, September 18, 2026, at Ankeny High School. It is the crosstown rivalry's marquee night.
Ankeny Fanatic for day-to-day coverage, the schools' athletics sites for official schedules, and Bound (gobound.com) or MaxPreps for results and brackets. We also carry a weekly scoreboard.
Iowa is unusual: it runs high school baseball and softball as a summer sport, wrapping up with state tournaments in July, while most states play in spring.
Ankeny football guide · Ankeny schools · Sports complexes & youth sports · Events calendar
Free, every Monday 7 AM
Everything new in Ankeny this week, in one email. No spam, unsubscribe any time.