Iowa high school football rankings: Ankeny crowned 2020 MaxPreps Champion, finishes No. 1

By Staff Report Nov 25, 2020, 10:45am

Hawks soar to first title since 2012 as Jase Bauer, Arland Bruce each score three times in 42-14 win over Southeast Polk.

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 champions

Class 4A – Ankeny
Class 2A – Waukon

Final Iowa MaxPreps Top 25

# School Rec. Str. +/-
1Ankeny11-120.3--
2North Scott (Eldridge)9-122.7--
3SPHS (Pleasant Hill)10-118.6--
4OABCIG (Ida Grove)12-08.5--
5CLGLR (CO-OP) (Rock Rapids)11-121.8--
6WDHS (Manchester)10-213.3--
7Waukon10-115.1--
8Harlan11-119.6--
9Waukee7-327.5--
10West Lyon (Inwood)8-222.4--
11Pleasant Valley10-115.0--
12Van Meter11-19.6--
13Xavier (Cedar Rapids)10-114.0--
14DCHS (West Des Moines)7-213.8--
15Regina (Iowa City)11-14.4--
16LCHS (Council Bluffs)8-211.9--
17ICWHS (Iowa City)6-115.7--
18Assumption (Davenport)8-18.7--
19Valley (West Des Moines)4-421.7--
20West Sioux (Hawarden)7-318.4--
21Camanche9-213.4--
22Hempstead (Dubuque)7-212.6--
23SCCHS (Lake City)9-29.4--
24Webster City9-111.4--
25BHRV (CO-OP) (Rock Valley)8-315.2--