Ankeny Centennial improves to 4-0 with win in Johnston

<p>After a disappointing year in 2018-19 that ended with the Ankeny Centennial winning only nine games, the 2019-20 campaign has begun in nearly opposite fashion.</p> <p>It wasn't till the first week in January when the Jaguars tallied their fourth win last season, and it took them another month to tally their fifth.  This season, we're about halfway through December, and Centennial could notch their fifth win this coming Tuesday at home against winless Roosevelt. </p> <p>What's more impressive is the way in which the Jaguars go to 4-0.</p> <p>They'd beaten three straight CIML opponents, and Johnston came into Friday night's conference match-up with the Jaguars hungry for a win after losing to powerhouse Waukee by only seven the game before.  The Dragons were highly ranked, playing at home, had <span style="font-size: 1rem;">won their first two games by 35 and 28, and scored 157 combined points in the two contests, so </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Centennial would have been viewed as a clear underdog.</span></p> <p>However, the Jaguars defense neutralized the Johnston offense, and the game went to halftime with the Jaguars leading 21-20.  The Jaguars prevented the Dragons from getting anything going in the second half too, and Johnston finished the game with only 40 points.</p> <p>But the Centennial offense woke up in the second half, found themselves up 11 after three quarters, and won the game 57-40, making a massive statement to the rest of 4A.  Senior big man Micah Johnson led the way for Centennial with 20 points on 9-14 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, while fellow senior Cody McCullough grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked five Johnston shots in their massive win over the Dragons.</p> <p>All signs point to the Jaguars beating Roosevelt this coming Tuesday night.  If they do, Centennial will have five wins and zero losses on the season, and each of their five wins will have been against CIML opponents.  It may be obvious to say, but given the rough year they had last season, it's worth making this point clear: The Ankeny Centennial Jaguars could not have hoped for a better start to the 2019-20 season.</p>