By KELLY TERPSTRA, Courier sports writer
September 20, 2008 01:48 am
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OTTUMWA — Ba-bing, ba-bang, ba-boom.
When the dust settled Friday night at Schafer Stadium in Ottumwa, there wasn’t much left to say but — wow!
The sixth-ranked and defending state-champ Ankeny Hawks revved up their engine and steamrolled the Ottumwa Bulldogs 56-17 in a Class 4A CIML non-conference matchup.
Before the second half even began, Ankeny had rolled to a 49-10 lead and ended the night with a stunning 607 total yards.
Head coach Jerry Pezzetti’s squad used big plays all night to put this one away early and Ottumwa had little recourse, other than to try — and try again.
“We just didn’t play well. We didn’t play well,” said Ottumwa first-year head coach Zach Wigle.
With a key CIML Central clash with Dowling Catholic looming next week, it appeared Pezzetti opened up the playbook a bit in the second quarter — a disastrous 12 minutes for Ottumwa. The Hawks scored five times in the quarter and ran up 507 total yards in the first half alone.
Ankeny scored with 15 ticks left in the first half on a 44-yard bomb from Dan Behmer to wideout Ethan Matthews — who could have moonwalked into the end zone — he was so open.
Behmer found Alec Lewis on the left sideline for a 51-yard pass to make 42-10. Behmer also ran a option keeper for 43 yards and a score with just over five minutes left in the second quarter, the score now yanked up to 35-10.
Ankeny’s Tyler Leo hit a home run on a run left at the 7:41 mark of the second quarter and raced into the end zone 74 yards later to make it 28-10 Ankeny. Leo would finish with 182 yards on nine carries and score twice.
Ottumwa was in the game early, though.
Adam Goodvin found Clint Utter on a fade route in the corner of the end zone for 14 yards with 1:44 left in the first quarter. That made it 14-7, Ankeny. The drive was set up by Utter’s 43-yard snare of Goodvin pass.
Joe Roark nailed a 26-yard field goal with 8:06 left in the half for Ottumwa’s other score in the first two quarters. Ankeny led just 21-10 at that point.
Michael Wetrich bolted to the end zone on a 20-yard slant route on the first play of the fourth quarter for Ottumwa’s second touchdown.
“I know one thing, Ottumwa moved the ball on us extremely well and passed the ball well on us,” said Pezzetti, the state’s fourth-best active winningest coach.
Ottumwa had not faced Ankeny since a 36-14 defeat in the quarterfinal round of the 2003 playoffs.
Goodvin finished with 160 yards passing and Utter racked up 98 yards receiving.
Ottumwa (1-3) starts CIML Metro play at Des Moines Roosevelt this Friday at Drake Stadium.
Ankeny 56, Ottumwa 17
ANK 14 35 00 07 — 56
OTT 07 03 00 07 — 17
Scoring By Quarters
First Quarter
A — Alec Lewis 11 run (Zeb Miller kick) 10:30
A — Jared Goforth 2 run (Miller kick) 3:16
O — Clint Utter 14 pass from Adam Goodvin (Joe Roark kick) 1:44
Second Quarter
A — Tyler Leo 8 run (Miller kick) 11:55
O — Roark 26 field goal 8:06
A — Leo 74 run (Miller kick) 7:41
A — Dan Behmer 43 run (Miller kick) 5:29
A — Lewis 51 pass from Behmer (Miller kick) 4:12
A — Matthews 44 pass from Behmer (Miller kick) 0:15
Fourth Quarter
O — Michael Wetrich 20 pass from Goodvin (Roark kick) 11:56
A — Lewis 9 run (Miller kick) 11:28
TEAM STATISTICS
ANK OTT
Rushes-yards 34-479 31-164
Passing yards 130 160
Total Yards 609 324
Comp-Att-Int 4-7-0 7-20-1
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Ankeny
RUSHING — Tyler Leo 9-182, Ross Naylor 7-80, Alec Lewis 5-91, Jared Goforth 4-43, Dan Behmer 2-48, Tyler Hill 1-4, Alec Ryan 4-29, Calvin Kibby 1-4, Anthony Ardon 1-(-2).
PASSING — Behmer 4-7-130.
RECEIVING — Ethan Matthews 2-68, Lewis 2-62.
INTERCEPTIONS — Ross Ryan.
Ottumwa
RUSHING — Adam Bowling 9-74, Justin Rusch 9-46, Ben Lott 7-36, Adam Goodvin 5-8, Tory Drayton 1-0.
PASSING — Goodvin 7-20-160.
RECEIVING — Clint Utter 3-98, Michael Wetrich 2-23, Lott 1-43, Nick Donlin 1-(-4).
FUMBLE RECOVERIES — Garret Crosby.
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