Ankeny starting 2023 Iowa high school football season from scratch under new coach Jeff Bauer
Ankeny football has become synonymous with success, and for good reason.
The Hawks haven’t had a losing season since 2017. Ankeny’s most successful campaign in the years since was in 2020, when the Hawks went 11-1 and won the Class 4A (prior to the introduction of a fifth class) state championship.
Ankeny returned to the title game in 2021, but settled for a runner-up finish, and the program advanced to the quarterfinals after losing just one game during the 2022 regular season.
Several Division I recruits have donned an Ankeny jersey, including two quarterbacks, JJ Kohl (Iowa State) and Jase Bauer (Central Michigan), in the last five years.
But for the first time in half a decade or so, Ankeny’s prospects this season are unknown.
Former head coach Rick Nelson left the high school game and returned to college coaching at Northern Iowa. One of his assistants, Jeff Bauer – Jase’s father and a paid member of the coaching staff since 2018 – took over the head coach headset.
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The Hawks also graduated several key pieces on offense and defense and were unranked in preseason polls.
“As a coach, we don’t care (about preseason rankings),” Bauer told the Des Moines Register. “We have three returning starters on offense, two on defense. That’s where I’d rank us. There’s nothing proven here. We’re just trying to focus on the process and getting better each day at practice.”
So, the real question is simple: Can Ankeny remain near the top in Iowa’s largest class, or is it time for a different team to take over?
From players to personnel, the Hawks are starting from scratch
Three starters on offense.
Two starters on defense.
Those are the returning players with varsity experience under their belts. And on the sidelines, Bauer will be joined by a brand new coaching staff.
Translation: The Hawks are in a serious rebuilding period.
But there are some players who could slide into instant impact roles. Caden Henkes ran the ball 32 times for 252 yards and two touchdowns in 2022. The rising junior was the second-most utilized running back, behind Jazan Williams, who has graduated.
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One of Kohl’s top targets last season was then-sophomore receiver Evan Irlmeier. He hauled in 30 passes for 412 yards and six touchdowns. That was the same number of scores as his senior teammate, Jamison Patton, who had over twice as many receptions.
Look to Connor Kayser on defense. He led the team – tied with now-graduated PJ Westover – with 42.5 total tackles, which included 11 tackles for loss and two sacks. Nolan Morrison (38.5 tackles, 7 TFL, 1 sack) returns to Ankeny, as well, but all other defenders with 20 or more tackles have graduated or transferred.
Kayser will serve as one of Ankeny’s captains, along with wide receiver Devon Akers, defensive back Dylan Dougherty, and linemen Lukis Beroth and Braegyn Carter.
Ankeny looks ahead at football without a Division I quarterback recruit
There are quite a few pieces that Ankeny needs to replace, but none more so than state title-winning, Division I signee JJ Kohl. There are some big, size-16 shoes to fill.
Three players (two juniors and a sophomore) were competing for the starting role in the first week of practice, but it will most likely come down to Luke Anderson and Jett Each, both juniors. Both have very limited experience: Anderson completed four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown in 2023, and Each recorded one 19-yard throw.
Even once the quarterback question is answered, the Hawks face another challenge ― finding receivers. Evan Irlmeier, who had 30 receptions for 412 yards and six touchdowns, is the top returner on offense and the only skill player with consistent game experience.
Devon Akers was not a starter last season, but has some experience and size. The 6-foot-6 receiver had just six receptions for 75 yards in 2022, and it looks like he will take on a larger role this year.
There are a few other options that Bauer threw out, as well.
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“Caden Henkes saw time at running back last year behind Jazan (Williams),” Bauer said. “He can run, can catch the ball. Daniel Larmie, he was a freshman last year. Everyone in the state of Iowa will know Daniel Larmie in a couple years. He’s special. Carson Sommerfield at tight end has had a great summer.”
Is Bauer ready to move from assistant to head coach?
Well, Ankeny’s hiring committee sure thought so, and it isn’t like Bauer doesn’t have the résumé to back up his promotion.
His degree from Iowa State is in physical education teaching and coaching. He worked in the front office of the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL. Oh, and he spent about a dozen years as a scout — first as a midwest college scout and then the Director of College Scouting — for the New York Jets.
But his time as an assistant at Ankeny has been rewarding, even beyond watching his son, Jace, lead the Hawks to a state title.
He hopes to return Ankeny to the top of the rankings, which could be an uphill battle in his first year as head coach. The Hawks lost a lot of talented players at the end of last season, and working with just five returning starters is no easy task.
For Bauer, though, his first season as head coach isn’t only about winning games.
“First of all, I want them to be men of character,” Bauer said. “I want these boys, when they come into our program in eighth grade, I want them to leave as men of character. I want them to be seen that way on the field, at practice and in the community.”
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Jeff Bauer, Ankeny football starting season from scratch in 2023
