What the Ames football team can learn from its 42-6 home loss to No. 10 Ankeny Centennial
The Ames football team saw that it is still a long way from being able to compete with the top teams in Class 5A with its 42-6 loss to No. 10 Ankeny Centennial during its home opener Friday.
"They are a good football team," said Ames coach Brian Sauser. "Unfortunately, we did not meet their physicality."
Ames fell to 0-2 with the loss. The Little Cyclones also struggled in their opener, a 35-7 setback at No. 7 Waukee.
Ames has been banged up to start the season. Sauser also said he still has plenty of faith his team can turn things around.
"We play a difficult schedule, but nobody is going to feel sorry for you," Sauser said. "We're going to continue to work to get better. If we can work to be more physical, we are going to be a good football team. "
More: What a banged-up Ames football team can learn following Friday's 35-7 loss at Waukee
The Little Cyclones trailed 7-0 after one quarter. Centennial then blew the game open with 21 unanswered points in the second quarter on its way to evening its season record at 1-1.
The lone Ames score came on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Lane Kenny to Jeffery Roberts in the fourth quarter. Kenny completed 10 of 19 passes for 211 yards and Roberts made four grabs for 70.
Cameron Cantonwine added five receptions for 141 yards. Jamison Poe ran for 26 yards on 11 carries for the Little Cyclones.
Next week Ames will host Iowa City High in the Little-Cy Hawk battle.
Both teams are 0-2. Iowa City suffered losses to Joliet Catholic (Ill.) and Iowa City Liberty by respective scores of 48-13 and 41-14 in its first two games.
"We have two teams in a must-win situation," Sauser said. "Nobody wants to be 0-3."
Ames and Iowa City will kick off at 7 p.m. next Friday at Ames High Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames football team drops its home opener to No. 10 Ankeny Centennial
